Densho Digital Archive - Emi Yamamoto Interview (denshovh-yemi-01-0020)

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MA: Tell me about your, your children. How many children did you have?

EY: Four.

MA: Four children.

EY: I got 'em all out of, they all got their education. I have three boys and a girl. I think the education, so they got their full education. And now my oldest boy, he's an engineer, government, and second boy, he wasn't too interested in education 'til he got old enough and realized he needed education. So he got out of high school young, so he went back. He went to the army, came back, and then he realized that he needed the education. So he finished up junior college in Cabrillo, and then transferred into San Jose State, and he got his degree. And my third son, he's a, he liked medical, so after he got out of school, he was accepted at U.C. Irvine, and he got his degree there. And my daughter also liked medical, but she finished the school and she went to university down south, and came back, and was working at the medical group here in Watsonville. And then she got her degree in the medical, but she died. She had juvenile arthritis, which took her life. That's all my children. [Laughs]

MA: Well, I think it's wonderful that they all went to college.

EY: I didn't get the education, so if I could, I wanted them to go to upper school if they want to. Fortunately, they all decided to go upper school. My second boy wasn't too interested, so he joined the army, and he came back, and he was young, see, so he came back, and then he decided you needed an education, so he went to San Jose State and got his degree.

MA: Sounds like a wonderful family.

EY: Well, I didn't get the education, see, so if I was lucky enough to send them to school, I want them to. And hoping that they will like education, that's the main thing.

MA: So you really stressed education because you felt you couldn't have an opportunity to pursue your education.

EY: So my oldest son, he's working for government, and he's ready to retire, but he says he's enjoying his work yet. [Laughs]

MA: So you've been in Watsonville for a very long time. I was wondering if you could talk about the changes you've seen in the community over those years.

EY: Oh, yes.

MA: It's changed a lot, I bet.

EY: A lot, very lot.

MA: And did you and your husband farm up until you retired from farming, from working?

EY: Yes. We were strawberry growers. [Laughs] That's how we got to send the children to upper school if they wanted to, I mean, if they're interested, and all of them did so far, so I was lucky.

MA: And the strawberry industry stayed pretty, pretty strong?

EY: Uh-huh, they helped us. 'Cause we, I didn't get the education I wanted, and my husband, too, after high school, he had a scholarship, he could have gone, but he had to help his mother, 'cause she was a widow. And all the boys pitched in and helped her.

MA: So is there anything else you would like to share, or any messages you'd like to give to younger generations?

EY: Well, just to keep up their education and do what you can, what you can. That's the main thing. Don't give up.

MA: Well, I think that's a wonderful message. So thank you so much for sharing your story.

EY: That's my story.

MA: Yeah, thank you. It was, it was great.