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TI: So what I thought we'd start with is to talk about your father's side of the family. And you're a Sansei and your dad was a Nisei. I actually want to go to the Issei generation, the generation that came from Japan to Yakima. So let's start with your grandfather. Can you tell me what your grandfather's name was?

LI: His name was Shukichi Inaba.

TI: And do you know about when he was born?

LI: I'm guessing he was probably born in the late 1800s, maybe 1890-something.

TI: I'm looking at my notes and yeah, actually, in the government records they had him born in 1887.

LI: Oh, okay.

TI: And Shukichi, and do you know what part of Japan?

LI: Kumamoto. I think it was Yamaga city in Kumamoto, I believe.

TI: And do you know what your grandfather's family did in Japan?

LI: They were farmers. And I think his father, my great grandfather, I think instructed kendo. So I don't know if that could be a profession, but I know that he was a kendo instructor. So I think he was like, that generation was one of the last samurai, but I know that he was a farmer, too. They were, my grandmother referred... because they both were from the same village, and my grandmother referred to them as "Higo Nogoshi." So Higo was the former name of Kumamoto, I believe. And I guess he said they were samurai farmers. So I guess they were farmers, samurai, because they were there to protect their lands.

TI: So the sense was that, so on your grandfather's side was kind of a little higher class in terms of having...

LI: Could have been. I don't know what that class structure was, but my grandmother's side, I know... yeah, they were probably both of the same social class.

TI: Do you know if your, on your grandfather's side, if they were landowners or were they...

LI: I believe they were. I actually visited Japan, I don't know, fifteen years ago, and one of my dad's cousins is still living on site as well as on my grandmother's side.

TI: As we were touring, you mentioned that your grandfather was educated also.

LI: Yes.

TI: Talk about that.

LI: Well, what my grandmother told me was he educated in, he had a degree in agriculture from the Imperial Agricultural College, and I don't know where that's at. But he was supposed to work in the royal gardens, but he decided to come to the United States instead.

TI: And do you know why he decided? Given his family background, the training, he was supposed to work in the royal gardens, why would he leave?

LI: Well, I think he was recruited by the Japanese Association to come and help the other Japanese immigrants farm, because he was educated. And my great grandfather on my mother's side, I think he happened to be the president of the Japanese Association in Yakima. And I'm sure he probably had something to do with inviting my grandfather to come to this country.

TI: Oh, interesting, okay. So he was essentially recruited from Yakima.

LI: I believe so, yeah.

TI: And about what year did your grandfather come to America?

LI: About 1907.

TI: Which is kind of an important date in that it was before the Gentleman's Agreement. I mean, he had to get here in some ways. If he was viewed as more of a laborer, he might have actually qualified as something different, though, because of his education. The common laborers at 1908, it was kind of a cutoff when they could come.

LI: Yeah. And I think the arrangement for the Japanese to the reservation, I think, was pretty formal. Because I see pictures of my grandfather and my great-grandfather with a lot of non-Japanese people all dressed up in fancy clothes. It appears that they're at some kind of a meeting or something like that, so I'm not sure what formal arrangements they had to bring the Japanese to this country.

TI: That's interesting. We're going to have to do more research, I'm curious about that.

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