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VY: And then when did your father, well, how about your father, when did he come over?

FM: So my father came to join my grandfather in Berkeley when he completed middle school in Japan. And so when he came, of course, he could speak no English, and he boarded with his family, and he repeated middle school. So in Berkeley he went through three years of middle school at a school called Willard junior high school, which is still there. Then he went to Berkeley High School, he graduated from Berkeley High School. So I think he gradually became proficient in English, and then he enrolled at the University of California. And so he was very fortunate because he came so young, most Issei, when they came to the United States, had to immediately start working and try to provide for themselves and also to help their families. So he was very lucky because my grandfather was there to help him. And so my father made a lot of friends during that time that he was going to school, and all his friends were Nisei. And he still, to this day, I mean, to the last of his days, he said those years that he was going to school in Berkeley were some of the best years of his life. He just really loved his friends and having his comrades to be with. And, of course, in the summertime, he would have to go and work in the fields and in the orchards to help harvest different crops. But I think even the Niseis did this, and so I think that he said it was really a great time for him. Just really enjoyed those school years in Berkeley.

VY: I see. So, and in the summer, he worked in the family nursery?

FN: No, he would go out and try to earn a lot of money to further go to school.

VY: And so backing up just a little bit, so when he came here, he was probably how old?

FN: Well, I would say he's probably thirteen or fourteen.

VY: And he came by himself?

FN: He came alone, but he had a place to come to, because his father was here.

VY: He made the journey from Japan to America.

FN: Right, by himself. See, and we never talked about these experiences, it's too late.

VY: Okay, so it sounds like your father really enjoyed his time at Berkeley. What did he study?

FN: He studied mechanical engineering. He was in the class of 1928.

VY: And what did he do after he graduated? Was he able to find a job in mechanical engineering?

FN: No, he could not find a job. So that's when he joined my grandfather and moved to Richmond and just immersed himself in building the nursery.

VY: Why do you think he was not able to find a job?

FN: Well, there was so much discrimination then, and it was impossible to, even though you were a good student and you had your degree, was very, very difficult to find jobs. One of his best friends that he had a lifetime friendship with was a Nisei from San Francisco, and his name was Mr. Takahashi. And he went to Japan as a Nisei to work as a mechanical engineer. And he had great difficulty, because even though he spoke Japanese, I don't think he was really literate, so he had to learn how to speak good Japanese, he had to learn how to read and write, and so I think he had a very difficult time. But he eventually became a Japanese citizen, and he had a very successful career, because he would come back to the United States to do business for his big Japanese company, and he would always stop and visit with us.

VY: Okay, so he and your father stayed in touch over the years?

FN: No, they lost touch during the war years. But when it became possible for Mr. Takahashi to come to the United States to do company business, he always stayed with us.

VY: I see. So then when did your parents meet?

FN: My parents met through our church friends. In those days, the church was part of the social community also, not just church. And so they met through friends of my father, and I don't know who the other friend was, but they met through the Yanagisawas, they were members of our church, and we still are really good friends. In fact, since I had no grandmother, Mrs. Yanagisawa was the person that I consider as one of our real grandmothers, because she always took care of us.

VY: So do you know how old your parents were when they got married?

FN: You're asking embarrassing questions, I don't know.

VY: That's okay, I think a lot of us don't know that answer, actually.

FN: Because I'm not sure exactly what year they got married. It was in the early 1930s, but I really don't know.

VY: That's okay. Do you know what your mom was doing before she got married?

FN: I don't know what she was doing. She was not able to go to college, I know that.

VY: She was not able to go to college?

FN: She graduated from Livingston High School, she did not go to college.

VY: Do you think she wanted to go to college?

FN: Well, I don't think she ever thought about going to college.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2019 Densho. All Rights Reserved.