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TL: Okay. Well, today's date is October 15, 1999. It's Friday at 10:00 a.m. My name is Tracy Lai. And I'm wondering if you could start by stating your full name, including your maiden and married name?

HN: My name is Hiroko Nakahara Nakashima.

TL: When were you born?

HN: I was born April 15th, 1927, in Spokane, Washington.

TL: Okay. And do you have any brothers or sisters?

HN: I have one sister named Meriko.

TL: And how about your parents' names?

HN: My father's name was Umekichi Nakahara, and my mother's name was Ayako Nakahara.

TL: What do you know about what brought them to Spokane?

HN: My father, he came over when he was very young. He said he came over when he, gee, after fifth or sixth grade, and I think he went to Montana to work in the railroads. And then he went to Spokane and started a restaurant, but first he went to cooking school. And then he went back to Japan and married my mother. And then they came over to Spokane.

TL: Did he go to cooking school in Spokane, or did he ever mention where that was located?

HN: I think he went to school in Spokane. I'm not quite sure.

TL: Perhaps. And when he went to Japan, did he go back to his home village, or how did he meet up with your mother?

HN: I'm not quite sure. But he lived in Yamaguchi-ken, (Basara) a little town. And my mother lived in Yamaguchi-ken, too, (Shinjo) another town. So it might have been one of these, call it, nakaodo marriage?

TL: What does that mean?

HN: Go-between.

TL: Were their families, your mother's family and your father's family, were they farmers or small business?

HN: They were both farmers.

TL: Both farmers?

HN: Uh-huh.

TL: Do you suppose your mother expected to be a farmer's wife in the United States?

HN: I don't think so because she knew he was, he had a restaurant. So she came over with him.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.