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AI: And so they were farming in the Wapato area at that time?

RS: Yes, they were farming -- well, there's this small town called Parker north of Wapato, about six, seven miles. And we were growing vegetable crops like tomato, cantaloupe, cucumber, beans and that type of thing.

AI: About how big was the farm?

RS: Ah, the farm was around 80 acres. I mean you had waste and all that on top of that, so that might have cut it down to about 65.

AI: So a pretty good sized farm.

RS: Well, I that was a pretty good sized farm compared to the west side, because they were raising berries here. And they might have had maybe fifteen, twenty acres here. And I think, if you had twenty acres of berries you were pretty good size grower at that time. Now I'm sure that they don't, you can't make a living on twenty acres. You have to raise hundred, or big farm. So there's quite a difference now compared to those days.

AI: Right. So now with your oldest brother being born around 1920, then who came next?

RS: My sister, her name is Fumi. And she now lives in Palo Alto, California. And she worked just like us on the farm.

AI: And then after your sister?

RS: Ah, my brother, his name is Mitsuo. And he also worked on the farm just like the rest of us. And then came me. And then I got a younger brother, Tatsuo; he's about a year and six months younger than I am. But we all done our share on the farm.

AI: Well, did you have a particular job on the farm when you were growing up?

RS: Well, I think I was jack of all trades. [Laughs] I'd get behind a horse cultivator, and little bit of tractor work, or driving a little truck, or... I done everything.

AI: Do you remember about how old you were when you started driving?

RS: I think...

AI: Driving the tractor?

RS: I was about twelve to thirteen years old, when I first started driving. Those days they weren't so strict so I guess we got away with it...

AI: Yeah...

RS: [Laughs] Without a driver's license or anything.

AI: When you were about twelve, thirteen what was a typical day like for you, like on a weekday say...

RS: Well...

AI: What time would you wake up?

RS: We worked, sometimes we worked, in the morning before we went to school. And then we walked about three miles to school, and after that we went to Japanese store -- Japanese school for about an hour or so, and then we came home and went out in the field again. So we didn't have much time for amusement, or sports, or anything.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.