<Begin Segment 2>

AR: In the Japanese colony of Clovis, can you describe the housing that you lived in, in as much detail as you can remember, like how many rooms there were, the various rooms, and amenities like plumbing or electricity, heating systems, decor and smells and things like that?

RE: Well, it was nice. I'm not sure how much the Japanese railway workers were involved in the planning, but they made it like it was a, sort of a park in the middle, and then surrounded by two long buildings, one was L shaped, the other one was more straight. And in each of these buildings there were certainly rooms or apartments you would call it, for at least three families, three to four families. And then isolated on the far side to like an enclosure was another building that housed two more families. So in all there were room enough for eight to nine families in that thing, surrounding this beautiful park area. Actually I remember seeing a little pond with a goldfish swimming around it.

AR: Now wait a minute. Are we in Clovis?

RE: In Clovis.

AR: Really?

RE: Yeah. However, we lived outside of that, for what reason I really don't know, but we lived in the single one-story house that was outside this so-called camp. And it was obviously proximal, but we had the privilege of having a chicken coop, a outhouse and everything that went with the house.

AR: Kind of contained with your family?

RE: Uh-huh. And it, where all of us kids live in, all eight of us really.

AR: Okay. Was your father like a foreman of the Japanese workers, or would you describe him?

RE: I'm not so sure, but my father obviously through his early years training in Japan had all the technical skills of being a machinist as well as the tool and die maker.

AR: And he brought some of the other guys in and trained them?

RE: Well, those who came along through time, he certainly trained 'em. Maybe those who were there before him he also trained. So my dad was very talented, yes, as a machinist.

AR: How about the interior of your house itself?

RE: Well, there was nothing to brag about. It certainly was well-kept. I don't think anything looked really rundown but we certainly felt like living in a sardine can with so many kids and, of course, including our parents at the time. I was alive, obviously, my oldest brother and oldest sister passed away. But in my growing up years there were, including my parents, there were ten of us. So that's pretty crowded in a two- or three-bedroom house. I really don't recall that there were more than three bedrooms.

AR: So would the boys share a room together and the girls?

RE: Uh-huh, like a bunk bed. My brother Ben, my younger brother Bill and I, shared a bunk bed in one little room.

AR: Uh-huh. And you mentioned the outhouse, but did they have running water in the house, do you recall? I know it's a long time ago, but...

RE: Yes indeed, because we never brought water into the house, so there had to be running water. My understanding is our heating was always done by coal stove or wood burning stove, and my mother also cooked over that.

AR: Over that coal stove?

RE: I don't think we could've afforded any electric appliances at that time.

AR: But you did have electric lighting and things like that by the '30s?

RE: Yes, we did, but prior to, apparently when I was very young, my oldest sister said they used to burn kerosene so I guess us kids used to smell like kerosene at that time. I don't know that, recall that too much.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2008 New Mexico JACL and Densho. All Rights Reserved.