<Begin Segment 8>

LH: Well, I did want to ask you about your interactions with non-Japanese and non-Japanese Americans. Did you have much contact with...

MS: Not too, not too much, as children I don't remember that at all. 'Course, that was young enough so I didn't venture too far from home so the only one I remember is in the hotel.

LH: The people that you saw on a daily basis were primarily Japanese American?

MS: Yeah, I would think so, that's all I remember. At least that's... I'm sure there were non-Japanese, too. There had to be.

LH: Since your parents were speaking Japanese -- well, your father spoke English -- but were they speaking to you in Japanese all the time?

MS: Oh, yeah.

LH: Did you know any English?

MS: My sister did and I.. I learned English when I went to Maryknoll because they started, I mean, that's what they talked, so that's when I started learning. And then my brothers would bring home -- they didn't want to speak Japanese at home. So they would start -- and my mother picked up words, too, because you have to because they wouldn't talk to her. [Laughs]

LH: And so she spoke to you in English at times?

MS: Well, at times, yeah, so I wasn't completely isolated from English.

LH: And then Maryknoll was a nursery school?

MS: Yeah, it was a nursery school.

LH: Was it very far from your house or your grocery store?

MS: Yeah, because I remember riding on something. Either someone picked me up or some [inaudible] member going to that place and I don't remember. I couldn't walk that distance 'cause that was, would have been twenty blocks.

LH: And were the kids there other Japanese American kids or were there Caucasian kids there also?

MS: I can't remember, 'cause, being that young. All I remember are the nuns that took care of us. And I remember two, one who was very, very stern and I guess you always remember those, Sister Consolata. And I remember Sister Denise who was the nicest, sweetest -- and she was the nursery nun and she's the one that helped... I think she got me out of diapers from what I understand. [Laughs]

LH: You have a good memory for names.

MS: Yeah, well, there's two that had an imprint and then Father Tibesar, of course, was the father in charge of Maryknoll.

LH: He's quite well-known...

MS: Yes, he was wonderful. I just remember him as a big man. When you're little everyone looks big anyway. But that's where you picked up some of the language.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.