<Begin Segment 17>

AI: What was a typical day like in the retail business? The hours, number of days a week?

DT: Well, you see, we were running a small dry-goods store, and so the hours were about nine in the morning 'til... I knew we used to open at night, 'til eight at night. And then we open on Sundays, and I said, "I'm not going to work on Sundays," and I got college students to work on Sundays. So we had a shift of three college students Sunday, Sunday 8 a.m., 3 p.m. and they, I said, "You fellows run the store." So they did a good job, college kids ran the store for us. But I said I wasn't going to work on Sunday.

AI: So those were long hours. Nine to eight? Those were your work hours?

DT: Well, so we had it grouped into two, two groups, you see. Morning and afternoon group, and then the following week I had another shift of another morning/afternoon group. So the college kids ran the store for us on Sunday.

AI: So the store was open seven days a week, but you took one --

DT: Yeah, at that time it was. It was.

AI: And then you took one day off?

DT: Yeah, I guess so. Of course, I took quite a bit because I was flying for the YMCA all over the place.

AI: That's right. And how much interaction did you have with non-Japanese Americans in running your business?

DT: Pardon me?

AI: How much interaction did you have with non-Japanese Americans in running your business?

DT: Not too much. I think it was mostly among Niseis. The only interaction was when the wholesalers sell us, but otherwise, we didn't have too much interaction.

AI: And would you describe the ethnicity of your clientele when you started the shop?

DT: Well, yes. When we first started, we depended on the farmers, the Japanese American farmers, Isseis and Niseis. Well, as the things changed, the Isseis are dying off, the big shopping centers, the Niseis could go there anytime; they don't have to come to a little shop like ours. And so then we changed over to a different format of selling imported Japanese merchandise, and so our customers became more and more non-Japanese, Caucasian, which is better. Then you're not limited, you see. If you're just selling to Japanese group, it's limited. But if you're, anybody... expand, you see. So that's what happened.

AI: So you had primarily Japanese American customers, but other, other groups, too?

DT: No, no, no. No, not anymore. I think most of our customers are non-Japanese now.

AI: Oh, okay. And did you ever experience discrimination, personal or workplace?

DT: Not really. I think lot of it is attitude. Lot of it is the way you act. And so I worked in the YMCA all over the world, and I've done so much work with people, it's the way you act, lot of it. People tend to think of discrimination, but if you don't concentrate that, on that, and work positively, that's important.

AI: So you taught these values to your, your own children.

DT: Oh, yeah.

AI: What did you say or do to teach them this attitude?

DT: Example. You don't have to lecture to them. If you set a good example, that's important.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2004 Densho and The Japanese American Museum of San Jose. All Rights Reserved.