<Begin Segment 22>

PW: And you mentioned that your daughter, was it Sharon? Is now also involved with, pretty seriously involved with the Buddhist community?

HS: Well, she is in San Diego, she has, I think the reverend, the minister was there, who is now retired, encouraged her, encouraged anybody who wanted to, actually, and specifically pointing to Sharon, too, that you want to be a minister's assistant? You can learn more about Buddhism, and you can help. Because a minister's assistant is valuable nowadays because many churches do not have a minister. So minister's assistants are, if they get to a certain level, they can perform almost anything. She can't do a funeral or anything like that. To do that, she has to go further, go to Japan to get a different degree, but she started off as a minister's assistant then. So she was having to take classes and online, sometimes tests and things like that. So she seriously studied, so that's good. I'm happy that at least one of our children has decided to do that.

PW: So when the children were growing up, did you and LaVerne ever talk about camp? I know that you were both very, very young, of course. But their grandparents were part of that.

HS: Yeah, well, he was in Tule Lake, so he has... we haven't talked together privately about it a lot. But when they had these little pilgrimages that went to Tule Lake to see the sights and talk to people who have been in camp... I have never gone, but he's gone at least a couple of times.

PW: To Tule Lake?

HS: Yes, to Tule Lake for the reunions. And because I didn't go there, was not really interested, but when they went to Rohwer, then I wanted to go. So I have been to Rohwer a couple of times with my sisters on separate occasions.

PW: What was that like for you?

HS: Oh, we went to the site, and I don't recall, I don't recall the barracks and everything like that, because it's all down. But they have a monument there, and it makes me... my feelings are saddened. And it doesn't bring back memories so much as feelings of injustice and all that, it gives me those feelings when I get back there. And when I look out on the, what is there, I think there was cotton planted there at least one time when we went to visit. And I wish that I had, was old enough to remember. But it's just the cemetery there, that I see names of people who died there and the monuments that were old, that was set up when, actually, when we were there. Plus new monument there that shows, that is explaining a little bit about what was here at the time, and it's a new, it's a national park.

[Interruption]

PW: I know that you guys went to the Rohwer pilgrimage. You guys all went, with your daughters and their grandchildren, right.

HS: And you know, I mean, it's just interesting to go to Arkansas, anyway, but especially because we were in Rohwer. And we went to New Orleans and Little Rock.

PW: I have one final question, and it really is, reflecting back on just the whole wartime experience and how it affected your entire family. And I'm kind of curious, do you think that this has had, like any, affected your sense of being Japanese? Growing up, even though you were young, do you think that this had a big impact on you, how you think about being Japanese, how you raised your children as Japanese American?

HS: I think that because we're Japanese American, I like the kids to know, your children to know, and even the grandchildren to know about their background and their culture. So in that way, I encouraged them to study or reflect. If they can go, like with the JET program or any way that they can go to visit, I would encourage very much. And our relatives there are getting old, and they don't have youngsters. The ones we were closest to, they don't have youngsters where they can visit, so they would have go to as a tourist. But there is a group that is based in Los Angeles that brings, every year they've been doing that except for the pandemic. You would call it a grandparent tour, grandparent/grandchildren tour of Japan, and it would be a two-week period. And at that time, you could even visit afterwards, you can visit family if you want, or any extra places, and we used to do that. And I've been on that three times. And it's so nice because the hotels are set up. Because if you had to do that all on your own, it's a lot of work. But as I said, you have to pay a little extra, but it's a wonderful group. It's a Japanese American travel tour agency, and that's the best way to go.

PW: You have that connection.

HS: Yes, yes. And every year we (can) get where he's going to go this year next year. And he goes everywhere all over the world, Okinawa and South America, and not necessarily... and some going to the (Southern USA), like if you want to go to Georgia or East Coast. So it's a very nice travel firm that will pretty much take you anywhere... I don't know about Africa, but maybe even Africa.

PW: Is there anything else you want to share with me?

HS: No, but I really appreciate what you're doing, Patricia. I do appreciate what you're doing today. Because I think the stories should be told, not necessarily of me, but I know that I'm part of the story.

PW: Thank you so much.

HS: It's my pleasure, thank you.

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 2022 Densho. All Rights Reserved.