Densho Digital Archive - Jiro Sugidono Interview (denshovh-sjiro-01-0008)

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TI: So I want to go back to your father's business. I mean, California back then, they had laws like alien land laws, which prevented your father, the Isseis from owning land. So did he own his property or lease it? How did that work?

JS: Some, I don't know how he got it, but anyway, he got that, I don't know, maybe if I say it now, maybe they'd get prosecuted, but anyway, the Issei couldn't own, own property because they're "aliens." So what they did was the son, see, that'd be my brother, he was a Nisei so they put his name on, but they put another guardian, older Nisei. See, like there was an older Nisei like (...) Mr. Uyeda, Uyeda, and he was older, and you know, they were older, they put his name on as a guardian, see. They, that's how they got by. So (yes), my father got that property, when we moved to First Street, we built a new house there, he got all his friends and built a house there, and he built a garage there, wood garage, and later on, my brother, when he took over, he built a concrete garage, he covered it. But that's what they told me, that Mr. Uyeda's name was on there, and that's how I think most of the Issei got their property.

TI: They would put it in the names of their, of Niseis.

JS: 'Cause they're born here, so they're entitled to it.

TI: Because the Isseis, because they were aliens, could not own land, they had their Niseis, sons do that. Let's go to your mother. You had just talked about what your mother did, because you said your father's business didn't make much money? So what did your mother do?

JS: Actually, you could say my mother was the breadwinner, (yes). You could tell, 'cause -- I hate to say it -- but she was one of those Issei that's really, watch what she spent and where she... I could say, well, you could say she was pretty tight. [Laughs] Or "frugal," maybe you could say.

TI: So your mother was very frugal, okay.

JS: Oh (yes), 'cause she was really, oh she's, you'd be surprised. She lived until 102 (years), and she paid her own way to the rest home. She had saved over $200,000 just for that. I said, "Why don't spend it? Enjoy yourself." No, she always tells us that she don't want to have us be burdened for her care, see. So she kept it herself and she used it. And well, naturally, we help her build it up, but when we were young, everything we made, she put in the bank.

TI: And so what kind of work did she do back then?

JS: She, mostly she did housework or summertime, when we were out of school, she took us to the ranch, picked berries and things like that. So we used to, my father ran the garage, but he used to take us to the ranch to work. So we usually worked for the Japanese farmer, picked strawberries or -- not strawberries, bushberry. So, I mean, it wasn't that much, but (yes), that accumulated, 'cause we had five kids, all helped.

TI: And when she did housework, who did she do housework for?

JS: Oh, she did it with the Caucasian ladies, and some hakujin from business, owned a shoe shop or something like that. And I think, every time, I know, I don't think my mother -- my father took her to work, she either walked to the place or they came after her. So she never did get a ride all the time, but only time, she got rides from some of the places where she worked, they'd give her a ride home, but mostly she walked. Maybe that's why she's so healthy, I don't know.