<Begin Segment 26>

TI: Okay, I'm glad we got that. I just wanted to kind of go through that whole area when you left Isleton and then when you came back. The other thing I wanted to just touch upon are sort of... when you think of future generations, earlier you were asking, well, you don't think the Sanseis and Yonseis are that interested. Tell me why Yonseis and Sanseis and Goseis should be interested in the lives of the Isseis and Niseis. What's important that we can learn from...

BK: Well, I think for me, it's important that my kids know that there was a war and I was in, you know, in camp and all that. But I think intermarriages are... I mean, I think there's more Japanese and others than Chinese and others or Filipino and others. It's mostly Japanese and others. 'Cause all my kids... yeah, they're all married or going around with, living with hakujin.

TI: So Japanese have a high interracial marriage...

BK: Yeah, I think so.

TI: And so how do you feel about that?

BK: I feel fine. I feel fine. I mean, like my second daughter said, "If you can find me a Japanese guy," says, "you better go bake me one in the oven."

TI: But then so thinking about, so future generations of Japanese Americans will, you're right, it's starting to get mixed in terms of the racial component. But in terms of values, you don't need to be necessarily all Japanese to understand some of the values that you've, that the Isseis and Niseis had growing up. Which ones are the important ones? What would be important for your, say, great-grandchildren to have in terms of...

BK: Well, I want to know, them to know that they're Japanese.

TI: And what does that mean, to be Japanese, to you?

BK: I don't know. Look like us. My... even speaking Japanese, my second daughter knows a lot more Japanese than any of the others.

TI: So let's talk about values in terms of work. What would be important, what would be Japanese about work, for instance?

BK: It doesn't matter. I think if they're capable of doing something, I mean, go for it.

TI: How about community? What would be Japanese about community?

BK: Like I said, like in Sacramento, like the Florin JACL we used to belong to. I mean, the Japanese community know about it. I said, "Why don't you put some things in the Bee so other people will know what the Japanese are doing?" I mean, you have an Asian Pacific newspaper that's all about Pacific Islanders and Japanese, Filipinos, Chinese. But who's reaching out to the majority of the people? Or not for long, because, you know, they're gonna take over. [Laughs]

TI: So you think it's important for the general population to know more about the Japanese experience.

BK: I think so. I mean, yeah, because we know about it, but then they don't. Because, like when I went to talk in Isleton a few years ago, and this guy stood up and called me a "Jap." And so things haven't changed in Isleton.

TI: And how long ago was this when this happened?

JS: Maybe about three years ago.

TI: Three years ago?

BK: Uh-huh.

TI: And I'm, and what was the reaction of the people at that meeting, or what happened?

BK: I talked to one lady and she said she was shocked. And I told my group what had happened, 'cause some of 'em were outside and they weren't all sitting down listening. So, and then I just looked at the guy and said, "What did you say?" and that was it. I didn't know who he was.

TI: And why do you think he used that term? Why did he call you...

BK: I don't know. I couldn't talk to him after that and tell him that it's a derogatory comment. And so I figured when I talked to this lady, I said, you know, "I guess Isleton really hasn't changed as far as segregation goes, or being biased," I said, "if people can go around calling me a 'Jap' yet in Isleton."

TI: So you've seen a lot of prejudice in your life in terms of, at Isleton, you saw it when you were in Arkansas with blacks. What is it going to take for people to be less prejudiced about other races? What's going to have to happen?

BK: Like I said, I think if we publicize what we're doing and make them aware that we're here.

TI: So education.

BK: You know, we're not going away. That's why like at the PTA meetings, you know, I said, "Don't just stand among yourselves, I mean, mingle. They're all people like us."

TI: Oh, so in some ways, Isleton, what I'm kind of understanding is Isleton may still be like this, in some ways, because of its history of being a segregated place. I mean, people... it still impacts it today because of that segregation, because people still kind of keep to their own groups, they're not used to mingling as much.

BK: Yeah.

TI: Interesting, that's good.

BK: And I told my kids, well, because my kids all have hakujin husbands or live in... I said, "Okay, so you don't marry a Japanese, but don't forget that you are Japanese. I don't want you to forget that you're Japanese."

<End Segment 26> - Copyright (c) 2009 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.