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BY: So back to that question, Tom, of, at that point in your life, what kind of, if any, racism are you encountering in Seattle?

TI: So something that... so when I graduated from high school, as a freshman went to the University of Washington. And something that became clear to me, part of what we, to your point, the representation of Asian Americans, and recognizing that the University of Washington didn't have courses on Asian American history, or a department. And so I remember as a freshman joining protests about that. And just having this experience of, if it weren't for this teacher giving me the book, novel No-No Boy, I wouldn't have really dived into this and known more. And so why aren't there courses to have in literature, history? And so I remember protesting at the University of Washington for that. So it was more like, at that point, maybe not this explicit racism to hold me down, but there is this racism in terms of not having the stories known by not only Asian American students, but others, it was treated as something not important.

BY: Let's say on a weekend night, whatever you're doing, or even on the basketball court, did you encounter overt racism?

TI: I don't remember anything that... so I did a lot of sports. Yeah, there was little things, taunts. The simplest one is when people would sort of pull their eyes back and do things like that, or when you're at the free throw line, try to, just sort of disrupt you. Yeah, I mean, there were little things when I was younger, the taunt, which, I'm very analytical, they would say, "Ching Chong Chinaman," I said, "I'm not Chinese, I'm Japanese." Things like that. But there were things like that. But I grew up on Beacon Hill and the Rainier Valley where there was a very diverse environment. And I think that made it easier. I mean, if anything, there was sometimes this friendly bantering amongst the races about some things, but it didn't feel that negative. So I didn't have to deal with that much with that.

BY: And when you were in high school, what was most important to you?

TI: I think sports and academics.

BY: Did you play varsity sports?

TI: I was the captain of the swim team, one of the captains of the track team, and then I played football until my junior year, and then I dislocated a shoulder. I was 135-pound running back, my mom said, "You can't play this anymore." She was afraid that, and rightly so, at that point, the linebackers were two hundred pounds plus, and I would just get creamed.

BY: Were you ever concussed?

TI: Not that I remember. I was careful not to put my head down.

BY: What was your event in track?

TI: So I was a sprinter long jumper. And so I think I had the distinction, we had a really famous long jumper, Terry Metcalf, who I think still holds the school record, but I think I was the first one to go over twenty-two feet in the long jump since Terry. But Terry, I think, actually did twenty-five, so he was twenty-four, twenty-five feet, so he was way, way out there.

BY: And I think you've described yourself as an introvert at that point, is that right?

TI: Yeah. Again, I love books, I loved to study, and I think I was known as studious. I think at Franklin I was voted smartest, I think, for the class, you know, the class they always do those votes.

BY: You have a yearbook around somewhere?

TI: Yeah, at home I think I have one.

BY: I might have to hit you up for that.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2020 Densho. All Rights Reserved.