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TI: Okay, so Rose, the way I start this is just by the date and where we are, so today is January 26, 2011. We're in San Jose at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, and helping with the interview is Steve Fugita and on camera is Dana Hoshide. And so we're here this morning with Rose Tsunekawa. But, so Rose, I'm just going to start at the very beginning. Can you tell me where and when you were born?

RT: I was born in Salinas, California, on July 9, 1930.

TI: And what was the name given to you at birth?

RT: Rose Asako Ito.

TI: Now, was there any significance to Rose or Asako?

RT: Asako because I was born in the morning. "Asa" means morning, and I was born around eleven o'clock, they tell me, but they still named me Asako. And Rose, in those days I think our Issei parents didn't know too many English names, and I guess Rose came to mind.

TI: Okay, good. Let's talk about your parents next. So tell me about your father. What was his name and where was he from?

RT: Yasuichi Ito, and he is from Aichi-ken, Japan. And he came to the United States in 1917 at age, either fifteen or sixteen. I think it, he was fifteen, because he was born in December 20th.

TI: And why did he leave Japan?

RT: His father, my grandfather, had already immigrated to the United States in 1905, and my father had graduated from eighth grade, which was kind of normal in those days in Japan, to get an eighth grade education. A lot of the Isseis that came here came after a sixth grade education, but my father was able to go to the eighth grade and then he worked for about, I understand he worked for about half a year in, for the village, as a village clerk. And then he, his father called him, so he immigrated to the States.

TI: So let's talk a little bit about your grandfather. So what was your grandfather's name?

RT: Isaburo Ito.

TI: And what was he doing in the United States?

RT: I understand that he was a apprentice carpenter in Japan, and that's what he did here when he came to the United States. He had a toolbox of carpenter tools and he lugged that, and I don't think he drove and he just lugged that and went to his jobs.

TI: And where did your grandfather, where did he do his business, his carpentry work?

RT: I think around Hollister, Salinas, probably around Hollister because I understand that before I was born, after my father came here, he, his first farm was in Hollister. They had friends in Hollister, the Ueno family.

TI: When you say first farm, this was first farm for your grandfather or your father?

RT: I think both.

TI: Okay, so together they did this. Now, your grandmother, where was she at this point?

RT: I understand that my grandmother came a little later after my father came here, so my father came here in 1917 and probably my grandmother followed six months or a year later.

TI: Okay, so let's see if I have this right. So your grandfather came in about 1905, and so your grandmother and your father were still in Japan.

RT: Yes.

TI: And then about twelve years later your father came to the United States.

RT: And then my grandmother followed.

TI: And then your grandmother. Okay. Were there any other siblings of your father?

RT: No, my father had a younger sister, but I understand that she died right after birth.

TI: Okay, so your father comes at fifteen and it sounds like then he and your, your grandfather buy a farm --

RT: I don't think it was right away. My father came, he was either fifteen or sixteen, and he was able to go to be a schoolboy and work and go to school with an American family, to learn some English. And then after that, after about a year doing that, then he was able to go to L.A. to a mechanic school.

TI: So your, your father, I guess in general, had more education than, I think, your typical Issei.

RT: That's correct. He was able to understand a little bit more English.

TI: English, and then even Japan, he went through eighth grade and then went to, yes, English and learned that, and then mechanic school, so quite a bit of training and education.

RT: Yes, he was lucky in that sense.

TI: And if you were to describe him, what kind of personality was your father? What was he like?

RT: Well, like most Japanese men in those days, he didn't say much, but he was a hard worker. And he was, he played with us a lot.

TI: And how about your grandparents, on your, on your father's side? What was your grandfather and grandmother like?

RT: My grandfather and my grandmother, they were what they call youshi, they were adopted into the Ito family. My grandmother was a Hibi and she was adopted into the Ito family, and then when she became of marriageable age, I think my grandfather was adopted into the Ito family, 'cause he was a Idota, I think.

SF: In the case of women, why would they have a youshi adoption? It's like in the case of men, that would be because they needed to carry on the family name, so in the case of women, why did they...

RT: I don't know. I think they, if there's somebody in their, between, in their relatives that have a lot of girls or something then a childless couple would probably adopt a girl, and then when she grew up, and then they would adopt a son and marry them.

TI: So it's almost like a two step process. Rather than directly able to adopt a male heir, they adopted a female first and then when she was marriageable, then used that to bring in someone maybe.

RT: Yeah. In Japan, when you become an adopted son you take over, if you're the oldest adopted son, you take over all the debt and everything in that family, so it's pretty big responsibility.

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