Densho Digital Repository
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Clara S. Hattori Interview I
Narrator: Clara S. Hattori
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: December 8, 2014
Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-426-10

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TI: Now, I want to talk a little bit about the community life around there. Like did they have, did you attend a Japanese language school?

CH: Saturday morning my dad would take us to the Loomis Methodist Church. And in the entertainment... there was a building next to the church, there was a building, they called that entertainment building. They had movies in there and classes, and they had just one room, it was just big, open room, and they had chairs. And us kids had to go to Japanese school in the morning, and my dad would take us. And all I learned -- I hated it -- all I learned was the easy Japanese, hiragana?

TI: Or katakana?

CH: Katakana. And when it came into kanji, I just, I wasn't interested.

TI: And how large was your class?

CH: It's more or less the church people, so they were just... I remember there were Miyo and myself, Fuji, Helen... gosh, I think there was about six of us in one class, and then there were some kids that parents have been, sent them to Japan, I mean, they're a little bit more advanced and they could read and write a lot better, and they had their own class. It was, it was just a small... because I remember there was just a small area there, not too many. And you know, I don't think it lasted too long. I mean, during my growing years, I remember going to Japanese school. But I think they either discontinued it or they had another area. Okay, now I remember. I think there was a grammar school, and I don't know if it was a Buddhist church or if it was some just Japanese community thing that taught Japanese. So I think eventually they got to be a little bit more larger, and they were, at this community hall, they had Japanese classes there. So our church group, I think it eventually died down.

TI: And did you go to that other school?

CH: [Shakes head]. But I remember they had... not graduation, or what do you call community... well, I guess it was some kind of ceremony, graduation that we went to. And I remember sitting and watching them, but I never went to the Japanese classes.

TI: How about other Japanese community events? Like did they have, like, picnics and things like that?

CH: Uh-huh.

TI: So describe that. What were they like?

CH: Well, you know, around there, this Loomis, well, there was a Methodist church, and then I think the Buddhist people, they were kind of, Penryn had a big Buddhist church, and so it was just more or less people weren't too... other than when it comes to this community picnic, and I think Penryn always had a big picnic. It was at some fairground, I think, some open space. And they had races and things like that, and then they had a table with Japanese food, like sushi and things like that, that I remember. But other than that, it wasn't very big. Let's see... it was in Penryn, yeah, it was in Penryn, all right. I don't remember too much about that.

TI: When you mentioned the food, like a table for food, was it more potluck?

CH: Yeah, people brought their own.

TI: Brought and then shared it?

CH: Shared 'em, uh-huh. And it was under a tree in the shade. Not a big table or anything like that. So I guess those that want to bring it, they bring it. Otherwise... and then I remember the Japanese movie, samurai kind of movie, where they come and kill and everything. We used to go to that, my parents, I guess they're the ones that wanted to see that, and took us along. And so we all sat in benches, so the kids were all in the front there, and then adults in the back. And I remember the samurai just beating a drum, and then they had swords, and then they'd go around and they killed each other. [Laughs] they had big fights.

TI: Now when they showed the Japanese films, where did they show that?

CH: At this community hall. I think at the Penryn Buddhist Church.

TI: Do you know how large it was, I mean, how many people could sit in there?

CH: Oh, I don't know. It's not very big, because it was just for the community. I would say, well, maybe forty people. It was just a general... because I remember us kids sitting on the bench, there wasn't any comfortable chairs or anything, sit on the wood bench, and all the kids in front, parents were in the back.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2014 Densho. All Rights Reserved.