<Begin Segment 8>

JS: How old were you when you first became involved in, in the farm, working on the farm?

ES: Well, I was a little toddler, and always hanging onto Father's pants, because my father couldn't speak English, and I just started school in first, second, third grader, and was able to speak a little English. So every time that I have no homework to do, or have to go to town for shopping, he would take me along. So I was brought up by him all along.

JS: So you were like his interpreter, then?

ES: Yes.

JS: And what type of things did you interpret for him?

ES: Well, usually going to buy tools and things like that. I would say in English what it is -- in broken English -- and amount of dollars. So my dad took faith in me, what I was telling him, and that's how I grew up to be a better farmer.

JS: So your responsibilities increased as you got older?

ES: Right.

JS: You started out interpreting. What other roles did you take on as you -- this is before the war, of course -- what other roles did you take on in terms of the family farm?

ES: Well, gradually, my dad got bigger and bigger in farming. And the alien land law came in effect, so that stopped a person of Japanese ancestry unable to purchase land or, or even to get American citizenship, because they were ineligible to become American citizen. So that put the kink in our expansion. And, well, we lay low for a while until I got to be twenty-one years raised, then we started over again increasing our business, because I could do things legally. Heretofore, we couldn't do it legally, because I was underage and also my folks were ineligible to become American citizens.

JS: Up until -- I'm going to ask you in a little while about what the alien land law was all about, alien land law was all about -- but up until that time, your father was able to purchase land. How much, how much land did you, did your family have up until 1915?

ES: Well, my dad had twenty acres of his personal land. He had leased many acres of land on the side.

JS: Okay, so twenty acres of his own, and then he leased property of a certain amount as well.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2005 Densho and The Japanese American Museum of San Jose. All Rights Reserved.