<Begin Segment 36>

EG: Well, is there anything else that you had thought about when you were planning to come for this interview, or things that you wanted to tell us that we haven't talked about?

TM: Well, I thought that when the first generation came, they brought some nice things. They brought Japanese culture, some of which are really good, like the respecting the parents, honor and honesty, and hard work, and all that. They brought that idea here and they taught that to their children and I think their children are now telling their children the same kind of a thing. Maybe to a lesser degree, but I think Americans in general think that the Japanese Americans have a fine quality that originated in Japan. And Issei, of course, found out that the very nice things about the United States, like independence and freedom and all that. In Japan, the spirit of independence is lacking. They are always relying on somebody. They are always waiting for orders from somebody to do something and they are not as creative. But my, my hope is that our children will not forget their good Japanese spirit, culture, and they adopt good part of Japan and combine that with the good part of the United States. Some ideas about the United States is not as good. But if they can combine the good part and they use the good part, I think they will be good citizen. And that is my wish and I hope I was able to convey a little bit of that today.

EG: You're a wonderful person to come and be interviewed and you're a unique person, I think, in, of all the people that we're talking about, you embody the Issei and the Nisei and the Kibei, all within yourself. And your comments about the good of the two cultures and melding of the two cultures I think is very valuable and I appreciate it very, very much.

TM: Yes.

EG: Thank you.

TM: Yes, sir. [Laughs]

<End Segment 36> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.