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RP: This is an oral history interview for the Manzanar National Historic Site. This evening we're talking with Kay Endo and our interview is taking place at the Marriott Residence Inn at the Portland airport. The date of the interview is July 24, 2010, interviewer is Richard Potashin, videographer still remains Mark Hatchmann and we'll be talking with Kay about his experiences at the Portland Assembly Center as well as the Minidoka War Relocation Center and then the relocation of the family to Ontario, Oregon. Our interview will be archived in the Park's library and Kay, do I have permission to go ahead and conduct our interview?

KE: You sure do, yes, you do.

RP: Thank you so much for hanging in with us yesterday and today. We finally got to anointed hour here. And like to just start with your life, the beginning of your life, when did your life begin?

KE: September 26, 1933, in Milwaukie, Oregon.

RP: And was it... were you born at home or was there any type --

KE: Yes, born at home, midwife.

RP: Were most of the Endo children born by midwife?

KE: I believe so.

RP: Would it have been a Japanese midwife?

KE: That I don't know but I believe it was a Japanese midwife.

RP: And your given name at birth?

KE: Kay, K-A-Y, Endo, E-N-D-O.

RP: Now did you ever have any type of nickname?

KE: Not that anything stuck.

RP: What didn't stick?

KE: No, you know, you get named like Gus and things like that. Then high school days you get nicknamed because you're Japanese, right and those kind of things. Oh, then the Japanese call me Kaybo, bo is a boy, see it's B-O. Not the body odor but... [laughs]. You would spell it K-A-Y-B-O. And then a lot of the Japanese names like Jim would be like Jim-bo or things like that instead of san which is more proper. But in later days when I went to Japan they called me Kay-san so I felt privileged. [Laughs]

RP: Respected.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.