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PW: So I think I'll just ask you one last question just kind of reflecting. So this interview, we're trying to also really capture postwar stories and how people came back, or came to California after the war and resettled. Are there any things you can think about that you want to share about the changes that you saw in San Francisco or what it was like to build your practice? Any thoughts that you have about postwar for Japanese Americans?

HS: My practice was not Asian, it was all white. So, I mean, I didn't have to deal with that, but obviously people who wanted to hire me, they had to think about their practice. It worked out with the Asian group, because we produced... there were five thousand Japanese Americans before the war, but everything is dated before and after the war. I doubt if there are two thousand left in San Francisco. And you don't see Japanese Americans in this area. All my friends did well. Those that worked for the city of San Francisco, they did extremely well. Obviously in the professions, they did well. I don't know about attorneys, because all our attorneys were white. It must be awfully hard to start a law practice, because you really have to have very fancy clients that can afford attorneys' fees unless you're in a big Japanese community.

Well, my kids, Jon was only Caucasian people who helps him, they come and help paint and do whatever structural work and so forth, and of course, they come to smoke pot, too. They're all good about... well, he goes and plays golf with them, so he is good friends with them. My best man for marriage was a fellow student, but he's a Caucasian. But this is interesting, he was a German American, and their family used to come to the store to buy Japanese goods all the time. I used to remember a real fine class, they were all veterans, but because at that time, there were only seven and they took veterans preference, one of the guys, Arthur Stone, used to come buy fish from the grocery store. He was a musician, played the piano, a fine student. So I might have met some prejudice, but I really can't complain about, I expected. You know that I did, with my friend Kats, Katsunori Handa, picket Sutro Baths. Do you know about the Sutro Baths?

PW: Tell me the story.

HS: Sutro Baths, they just tore it down. It was on Ocean Beach, and there's a little restaurant, it's a tourist place, lots of class and see the ocean. I don't know why they suddenly, I used to be on the swimming team so I knew how to swim. And Sutro Baths had five pools, and they were different temperatures, so it was unusual. And all of a sudden they decided the Japanese will need health certificates to get in. So I was in junior high school at that time, I took my friend Kats Handa, we picketed that, but picketing was not unusual. I think my sons picketed our own store. He took his cousin, they picketed, though they were very good to him.

PW: Why did they picket your own store?

HS: Yeah.

PW: Why? Why were they out there protesting?

HS: They wanted more money, is that right? Well, they were family. But gee, it was so good, they wouldn't have them, or anybody work, he would get college soon. Chiyeko, your aunt, also worked there, she's a hard worker, but they were friends.

PW: Well, I'm just going to say thank you again, because...

HS: I'm sorry I took so long.

PW: ..we've had a wonderful, long conversation, and thank you again for your time.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2019 Densho. All Rights Reserved.