<Begin Segment 9>

TL: Since your great grandmother was, had that kind of high status background, did that affect the way you and your brother were treated, you know, or viewed in the village?

AT: I don't think so. She had the respect of all the village people because she was from this high ranking family. But... and we respected her too, from the family, too. We didn't ask her to do any hard work or anything. And the family could afford to hire people to do the farming and growing rice and vegetables and all that. So I used to see my great grandmother sitting in the, this eight mat room, which is larger than average rooms, and just doing nothing. She just sit there and just looking around or just watching things going around about her.

TL: Was there anyone else in the village that had a similar background or was she the only one?

AT: She was special.

[Interruption]

TL: You've mentioned that your great-grandmother had a special status because of her background, and I wondered if that made any difference in how you and your brother were treated in the village.

AT: Not at all. She was respected, but children -- no, I don't think so. The only difference was maybe we were wearing better clothes because the money was coming from America, and we didn't have to wear our mended uniform or... but we didn't wear our hard shoes because once I wore my leather shoes to school, and everybody kind of looked and pointed at me and I was kind of embarrassed, more than just be proud to wear it. So I never wear those. Some of the nice clothes that were sent from America, I just didn't want to wear. [Laughs] I wanted to be like one of those, same as village people, children.

TL: Now, was your great-grandmother's husband still alive or had he passed away?

AT: Oh, yes, yes.

TL: He had passed away. Did people come to her for advice about things, to consult about different kinds of matters?

AT: No. My great-grandmother you're talking about? My great-grandmother was well-known in the village and nearby community, because who she was. So when people passing by the house, they will stop by to pay her respect, "Ii kaga desu ka," you know and all that. But she was not treated any different than... she was just respected as she was from this high ranking.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.