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Title: Mary Kato - Frances Kajita Nishi Interview
Narrators: Mary Kato, Frances Kajita Nishi
Interviewers: Barbara Yasui (primary), Tom Ikeda (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: March 17, 2022
Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-494-21

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BY: So this is actually not a question that I have, but looking back, what made Walla Walla the place where they settled down, pretty much, for life? What was it about Walla Walla? I'm just wanting to reflect on being in Walla Walla. So how would you answer that? Like looking back, you spent almost all your life in one place. What was it about that place that made you want to spend all that time there?

FN: Well, for one thing, Walla Walla is a friendly place. And I don't, I wasn't growing up feeling isolated or anything. And all I could say is, being one of the first minorities there, that my husband I could say was the first one to be able to join the Exchange Club, which was an all-white club for men. Now they have organized men in it because of this equal rights amendment. And we were the first ones, minority, Asians, I should say, to join the Elks Club. And we were the first minority Japanese to, or minority, to join the country club. And there was one other Italian family that was the first Italian family to join the country club and also the Elks Club. So all these clubs were closed in Walla Walla to minorities. And so we feel very honored to be the first ones to break the barriers.

BY: And when was that? Around what time?

FN: So that would be about 1962 or '63. And also we were told when we were trying to buy a house that certain areas were off limits for us to buy in certain areas, and we knew that. And so when we first, my husband and I first purchased, were thinking about purchasing another house, I asked the neighbor that we've moved into, that I knew her. I said, "Do you mind if I become your neighbor?" And she answered, "Oh, certainly it's okay." So we were able to buy that house. So anyway, that's how...

BY: You came to be there for so long.

FN: Yes.

TI: So the question is, looking back, what made Walla Walla the place you wanted to live?

MK: I don't know. Since we knew the Shinbos, you know, and we know we couldn't go back to Mosier. We didn't own the land at all. So that's where we ended up. It's been a good life. We worked hard, you know, with all that onion farming, you know.

BY: And your brother actually married Patty Shinbo, right?

FN: Yes.

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