Densho Digital Archive - Kay Endo Interview (denshovh-ekay-01-0005)

<Begin Segment 5>

RP: So did you, since you were probably not working on the farm yet, did you have some chances to have some fun around the farm, roam around a little bit, get --

KE: I can't remember because I was (eight years old)... when we got evacuated I was in the third grade. So those are not too vivid memories.

RP: Well I was just wondering if there was a ditch or water hole that you liked to play in?

KE: No, not that I know of.

RP: So where did you attend school?

KE: Prior to World War II it was in Milwaukie grade school or it was called Milwaukie grammar school.

RP: And you went there 'til the third grade?

KE: Third grade, right.

RP: And do you remember any of your teachers or people?

KE: Yeah, there was Miss Barnett the first grade teacher that I remember, she was very good to the Japanese American community. I can't remember the other teachers.

RP: And where was school held? Was it an old style school house?

KE: No, it was regular. In those days probably becomes very modern type of school, I mean it wasn't really that old of a school.

RP: How many students did you have there?

KE: God, I can't remember 'cause we had two grades, two first grade, so you get thirty in a class so that's sixty times six classes so there's about 300, 250 to 300 students.

RP: Good size school.

KE: Yes.

RP: So was Milwaukie at the time that you were growing pretty much a rural area or did it have a --

KE: No, it was really becoming a commuter community, you know, because it's only seven miles south of Portland and they had a street car line that went into Portland so it's....

RP: And what was the makeup of your school, ethnically?

KE: Ethnically, all white, except for a few of us Japanese American, that was it.

RP: That was it?

KE: Yes.

RP: No Hispanics.

KE: No, and there was only one black family at the time but they were much older. But at that time there was no Hispanics either. And also Milwaukie is a good Catholic community and they had a Catholic grade school.

RP: So did you have a religious upbringing at all?

KE: Not as such, we went to a community church right about a quarter mile from us.

RP: Was it a --

KE: It was a non-denominational church. (Minthorn Community Church, still at the same location.)

RP: And did everybody go to that church or was it just --

KE: I think so.

RP: Wasn't just Japanese?

KE: Oh, no, it was more of a... we were probably the only few Japanese people that went to that.