Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Kunio Otani Interview
Narrator: Kunio Otani
Interviewers: Alice Ito (primary), Rebecca Walls (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: May 31, 1998
Densho ID: denshovh-okunio-01-0001

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AI: Well, I guess we'll start out way from the beginning and ask you some questions about your folks. And could you just tell us your parents' names and where they came from in Japan?

KO: Well my father's name was Kunito Otani. And my name is Kunio, so I guess maybe they got my name from his, I don't know. My mother's name was Rise Sone. And they were both from Hiroshima, I'm sure. I don't know too much about what they were doing back in Japan. And in fact I don't remember too much about what they went through in their early years here, because I never paid that much attention to what was going on. 'Course, I was pretty young then too, when we were growing up. That's kind of hazy. Except that I do know that my mother came over here in 1920, and I assume she was a picture bride, 'cause I haven't heard differently. But, my father had been here several years earlier. And how much earlier, I don't know. He actually had a life before he married my mother. From this early experience that he had in this country, he somehow became involved with a Caucasian lady, which is something we don't talk about very much. But -- whether they were married or not, I don't know, but from that relationship, there were a couple of kids. And we've looked for them, trying to get together with them, but we've never been successful in doing that.

AI: No luck?

KO: No luck.

AI: So was your father quite a bit older than your mother?

KO: Definitely. Yeah, quite a bit. See, he died in '63 and he was about sixty-three years old then. And my mother... well, let's see, it was '63, yeah. He died in '63 and he was about sixty-three years old.

AI: And then, when were you born?

KO: In 1921, July 31st. And I was born in the city of Seattle. And I was, according to my mother, I was born at some lady's home. She was a midwife, as many, many children were brought into the world by midwives back in those days.

AI: So do you know if your folks were living in Seattle at that time? Or have any idea what they were doing?

KO: I have no idea. Now, he may have, we may have been living elsewhere, and just happened to come into Seattle before the birth. So, I really, I can't tell you too much about that.

AI: And then, what about your other brothers and your sister? When -- who are they and when were they born?

KO: Well, I have my brother Shig, he was born in Chehalis, and my brother Hod, who was also born in Chehalis. Left out my sister, she's gonna' kill me for that, but she was born in Chehalis also, and she's next to me. And my brother Ray was born in Raymond, Washington. And he was named after the city.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.