Densho Digital Archive - Kiyo Maruyama Interview (denshovh-mkiyo

<Begin Segment 28>

MN: Now at USC, when did you graduate?

KM: January 1950.

MN: So that means you only went to USC three years. How were you able to graduate in three years?

KM: Well, I had a couple years in junior college, and so as far as the basics concerned, I had all the basics. And then I was there at Berkeley a year, and so I had all the basics, all I needed was my majors. So I enrolled in... enrolled in... anyway, I finished in a couple of years anyway. Just because I just took nothing by my majors.

MN: Now once you graduated, did you apply to, like, the big four accounting firms?

KM: Uh-huh.

MN: And what happened?

KM: They, all of them said they "couldn't hire Japs," that's right.

MN: So where did you find employment?

KM: Well, I started working for the state. So I was working for the state for a couple years.

MN: And were you still helping on your father's gardening route?

KM: Oh, probably, probably.

MN: Now you didn't stay with the state job very long. Why not?

KM: Well, for one thing, I didn't like the attitude of most of the employees of state jobs. All they talk about is their... they know the day they're gonna retire. I mean, when you talk about forty years down the line, and then about the number of hours and days and weeks 'til the retirement, then something is wrong. They don't have any interest in the job or what.

MN: Now around this time you got married. Can you share with us how you met your wife?

KM: Oh, I got married in 1952, February I guess it was. Anyway, I met my wife, I had a couple dates with her sister, but she was, I think either an inch taller or the same height as me, so she looked always taller than me. [Laughs] So I got introduced to her sister, so she was more my size so I started dating her.

MN: What was your wife's name?

KM: Fumiko.

MN: Her maiden name?

KM: Huh?

MN: Her maiden last name?

KM: Ryozaki, R-Y-O-Z-A-K-I, Ryozaki.

MN: And why didn't you and your wife get married in a Japanese American church?

KM: Well, yes, at that time, they were using this church I got married, quite a few Niseis were getting married there. It was a nice church, it was big, and then we thought we'd have the reception after the, not chop suey but cake and cookie or whatever, little snack type of reception because we were paying for the whole thing and I didn't want to get myself all in [inaudible] over money.

MN: Which church did you end up marrying in?

KM: Hmm?

MN: Which church did you end up marrying in?

KM: Oh, I forgot the name. It was on Sixth Street and on Wilshire there. Sixth and Wilshire. It was not on Wilshire, it was on Sixth Street, but it's a big church, nice church.

MN: What did you wear to your wedding?

KM: Huh?

MN: What did you wear to your wedding?

KM: Oh, I wore a tuxedo, rented a tuxedo.

MN: Do you remember what your wife wore?

KM: Well, she got a... what do you call it? A wedding dress, yeah. Still got it. I think her sister, kid sister used it once.

MN: Were you able to afford a honeymoon?

KM: Honeymoon was, with my car, we went to, we were gonna go to the Grand Canyon, and all we saw was a hole in the ground and came back. It was February, so when we got to the Grand Canyon, it looked like it was gonna snow, so I didn't have any chains, so I thought, well, I'd better get the heck out of there. So all we saw was a hole in the ground there and came, started coming back.