Densho Digital Archive - Shigeo Kihara Interview (denshovh-kshigeo-01-0001)

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RP: This is an oral history interview with Shig Kihara for the Manzanar National Historic Site. The date of the interview is April 1, 2011. We are at the multipurpose room of the Japanese United Methodist Church in Sacramento, California. Our videographer is Kirk Peterson, Richard Potashin is the interviewer today, and our interview will be archived in the Park's library. Shig will be discussing his experiences as a resident of the Manzanar War Relocation Center and also his experiences at the Seabrook Farms community after his family left Manzanar. So thank you very much, Shig, for talking a little bit about your stories today.

SK: Oh, you're welcome.

RP: Tell us your birth date.

SK: Oh, January 15, 1935.

RP: Where were you born?

SK: I was born here in Sacramento, California, actually an area called Taishoku.

RP: Can you spell that for us?

SK: I can't, I'm sorry. [Laughs]

RP: Where would Taishoku be in relationship to...

SK: It would be located near Fruitridge, the corner of Fruitridge Road and Hedge, which is probably located from here, it'd only be about maybe, I'm going to say less than six miles. It's pretty close to this location.

RP: What was your given name at birth?

SK: First name was Shigeo, middle name was Laren, and then last name is Kihara.

RP: Do you mind if I refer to you as Shig?

SK: No, I don't. That's what most people call me anyway.

RP: We want to get acquainted with your parents, actually it was your grandparents originally who came from Japan.

SK: Right.

RP: Tell us a little bit about them, their names, and whatever else you can recall about them.

SK: Well, you know, I can't remember my grandfather's name, I really can't, because we always called him Jiichan. My grandmother's name was Hanako. I remember her. And when they immigrated from Japan, I believe the first place that they went to was Anderson, California. And I don't know how long they lived there, but they farmed for a person up there. And then at that time I believe my father and his sister Eleanor were born there. Now, how long they stayed there, I'm not sure. But after Anderson, they moved to Sacramento, California, or Florin. And then they farmed, they had a, I believe, a 90-acre farm. Most of it was in Tokay grapes, and then they had a small plot that was strawberries. We all lived in... let's see. There was one house at the time, and then my dad and my grandfather and them built another home so that they had a separate quarters. And I guess we all helped out, I don't know. I remember helping out on the farm.

RP: Do you know what part of Japan your grandparents came from, Shig?

SK: No, not really. It had to be close to Hiroshima because they belonged to a clan or a group of people called the Hiroshima Kenjinkai. So I'm going to assume they probably came from that area, I'm not sure. You know, we never asked, or my parents never said too much about that.

RP: You're actually a third generation Japanese American, Sansei?

SK: Yes, I'm a Sansei.

RP: Grandparents Issei and your parents Nisei. Tell us about your dad. First, what was his full name?

SK: Rae Yoroku Kihara.

RP: And he was born in Anderson, California?

SK: I believe he was born in Anderson.

RP: And where is Anderson, California?

SK: Near Redding someplace. Redding or... that would be the closest city that I know of. I don't know of any other way to describe Anderson. I believe it's... let's see, probably off of I-5 now, but that's about north of Sacramento, probably a hundred miles.