<Begin Segment 28>

DG: You've traveled all around the world. And you know people all over the place.

MM: People. You find good people. In any country there's always good people. (...) you learn a lot, too.

DG: Would you like to go back to Japan now?

MM: Oh, yeah. She's been there for so long, she says, mmm. But I don't mind. Asobi ni ikuno.

DG: But you don't wanna live there?

MM: No, no not permanently.

DG: You like being in the United States?

MM: Yeah. It's much free. Nihon no... if you really get into a Japanese community, urusai yo.

DG: Yeah, right.

MM: And mada kekkon shinaide hitori de iru. [Laughs] You know that's the thing they say. It'll be kind of katawamon kane, to omoudesho? You understand what I'm saying? [Laughs] If you don't get married, they think there's something wrong with you in Japan. But there are a lot of single women now. Independent women now. But in the years before, it was, it was a shame on the family if the daughter wasn't married off.

DG: Right. Right.

AI: But that never seemed to bother your father.

MM: No. Doesn't bother me, I'm independent. I don't give a hoot. I shouldn't say that, but nobody came to sweep me off my feet. [Laughs] When I was sweeping out here. Oh, I've seen some girls who got married. Having good marriages. But some not so happy. Sono hito no unmei. Our folks quit talking about getting married.

AM: No. I think our, my first desire, was to travel. That's all I want to do.

DG: And you got to do that.

AM: Get it out of my blood.

MM: And if you get the wrong kind of husband, you can't go no place. [Laughs] 'Cause some of the ladies said, "I can't even cut my hair, 'cause my husband doesn't want me to." I said, "Oh my God." [Laughs] Our marriage would be dissolved right away.

<End Segment 28> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.