<Begin Segment 19>

TL: Since you were the wife of kind of a prominent member of the Japanese American community, did you feel like there were a lot of expectations that other people had of you?

YB: Maybe so, but then at the same time if he had to go someplace, unless I was asked, I wouldn't go because I just felt that it made it harder for me. However, they were all very nice to me. And, we went to a lot of Caucasian functions too, in the reserve officers, or the council... you know, the councils from different countries. And the army reserve officer's formal every year we used to.... I'm the shortest one. One of our good friends, "Okay, put your hand in my pocket, and we'll take off!" [Laughs] Because they're so tall. It's a formal, but they're very informal. The only formal thing is you start out with your husband and wife, and then you have to dance with everybody, and then end up with your husband again. But all those things, once you get used to it, it's nice to mingle with different groups like that. And they all treated me so nice. In fact, I was the only, we were the only Orientals in the group. Whether it's the reserve officers' or whether the legal group would get together and have a New Year's Eve party, way out in the country club somewheres. And I just can't even take a drop of alcohol. So I asked the bartender to fix me one little glass of lemon sour. All you do is barely sip on it, it's so sour. So when the rest of 'em are three sheets in the wind, they'll say, "Yone, what are you drinking?" I said, "Oh, very special. You want a sip?" "What kind of a drink is that? What a horrible taste!" But I felt very much at home with all, they were all very good to us. And I think most of them are gone now.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.