<Begin Segment 32>

LH: Well, I guess, you know, my question now would be why, why specifically art, in terms of, you know, as an interest? Because again, the old stories, that, well the Japanese were always engineers or they were very, you know, business accountants or something like that.

FF: Yeah, I wanted to do -- actually, my first goal about education was not thinking I'm going to graduate, I'm gonna be a real jack of all trades, or should I say have a well-rounded education. Like take, which I took oceanography, cartography, map making, magic and religion, and anthropology. I took all these weird classes, 'cause I said, "I want to be well-rounded." But then it came to a point where, hey, if you're going to be that close to graduation, start taking some of the necessary courses, and I finally got serious and then I got on track. I started to study and my wife was happy, I mean, my girlfriend at the time. She was happy that I'm feeling that. Because I think if I didn't feel it, she couldn't have forced me to. I think she even said that. She said, "I'm not here to force you to finish school," or... and it was up to me and I think I realized that. And I feel fortunate that sometime reverse psychology on that part was an issue that I fell for and I wanted to make my own decisions. And although art was such a far-fetched goal, that what am I going to be? A professor of art? No, I didn't think of it. I didn't know if I was going to be teacher. I didn't know if I am going to be a great commercial artist, which I didn't care to be, because I knew it was a tough game. But I wanted to have a degree, for one thing, the degree part was sort of a first thing first, kind of thing. To have that sheepskin, because that was supposedly, someone told me that, "At least, Fujii, that it you gives you self-esteem. You will attain something, especially in higher ed," and I thought of it that way. I said, big deal, but you don't have a job. But then I thought of it, and I said, hey, that's okay. If you've got, if you've got this paper it's something more than the average person. And so then when I got it, and the Korean War was on and I was of draft bait, things sort of worked out, because there was no job to be had. And then sort of the interval before I got drafted by the army for the Korean War, I was a draftsman for Boeing, because I got a part-time right before I got drafted.

And so I came back and got my teaching certificate and continued on and became a art teacher. And my second love was physical education -- which I minored in P.E. -- and to think that I've attained both levels, the arts and coaching and get to continue on my art. I always maintained the art was my real focal part of my direction or if anything, that was my priority. Coaching was sort of an extra -- if I attained it, fine, if I didn't, I wasn't going to be hurt. But to feel that I was able to be -- to fulfill my dreams as being a teacher and a coach and continue my arts and be happy with it, and successful with it -- I feel real grateful, because some people don't get their dream at all. They only work and succeed and that's it. They might succeed in their own way, maybe financially, materially or whatever. But I think mine was deep-seated in terms of self-fulfillment goals that were achieved.

And when you reach a goal that you always hope for, or even get an opportunity to work at... you know, a lot of people, at least Nikkei, never had that chance and I feel I got more than my share and I feel grateful about that and... so I guess to be not morbid about this, but if something happened to me now, I would say I have no regrets. I have such good memories and I have such good feelings about myself and my children, and that they're healthy and that, that's kind of the thing that I feel good about. And I have one grandchild, at least I have one, some don't have any. So, you know, if you add the pluses and minuses, gee, as much as I feel sorry for myself with my aching hips and my back or whatever it might be, I've got a lot to be grateful for. But that's what I think, getting back to what I'm talking to you about, the fact that getting involved with this interview process. I hope to think that you could be not just a saddened Nikkei person that wants to say his story, but there's people like me, I'm sure, which you're gonna talk to who are happy with themselves, what they got involved in, and to continue, and to offer themselves to the process here.

<End Segment 32> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.