<Begin Segment 16>

AI: Now, I think you had mentioned that also in our earlier conversation that you got involved in some civic work. Will you tell me a little bit about that?

SO: Oh, yeah, back in -- I started in '74, I think, Mas Fukai, who was a Nisei Gardenan, decided to run for city council. And I had had a little smattering of experience in Long Beach with the Republican Women's... and we shirt-tailed it. He was the first councilman to win an election without the card club support. And he also worked for Supervisor Kenny Hahn as a field deputy, the Asian drug program. And then later he rose to become chief deputy to Kenny Hahn. And he remained the city councilman until last year, when he retired because he had a stroke four years ago.

But through him, I learned how to organize campaigns, fundraisings, and follow through mostly on consti -- constituents' requests and needs. So, and that's all voluntary. He used to fire me constantly, but I used to tell him he's got to pay me first. But he was quite a guy. He is quite a guy. He's probably known as almost a non-politician kind of a political leader. He's a doer. He doesn't talk. He, he gets things done. He's a diamond in the rough. And through him and my other personal friends from immediately after the war -- I mentioned Helen Kawagoe. I met her at Nishi Honganji, when we were both teenagers. I was going to Belmont. She was going to Pasadena High. And she is now city clerk of Carson, and she's also the National JACL President. But we grew up together. I met Paul Bannai when I was about eighteen. And it just so happened my personal friends who needed help, I helped. I am not politically active in, as in politics, per se. It's just, I help my friends.

AI: So it's the personal relationships that drew you in?

SO: Totally.

AI: You know I -- it sounds like you've remained very active, not only in the civic arena, but also with music, that you've continued your teaching.

SO: I'm still teaching, twenty hours.

AI: Then now, can you tell me a little bit more about how your daughter got involved with the Jive Bomber's Christmas? How that production --

SO: Well, that was just another show at the time she accepted it. She has worked with the East-West Theater for, oh, my goodness, fifteen years, maybe, with Scott Nagatani. She was partners with Scott. Scott is the musical director of East-West, and Lisa has done musical directing for East-West as well. And she does other musical directing or accompanying. So this was just another job. And somehow, the cast and the crew just gelled beautifully together, and they really, sincerely believe in the show. They really feel they're relating a semi-historical story --

AI: Could you say a little bit about the story and why you think --

SO: Well, the premise is that it's in some unknown camp, and the, the girl's brother goes off to war. And he's this, kind of the camp leader or gets things going or starts things rolling. And she promises the brother that she'll carry on or whatever. And it's purely fiction, but it's like a talent show/dance in camp that's assembled together. But it's, it's a marvelous cast. And they, as I said, believe in what they're doing. And it's been highly successful throughout California. We just had a day to raise money to come here, kind of last minute, they threw together a show at the community center in Gardena last Sunday. And in two weeks' time, it was sell-out again. And the year before it was sell-out. Almost everywhere they've gone it's been sold out.

AI: Well -- and now was it through Lisa that you got involved in joining in --

SO: No, it was Mike.

AI: Can you tell me a little bit about what Mike did and how he recruited you --

SO: Mike Hagiwara's father is Mike Senior. His uncle is Abe Hagiwara. He has an another uncle, Pat, who lives here in Seattle. They're formerly from Alaska via Seattle. And I sang at his Uncle Abe and Esther's wedding when I was a youngster. And I also helped him in Chicago at the Chicago Resettlers. And I have the greatest admiration and respect for the Hagiwara's. Mike looks just like his dad. But Mike wanted to come here so badly. And he rather procrastinated to the last minute. So I jumped in to help him. And then as kind of an afterthought, I offered to come up with them to open the show. So it just kind of happened. [Laughs]

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.