<Begin Segment 15>

TI: Okay, so let's now talk about your chores. When you, you have a big family, did you have certain, like, chores that you had to do growing up?

WM: Once a year, my dad used to take us to the State Fair, that's all. We got to go.

TI: So the State Fair? Where was the State Fair?

WM: Stockton Boulevard.

TI: I'm sorry, again?

WM: Stockton (Boulevard, Sacramento).

TI: Stockton.

WM: And... someplace, I forgot now.

TI: And what did you like about the State Fair? What were some of the memories?

WM: State... night show, fireworks.

TI: That's good. But earlier you mentioned sometimes you had to... when we were talking about play things like swimming, you also said you, sometimes you had to work. So what were some jobs that you had growing up?

WM: Cut the lawn, like that.

TI: Did you ever do any jobs or work to get paid?

WM: On the farm, we used to go pick pears, tomato, everything.

TI: So describe that. So how would you know about these jobs? Did other boys go with you, or how did that happen?

WM: Every boy go and just pick 'em up. From the pear, they fall down, then we got to pick all the bottom ones.

TI: But describe, so when a farmer wanted you to pick pears, did they send like a truck to pick up the boys, or did someone drive you? How did you get to the...

WM: That, I don't know, I forgot now. When we came back, camp, we got to drive and go over.

TI: Okay, that was after the war you would do that.

WM: Yeah, camp time.

TI: But when you were a boy, so sometimes harvest season would happen when school was in? Did they let you out of school to help harvest, or did you always...

WM: No, only weekend.

TI: Okay, so on weekends you would go out and do this. And would you have to go out there really early in the morning? Do you remember any of that?

WM: No, I don't think so.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright (c) 2009 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.