Densho Digital Archive - Toru Sakahara - Kiyo Sakahara Interview II (denshovh-storu

<Begin Segment 46>

DG: What about the third generation? Do they have the same values as you?

KS: Well I think they're equally interested. My, one of my daughter's had a chance to go to Japan and spend a year there and she went to Kyushu and she was able to visit the Hattori family, property and grave site and visit Kyushu. She also went to Nigata and to Hiroshima.

DG: So they have a strong feeling of roots?

KS: They have, yes. And...

DG: What about values of responsibility? Do you think that the third generation is as responsible, do you think?

TS: Well, I think they are. In some instances they lack exposure to the personal backgrounds. Our youngest daughter, when she was small, five, six or seven years old, came home one day saying she was madder than heck, saying I'm Japanese. And she found out for the first time that her ancestry was Japanese. And I realized it and then I told her that you're Japanese because your daddy and mother are also Japanese, being children of your grandparents on both sides being Japanese. So your friend across the street is Norwegian because their parents came from Norway and their grandparents came from Norway, but she's also American and don't forget your ancestry of being Japanese, although you're American, and that your friend is Norwegian, but also an American citizen. And I think there's necessity for making our children or grandchildren be aware of their national backgrounds and be proud of it. It doesn't take very much, but it avoids them having to explode at some time in their life. [Laughs]

DG: So is it important that they, that you're Japanese American or is it important that you're American or is it?

KS: Well actually it is important to be American. We live in America, we are American, but it's also nice to be Japanese American because with it comes a whole, centuries of tradition and culture that we can be a part of and it, that's something that (as) children they absorb. When they're little, they didn't care too much for Japanese food, but you should see them when they're grown up, they just love it. So it's, it has to be something that they, they get exposed to and learn to love and fortunately, they give it to their children. Now my grandchildren, they just all like, they just like Japanese food because my children have brought them up on it. And it, and I think that's very important. It's very important.