<Begin Segment 9>

TI: So, Kay, I want to go to December 7, 1941. So it's the day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, do you remember that day?

KI: Yes, I was very mad, sort of. Because I said, "Why did Japan do that now?" It's gonna, we're gonna be treated differently, I figured, you know, discrimination. And I was mad about that.

TI: And where were you when you heard about it?

KI: I was in school. I was supposed to graduate 1941 in June, but I wanted to get out of school fast, so I took enough courses where I could get out in January.

TI: Oh, so it was like an accelerated graduation? So by taking extra courses, you can graduate?

KI: Uh-huh.

TI: Okay, so that's why you were graduating in 1942.

KI: No, I didn't... '41. I'm the class of '41.

TI: '41, but in January? So January of '41 or January of '42?

KI: Oh, I don't know if they had... I guess I must have, when they have their June graduation, I must have gone to the graduation exercise, 'cause they don't have January class graduation.

TI: Okay, so I see. And so going back to December 7, 1941, so the days after, do you have any memories of, like, the days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor? Any conversations or any other events?

KI: Well, you know, I was living... the Galianos, Italian, and Hi had a, kind of a... oh, I know. They built a kind of a house for us, you know, the Galianos, so we lived there. So we were protected. No one shot any bullets into our house or anything. The Galianos were very nice Italian people, let us stay there. They even built a house, one big room house for us, and that's where we stayed until he was able to make money to build us a house.

TI: And this is, you're talking about Hi? He was able to...

KI: Yeah.

TI: So let's talk about Hi a little bit. So what was he doing when the war started, when December 7th, what kind of work was Hi doing?

KI: That's a good question. [Laughs]

JS: Was he working out on the farm? Did they have a farm then, the Ikedas?

KI: The Ikedas lived out in the country. I remember they had a house. I used to go visit. Hmm, they must have had to... well, pick the grapes, I guess the farmer, the hakujin farmer must have had grapes and some peaches maybe? I don't know. I don't remember those, what he had to do.

TI: In my notes I mentioned that he liked judo.

KI: Oh, yes.

TI: So talk about that. What kind of, what did he do with judo?

KI: Well, Sensei seemed to like Hi to teach the other young ones what the other judo throws are and things, you know. He helped the judo sensei with teaching judo to new members.

TI: Okay, good. And personality-wise, what was it about Hi that made you interested in him?

KI: Well, he never argued with me, I know. [Laughs] I couldn't remember ever arguing with him. I guess our minds were pretty well set.

TI: So pretty compatible, the two of you, that you guys shared a lot of common ideas.

KI: Yeah.

TI: Now, when you married Hi, what happened to the twins? I mean, who took care of the twins when you got married to Hi?

KI: Let's see. Who took care of the twins? Well, the twins had grown, you know, and I remember in camp... oh, my brothers -- oh, my pharmacist brothers took off for Chicago, and the twins went with them.

TI: Oh, so the twins ---

KI: So the twins made friends at church or somewhere and met their future husband. So they didn't stay in camp like I did.

TI: Okay, so the twins didn't even, they didn't go to camp at all? They went to Chicago?

KI: How did it go? That's their life. I don't remember too well.

TI: And what about your brothers? Do you remember your brothers going to camp?

KI: Oh, they followed my brother, that's what they did. They stayed with them, and then in Chicago they met people and they got married there.

TI: Okay, good.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2010 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.