<Begin Segment 9>

MA: And you were class of 1940 from Watsonville High School?

KI: Uh-huh.

MA: And did you have any, when you were in high school, any career goals? Or what did you think you wanted to do?

KI: Well, I thought that I wanted to go to college, so I had to take a college prep course. And when, when you do that, you just don't know anything. But today, I was happy that I had that, because I had, I had typing which I use today because of what I do, and I had news writing which I, you know... and what else? Oh yeah, and I had, see, I was one of these, I didn't like to take just ordinary subjects, so I took public speaking and I took drama. And those are the courses that, it's hard to get an 'A', so you know... [laughs]. Yeah, but I really enjoy it, and I use the, every bit of what I learned in high school. Because I was going to Hartnell when the war started.

MA: How did your parents feel about you wanting to go to college and continue?

KI: They, they thought it was okay because I was the fourth one by then, you know. You think, well, gee, the first ones sure didn't -- and if it wasn't for my sister, my older sister, she would always go housework. And during the winter, that's, her wages was what we used to just about live on. Because during the winter, farmers just... and when the crops come in, you pay off your old bills. Because we were lucky, the grocery stores would put you on the chit, you know, and they'll wait until the crop come in. And I don't think anybody does something like that anymore. If it wasn't for that, I don't know everybody would survive.

MA: So your sister and your older siblings would support the family.

KI: She always went, she always used to go housework and bring 'em because she was already out, out of school. And my two brothers already were out of school.

MA: And did your brothers help on the farm, mostly?

KI: Well, by the, until, until evacuation, and then my older brother went to Detroit. And my second brother from camp, he went out to Gunnison, Utah, and helped farm, somebody farm. Then later, much, much later, they came back to California.

MA: So after you graduated, you mentioned you went to school in, was it in Salinas?

KI: Yes, I went to Hartnell for a while until evacuation, and then I got married, and then I had a kid, so then I was home.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright ©2008 Densho and the Watsonville - Santa Cruz JACL. All Rights Reserved.