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Title: Ron Kenmotsu Interview
Narrator: Ron Kenmotsu
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: San Mateo, California
Date: June 18, 2024
Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-546-27

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TI: Your dad during the interview expressed this sense of hiding this information. And, I mean, he kind of regrets that he didn't share this earlier, but this theme of kind of hiding. And I'm just wondering how you feel about that? I mean, in terms of this information, is this something that you feel like it should not be shared widely? Obviously, as we're interviewing... but how do you think about that?

DK: So I put my dad first. So if he were ready to share it, then I'd be open to share it, but I wouldn't want to make his story and make it something that I'm broadcasting. I think that's something that I would have a conversation with my dad, and I did upfront, like, "Hey, how open are you about it?" And he said, "Well, it's kind out in the open, but at the same time, like I want to be respectful and sensitive to, it's really, I mean, he kept a lot, kept it to himself for such a long time, so that's why I want to be very sensitive and cautious with it. But at the same time, if he's open about sharing it, I feel like it's nothing to be ashamed of, that's how I personally feel. And that's why I would be interested in meeting their family members, because there's a strong chance that they don't know about him either. I think there's a possibility, or maybe they've heard his name and said, oh, he was adopted, so I don't even know what his name is now. So yeah, I think it would be probably a big revelation for their family to know that they're related to a family named Kenmotsu now.

TI: Keep us posted, because maybe there will be more interviews in terms of, when they find out, maybe we'd want to interview some of them about their lives. So, Derek, we have to keep this short because we have to get out of this room, but thanks for being here, for making this all happen, because this was this was really interesting.

DK: Thank you, Tom, this is really special for us.

<End Segment 27> - Copyright © 2024 Densho. All Rights Reserved.