<Begin Segment 7>

MN: When your mother passed away, did people want to adopt your younger siblings, or did they want to put you into the Shonien?

AK: Yeah, she had a lot of friends and they all, they want us. But I was old enough to take care of them, so I held 'em all together and I never let anybody get away.

MN: But you're still a high school student. How did you support your younger --

AK: No, I had to work and so I went to night school.

MN: So you quit high school?

AK: Yeah, well, during the day, and I went to night school. I don't know, I think it was, they were teaching the same thing. I don't know.

MN: Now, before you quit high, University High School, you took a horticulture class. How did you do in this class?

AK: I did pretty good 'cause I love plants. And that teacher gave me a lot of things that he wouldn't trust to other... those things have to be there no matter when, to be watered and everything, and I did, I took care of all that.

MN: Is this the teacher that wrote to UC Davis?

AK: I don't know who did.

MN: But you got a scholarship to UC Davis, didn't you?

AK: I don't remember that. All I know is I was heading for there, but I don't know if I got a scholarship. There was another teacher there, I forgot his name, Boswell or something like that, he's the one that tried to get me to go to college, and I think it was Davis College. But then both my father and mother's gone, and I had four sisters, so somebody's got to feed 'em, so I quit school and I worked, I went to school at nighttime.

MN: Do you remember where you went to school for night school?

AK: Yeah, I think it was, I think it was the high school that I used to go, at University High School.

MN: Now, during the day, what kind of work did you do?

AK: Well, gardening, mostly gardening. I'd help a landscaper.

MN: Is that how you got started?

AK: Uh-huh.

MN: And so you helped this landscaper, when did you go out on your own?

AK: I think about that time the war started, so we were all back into camp, and after I got out of camp, that's the only thing I knew, so I picked up work here and there gardening.

MN: Now, when you started gardening, before the war, you were able to get your sister Mary private singing lessons. How did you manage that?

AK: The teacher's name was Snyder, and he had, saw the potential in my sister, so he didn't hardly charge anything. He had a little bit, but... he had her sing, he had her sing here and there, and then that's how he got more students.

MN: Now, before the war and before your parents passed away, you used to grow vegetables. Did you continue to grow vegetables?

AK: Yeah, I've been growing it all my life. Everything from junior high school on.

MN: So this helped feed the family also.

AK: Yeah.

MN: How about chickens? Did you have chickens?

AK: We had a few, but then I hate to kill 'em, so I quit raising them. Got so close to the chicken that it got to be my pet, so I gave it all away. Yeah, I remember when I chopped the head off and that chicken was running all over the yard without the head. That made me sick, so I quit.

MN: Now, your sister Fumi that's right below you, after you quit high school and you're gardening to help the family, how did Fumi help?

AK: She worked in the market, a vegetable market.

MN: Did Fumi continue with high school also?

AK: Gee, I don't remember. I don't think so.

MN: So she might've had to quit high school like you. Now, once you're the head of the household, what was your work schedule like? Did you work seven days a week?

AK: No, I wasn't that crazy. I had to have my fun, so I'd go out, I used to play baseball and football. I got to have some time.

MN: How about, like going skating at the Shrine, did you do things like that?

AK: Yeah. I don't know how old I was. I did go roller skating. I remember all the flop that I got. [Laughs]

MN: And your wife mentioned you used to take a lot of dates to the Palladium.

AK: A lot of what?

MN: Dates.

AK: Yeah.

MN: You took them dancing at the Palladium?

AK: Yeah, I think so. I think that's about all I know, where I went dancing.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.