Densho Digital Archive - Kiyo Nikaido Morimoto Interview (denshovh-mkiyo-01-0003)

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JS: And so when your mother and father were married, did they live out at Canal Ranch or did they live in Walnut Grove with the grandmother?

KM: No, Canal Ranch.

JS: They all, they lived in...

KM: Just Grandma and Grandpa lived in Walnut Grove.

JS: Okay. And so did you live in Walnut Grove at all?

KM: No, I just went and visited my auntie, Tomiko, she was the youngest. She died, I guess, when... I think she died August 15, 1929.

JS: Okay. So what do you remember about the boarding house when you used to come and visit?

KM: Well, I always thought it was dark, really dark. And our room that Tomiko lived in was really dark, the curtains were, shades were down, everything was dark in there. No sunlight, that's what I remember about her. And then going to the bathhouse every night across the street.

JS: And which bathhouse was that, Miyazaki?

KM: Yes, Miyazaki. I could still remember bringing a pan and soap and towel and sort of went in there with our nightgowns.

JS: So you would walk over in your nightgown, or you would change there?

KM: No, we would walk in our nightgown.

JS: Uh-huh, and take a bath and then return.

KM: Then we came back. And I remember my mother, grandmother cooking, that's all. I remember one time we had a "picture bride," you know the "picture bride"? I remember she came and we sort of celebrated and had a party, and she was washing the dishes. I remember looking at her face. She was a beautiful bride, but she was sort of disappointed, coming with a "picture bride." But then it so happened that she is the go-between within my husband and me after she stayed. She passed away, she had two girls, I think. She lived in San Francisco after, after the war. Her name was Shiotani. But she was a beautiful lady when she came from Japan.

TI: Can I ask a question? And you said she was, she looked disappointed. Why did you say that?

KM: Well, because "picture bride," husband, she probably, she was sort of disappointed, maybe she thought he was tall and handsome. But that's the only "picture bride" that I knew.

JS: So she came to marry...

KM: But she was, married this Shiotani.

JS: Shiotani, and he was one of the boarders?

KM: Yeah, he... no, he was working with my father. I didn't know whether he had a camp, but then he was just a worker. So maybe that's why she was sort of disappointed. But she took over and she did everything. I don't think she knew any English, but she was very strong.

JS: So she came and she lived at Canal Ranch with you and your family?

KM: Uh-huh.

JS: And she would help cook at the ranch for the workers?

KM: Yes. But then she must have moved, she moved to Turlock, that's all I know. Because when she was go-between, she was in Turlock.

JS: So can you describe what your living arrangement was at Canal Ranch Number 8?

KM: Okay. At first, we lived downstairs, and the Filipino people lived upstairs. And then they built a house for us separately. So we had a nice house. I can picture the house there. I always wanted to see if it was still there. [Laughs]

JS: Can you describe the house? What do you remember?

KM: The only... no, I just remember just the living room where my sister was born, you know, but I remember lots of buckets and pail of water, hot water, that's all I remember. And outside, of course, then they must have had a porch. 'Cause I remember, I don't know what I did, but I was bad so my father took, threw me out, outside, it was nighttime. I just remember the porch that they had.

JS: So you were sent and you sat outside on the porch?

KM: Uh-huh. So that's where I remember. [Laughs]

JS: So can you, you started to talk about when your sister was born. Can you tell us about your siblings? So you were the oldest daughter, and then...

KM: I got married, go-between, and went to Lompoc. Lompoc, California, that's near Gabler Beach. And my first daughter was born there.

JS: Oh, can we go back and talk about your siblings, your sisters?

KM: Oh, my sister.

JS: Uh-huh.

KM: Okay, I have, she went, she must have gone to Stockton, she was born in Stockton. That's where the midwife must have been, in Stockton. The other two was Walnut Grove. My sister Mae, she passed away. And then there's June, she passed away also. She was born in that Canal Ranch.