Densho Digital Archive - Chiyoko Yano Interview (denshovh-ychiyoko-01-0006)

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MA: And I wanted to ask you about Japanese language school, and if you attended language school?

CY: Oh, yes. We went, when I, I used to go to the Japanese school on some nights. I remember, I know the teacher's name was Mr. Kuroiwa, but he used to teach, we learned katakana, and next hiragana, but I forgot how... 'cause I don't use it, I forgot. I could speak it, I can't write it or read it. I could read some, but not very well. I can't read the kanji at all.

MA: It's pretty difficult.

CY: Yes, it is.

MA: So did you speak Japanese or English in your home, or both?

CY: Both. Because my parents spoke Japanese, and then you go to school, you speak English to the playmates, so we learned both language...

MA: And what religion did your family practice?

CY: Buddhist. But when we lived out in the country, I wasn't able to go to church very much. But when we moved closer to town, when we farmed close to the town, then I was able to go to Sunday school.

MA: And when did you move, make that move closer to town?

CY: Oh, gee. Gosh, when I was about sixth grade, that's when I, we moved to town and, closer to town, farmed closer to town. It's already, where we were farming, it's all homes and schools there now, you know, but when we were there, it was just open land.

MA: And so can you describe the Buddhist temple that you went to, what it was like and what Sunday school was like?

CY: Well, the Buddhist temple is, it's not the temple that we have now, it was the old temple, and it was on Union, Union Street there, and it was a temple that looked like a temple. You had to climb a, I don't know how many stairs, but, to go to the front door, you know. And that was our temple, and that's where I got married. In fact, my, my wedding was the last one before the war, because I got married November 30, 1941, and the war broke out a week later.

MA: So can you talk about the Japanese American community in Watsonville and the types of activities that you would do, and festivals or celebrations?

CY: Oh, I used to go to the YBA meeting and go to conference. Like we'd have a district conference and we'd go with a group. We never go, we don't go like we do now, usually with a group.

MA: And YBA is Young Buddhists Association?

CY: Yes.

MA: So where would you go for your conferences?

CY: We, we usually go either, I remember going San Jose and then Salinas. Those, before I was married, those are the highlights. [Laughs]

MA: And you would meet other people from around California?

CY: Oh, yes, uh-huh.

MA: So what were the conferences like? What would you, what types of things would you do?

CY: You know, I can't remember. [Laughs] Those days, we would usually go there to meet people.

MA: So it was like a social...

CY: Social, yes.

MA: ...activities.