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MA: So what are some of your early memories growing up in Oakland?

BU: Well, the house that I grew up in, living in my grandfather's house. There were no other Japanese around, and we lived right across from our elementary school, and two blocks from a junior high, and three blocks from a high school I would have attended had it not been for the war. But anyway, growing up there, I was not required to go to Japanese school, which pleased me and Don, my brother Don and I. All my other associates that I knew from church all had to go -- or anybody else -- all had to go to Japanese school. I was happy to avoid it. Well, as it turns out, it wasn't all that good of a deal, maybe I should have learned more Japanese. But anyway, I grew up, and during that period when I was growing up in my elementary school days, they always, the elementary school right across the street had a playground director and always had some kind of organized activities, sports activities, and I always participated in that. I was, I was always pretty good in everything that they played.

MA: So you said that your, the neighborhood around here was mostly a white neighborhood?

BU: Yes, and it was actually, it was what they call the Temescal district, T-E-M-E-S-C-A-L, and it was predominant, well, not... it was known as an Italian neighborhood. There was two Italian fraternal organizations in Oakland, big huge ones, and they were in that neighborhood. And so I guess you might say it was a predominately Italian neighborhood.

MA: And what did most of the Italians do in terms of industry or work in that --

BU: At that time?

BU: -- in that district?

BU: Lot of 'em were in the produce business, in the wholesale produce downtown, I had a couple of friends that, family that had a business in downtown Oakland. There were grocery business... I don't remember. Then we, I guess it wasn't, there was a lot of others, too. There were some Greeks, a couple doors down was a Greek family, and I remember them mostly because they used to make their own wine in the basement during, I guess it was during the Prohibition. All I can remember is just a good time, didn't realize that I was poor, or so was everybody else at that time. None of the kids I played with down there was extremely wealthy. And my grandfather had the biggest house around at that time, in that whole neighborhood. But I know asking my folks after, learning that my dad's wages were very, very minimal, but he was living with my grandfather so there was never any shortage of food. Mother had plenty to cook, it wasn't that they were lacking food.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright ©2008 Densho and the Topaz Museum. All Rights Reserved.