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DG: And, so now, tell me -- let's move on.

SS: Uh-huh.

DG: This is where it gets kind of interesting, because your family moves to Peru, right?

SS: Right. Because after Dad got inducted... and I think he was in the Army for couple years. My brother was born in the meantime, in 1922.

DG: Oh, in Japan.

SS: In Japan, George. His name was Moriso and he -- my aunts put in all of our English names when we went to Hawaii.

DG: So, why does he go to Peru?

SS: They went to Peru because my grandpa didn't want the rest of his sons to be inducted into the Japanese army. So, they sold their house and their farm to Grandpa's sister's family and then they all went to Peru. So this was...

DG: Oh, so that's how they could afford to take everybody?

SS: Yeah, right. Otherwise I don't think they had the money to be able to take the whole family, 'cause Dad has four or five brothers and two sisters.

DG: Now, did they deliberately go to Peru, or were they really trying to come to America and had to go...?

SS: They tried to come, go back to Hawaii, but they were not able to. So the next choice was Peru.

DG: And they knew that they were going to go to Peru before they set off?

SS: Uh-huh, uh-huh and details, I don't know...

DG: Right, right... yes...

SS: ...fortunately. And then, when they got to Peru, my mom hated the place but we stayed there. And then, I was born in Peru, and my sister Patsy was born in Peru and my brother Richard.

DG: Were there a lot of other Japanese people there?

SS: There were quite a few. So...

DG: You said your family started...

SS: A restaurant. Grandpa and all the sons started a restaurant. And Dad worked for Grandpa for a year or so and then he went to work as a cabinetmaker and a salesperson.

DG: Were the clients Japanese or were they Spanish?

SS: Most... you know I really don't know. Must have been some Spanish because my dad was very good in preparing Spanish dishes. And I still remember, he used to prepare this tripe dish that my mom's brother-in-laws loved in Hawaii whenever he cooked. But, I won't touch it. [Laughs]

DG: When you said you learned Spanish...?

SS: That's all we spoke, Spanish and Japanese. So, when I got to Hawaii when I was six, I didn't know any English.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.