Densho Digital Archive - Fred Oda Interview (denshovh-ofred

<Begin Segment 29>

TI: And so when you think about, in particular, your grandchildren, and I'm guessing your grandchildren are probably pretty old now, too. They're probably in, what, high school or college?

FO: Yeah, the oldest (boy) is going to college at (UC) Cal right now. (Another daughter is going to Calif. Poly. at San Luis Opispo.)

TI: And so when you think about the differences in your life versus their lives...

FO: Oh, it's a black and white difference. Night and day difference.

TI: So do you think their lives are a lot better than what you had? Are their lives a lot better than yours?

FO: I, well, they're leading a softer life, but I'm just wondering if that will develop character and stuff. Everything's handed to them.

TI: And so if you were to give them advice, what would you tell your grandchildren? Like when you think of your life, your parents' life, what are the important things that you would want them to really think about and know? Because right now, they're still really young, and they're not really thinking about these things. But maybe later on, they'll be interested. What would you tell them?

FO: I'd tell 'em honesty is, you know, and courtesy is the main thing. And I tell them, no matter how wealthy you get, if you got no manners, you're nothing. Yeah. So I don't know if their parents trying to pound it into their heads, but I don't know, but I make them say hello and goodbye, and shake the guy's hand and stuff like that.

TI: So just those basic common courtesies and being honest are traits that you think are really important.

FO: Yeah. 'Cause I was playing a game with him one time, and they thought I didn't know any better and they were cheating, trying to cheat me. I said, "It's a good thing it isn't the old days. I would have pulled out a pistol and you would be dead right now." [Laughs] So I told them that, "Honesty is the best policy."

TI: Well, I encourage you -- and my parents do this with my kids, they take it upon themselves to tell my kids these values. Because I think you're right, sometimes my generation, we get so busy, or we don't do that.

FO: Don't stress those things, huh?

TI: Yeah. And I think a lot of these values that you learned from your parents, sometimes get lost. And so I encourage you to talk about these with your, your grandchildren. Well, so Fred, that's the end of my questions. Is there anything else that you wanted to talk about or say in the interview?

FO: All I can say is we got a president now that's proved that discrimination is getting less. Because nowadays, it's very unusual to see a Japanese marrying a Japanese. My generation, if you wanted to marry out of your race, you had to go Nevada, or you had to go Mexico.

TI: That's a great point. Because you have lived to the point where you've seen Barack Obama be elected president. And so he's an African American president, and so in your life, you're eighty-five years old, you've seen so many changes in America.

FO: Yeah, a big difference.

TI: Does that, what does that make you feel or think about America? 'Cause you went to the point where they put you into a camp because of your race, and now we have the country electing an African American president. So what does that make you feel?

FO: Well, I figured the younger people are getting more educated, and they're realizing this is a small world, and you have to get along with each other.

TI: That's good. Well, Fred, so thank you so much for doing this interview. I really enjoyed it, I enjoyed talking with you. Thank you very much.