<Begin Segment 6>

TI: I want to talk a little bit more about the Japanese community events. So you have all these Japanese families around Lindsay, were there ever community events where everyone would get together?

NA: We had our annual picnic, and I'm quite sure it was held in my boss's pasture, my dad's boss had cows...

TI: So Mr. Cairns.

NA: ...cattle also, and my dad used to take care of that, too. And he had acres of pastureland, no trees on it. And so I'm quite sure we used to go to his pasture, because in the spring, the green grass was lush in the pasture. And we used to go there and have a picnic, all the kids would have footrace and rassling matches and what else did we... well, anyway, we had a grand time because when it came to picnics, everybody showed up. And so that was one, and then they had the, do you know what the kenjinkai is? Okay, where each, where the families got together according to where they came from, from Japan, and so they had a kenjinkai and we used to also go and have soft drinks for the kids, and then beer and sake for the parents. And just to socialize, we never had anything. But we had our own Japanese American track... what do you call it? Track meet, and that was at a particular city, and then all the Japanese families 50 miles radius from that central place, we used to have a sports contest.

TI: And was that mostly running races, like you said track meet? Or would there also be, like, baseball and other games?

NA: Mostly running and broad jump, high jump, but no... I don't know if we had discus throwing, but I doubt it.

TI: And who would sponsor this event?

NA: The older brothers used to sponsor it.

TI: And then for the money to put it on, would they get it from, they would donate the money or would they get it from the Isseis?

NA: I'm quite sure in those days, when it came to any kind of a Japanese American activity, the parents would always go for and donate the money. So money was no problem.

TI: And were your parents a pretty prominent family in the community because of your dad's business? So was he, like, an important person in the Japanese community?

NA: Oh, there used to be important person in each Japanese community.

TI: And was your father one of those important people?

NA: No, he was so busy he used to let a fellow by the name of Imoto-san, he was the head honcho, and everybody would do what he says.

TI: Okay. Going back to those track meets, so did you participate?

NA: Oh yes, I ran.

TI: And what was, what were you good at? What event did you like to do?

NA: Oh, I used to participate in everything, broad jump, high jump, and running. So it was just... and everything that came up, I tried for it, whether I won or lost.

TI: Were you a pretty good athlete? Were you pretty good at these events?

NA: Oh, I think I was just in the, about the middle. I wasn't exceptionally good and I wasn't exceptionally bad. [Laughs]

<End Segment 6> - Copyright ©2008 Densho and the Topaz Museum. All Rights Reserved.