<Begin Segment 7>

TI: And growing up in a farm when you're young, what was kind of like a regular day for you? I mean, when you think about, like a school day, say you're in elementary school, like maybe third or fourth grade, what kind of things would you do? From the time you woke up, and just your daily routine, including going to school and things like that.

SI: Well, because I have an older sister, they did more of the cooking for us. We didn't have to cook too much.

TI: So when you woke up, your older sister had already cooked breakfast for you guys?

SI: Yeah, I think they did, until we were able to do it. But she didn't, I think most of the things if she was around. And then, or my mother. I don't quite remember, but I think they helped each other. Because if my mother had to... I don't know, when she's busy, she has other things to do, you know.

TI: Now, were there certain chores that you had to in the morning when you woke up before you went to school?

SI: I don't remember whether we had to do any... no, I don't think we had do any. We just got ready for school.

TI: Yeah, have breakfast, go to school.

SI: Maybe fix our bed and stuff like that, you know.

TI: How about after school?

SI: Well, if they needed help in the farm doing something for us, I think we would do that. Otherwise we'd just play with our neighbors whenever.

TI: How about things like Japanese language school?

SI: Well, see, in Milwaukie they didn't have a Japanese school. I don't know, we had some lady come and teach us, not every day, maybe once a week or whatever. We didn't learn that much, we didn't go to, you'd go to Portland to go to their school.

TI: And we talked earlier, I know that you were members of the Buddhist temple. Would that be in Portland?

SI: Portland.

TI: And so did it feel like going into the big city when you went to Portland? Did Portland feel a lot different than Milwaukie?

SI: You know, I don't know. Maybe during those younger years in Milwaukie, I think they did things at the home.

TI: Oh, so services, things like that.

SI: Yeah, I think so. We didn't go to Portland church. I think we had family gatherings or gatherings at certain people's homes.

TI: Because that was pretty common where the Buddhist minister would... especially the community would go out...

SI: Yeah. I think we don't go into town to the church, so I think they came, the minister would come out to the farm, you know, to our family or wherever we could meet.

TI: What would be an example of going into the city of Portland? When you went there, what was it for?

SI: Well, we'd go there, we'd go shopping for clothes and whatever. And maybe whatever movies or something that might be good that we want to see, or something special or going out to eat maybe. I don't think we did that much going out to eat, I don't think we could afford it. I don't know how that was.

TI: So what would be the names of the store you would go shopping? Where would you shop in Portland?

SI: I don't know whether they had a Sears or a Penny's, I don't really remember.

TI: but generally like a department type store?

SI: Yeah, or otherwise had to go through a catalog and order things.

TI: Like a Sears-Roebuck.

SI: Yeah, that's the only thing I can kind of remember.

TI: How about community events like picnics, things like that? Were there things that you remember with the Japanese community that you went to?

SI: Gee, I don't remember...

TI: Kenjinkai picnic or...

SI: No, we had kind of a building. I don't think it was a Japanese school, but one of the farmers had a big... I don't know, it was a place that we could meet. I don't know what happened. We didn't go there that often.

TI: Okay. How about school? Which school did you attend?

SI: We went to Milwaukie grade school. Then where did I go? We were in grade school, that's all we went, then we were in camp, then I went to Portland after we came back.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2023 Densho. All Rights Reserved.