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FK: And what did... I know your dad started out keeping the berry farming up, but then during the war, do you know what he decided to do as far as employment and so forth? Not your dad, but I mean your grandfather, sorry.

AB: My grandpa. No, right, right, I understand.

FK: Got a little mixed up there.

AB: So I do know that the Filipino Farmers Association was established at that time and it was kind of... what he told me, was this organization to establish some sort of, not camaraderie, but just kind of support where they organized all of their tools and supplies and... but I do know there was sort of a lull during that period where it was just too difficult to maintain. I think maybe one season or two seasons? Do you know? I'm curious. No. But, I mean, initially they were able to maintain the farms. But there was kind of a period where, because of the wartime, that it did fall.

FK: I think it was hard to find pickers, for one thing.

AB: Yeah, labor and then just being able to sell and transport.

[Interruption]

FK: So when your grandfather came down and then he worked for the Kitamotos and he looked after the farm, did he ever talk about what it was like after the war? After, after we came back?

AB: In terms of the farming or just in general?

FK: Yeah, yeah.

AB: A bit. I remember him talking about how... and maybe that's when more of the Strawberry Hill area, was developed, following the war? Is that correct? I know that there was that lull during the war. And as you said, that's where he learned his skills in the, in the shipyard, when he became an electrician. But, as far as I know, that's when it kind of picked up again, but it never was the same as prior to the war. I know he had mentioned that before, but... I'm not sure.

FK: Now he also farmed on New Brooklyn, didn't he? And can you tell me something about that?

AB: It's actually, I believe, where our house was built. He had some property up there. And, I'm not sure how many people he had working for him or anything, or how long that lasted. But, yeah, he had some land. And part of it was donated for Strawberry Hill Park, I believe. But I don't know the, the acreage or the details on that. He divided the land between his six kids and so there's all... there's plots of land where the farms used to be up there.

FK: So you have five uncles and aunts?

AB: One aunt, yeah. Six kids. Two, just my mom and my aunt, stayed on Bainbridge and lived here. My uncle... well I guess he's back and forth too. But two of his kids actually built homes on that land and kids grew up on Bainbridge. Or, grandkids grew up on Bainbridge.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2007 Densho. All Rights Reserved.