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VY: Okay, well, let's talk about those early days. What do you know about your grandparents on your mother's side, and when did they come to America?

FN: My mother's family came from Wakayama, Japan, and I'm not sure exactly when they came to the United States, but my mother was born in Stockton in 1906. She was the oldest in the family.

VY: Do you remember what your grandparents' names were on your mother's side?

FN: You know, I just did not ever know them, because they died before I was born, and I did not ever know them. You know, in those days, many people came as farmers. And I say that, there were two groups of farmers, there were farmers that owned property, and there were farmers who did not own property who worked for their friends or family, the relatives. So those farmers, those fifty percent, roughly, of farmers that had no land, they were different from the people that owned the land, they were more like migrant farmers. And I think that's what happened to my grandparents, because both of them died before they were in their fifties. So they must have had a very, very difficult time. And my mother never talked about it, so I really don't understand what it was like, but you know, when you're a migrant farmer, it's different from having your land and your home and your family all together. I think it was very, very difficult for them, I think they were very, very poor, and they had a hard time.

VY: Okay, I see. Let's see, how about your mom? What was her name?

FN: My mother's name was Hayane, and she had no second name, she was just known as Hayane.

VY: Do you know anything about her early life before she met your father?

FN: Well, I know that they moved a lot. They were living in Stockton when she was first born, and they must have lived in Stockton quite a while, because all of her younger siblings were born in Stockton. But they moved to a place called Livingston, California, which is very close to Stockton, and they were living there for quite a while also, and that's where they both passed away.

VY: Oh, that's where her parents passed away?

FN: Her parents passed away.

VY: I see. How many siblings did your mom have?

FN: My mother had three siblings, she was the oldest, she had a brother who was born in 1909, she had a sister, and I don't know when she was born, but she was younger. And then she had a youngest brother, and I would say that he was probably born in about 1920. And I still have connections with all of my first cousins, so that's good.

VY: That's amazing. So you had an aunt and uncle on your mother's side?

FN: I had an aunt and two uncles.

VY: An aunt and two uncles.

FN: Two uncles, yeah.

VY: And did you know them very well?

FN: Well, when we were growing up, our family was very close. But most of them lived in either Stockton or Livingston, so we would get together, and it was a really fun time when our families got together, but it was hard in those days because everybody was working hard.

VY: Okay.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2019 Densho. All Rights Reserved.