Densho Digital Archive - Hope Omachi Kawashima Interview (denshovh-khope-01-0007)

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KL: How did that affect their role in the community? Do you know, did they ever say?

HK: Well, Masao Omachi and him started the bible study and the church in Loomis, so that was their main social activity, or community activity, because (there were) other thing too, I think, was my grandfather Igarashi started a kindergarten for the Japanese families. Because they couldn't speak English, so they had to learn English before they could go to public school. So he helped with that too.

KL: What was his role in that?

HK: Well, I think he was one of the founders, or helped to build the building for (what) they called (a) Japanese kindergarten. And I think the building is still there. So he was very active in the community for the Japanese families in that area.

KL: Did he speak English?

HK: I think, (yes), he acquired some English, but not too much. That was the hardest thing, learning English from Japanese.

KL: At age forty-five or later, yeah.

HK: For anybody, I think, to learn a new language is hard. So that's why they had to have the kindergarten, so the kids could learn English before they go to school.

KL: And the kindergarten was a separate building. It was not part of the church?

HK: (Yes), it was across the street.

KL: What was the church's name? I don't know if we've said that.

HK: First United Methodist Church of Loomis.

KL: And what was its role in the community?

HK: Well, I think it's probably considered as one of the largest churches in that area. It's still a very active church. There are, I don't know how many, three or four hundred members, I think. But I have some pictures of the church when, earlier times, they had quite a few members.

KL: Did they ever talk about why they wanted to start a church? I mean, obviously they didn't --

HK: Of course, I think my grandfather Omachi, of course, realized how important church was to his life. It changed his life, 'cause he was just going down the wrong road completely, without it, before he became a Christian. So to him, to train children in Sunday school and train young people at an early age to become Christians, (so) they wouldn't go through what he went through. So it was very important to him; that's why he worked himself to death, literally, to build the church.

KL: Was Christianity part of the Igarashi grandparents' background, or were they converted also?

HK: Yes, I think, I'm not sure exactly when Igarashi, my grandfather Igarashi was converted, but he and Masao together started this bible class, or bible group, in 1903. And that was kind of the beginning of the church. These two history books, they, let's see, [holds up pamphlet] 1903.

KL: Yeah, I saw that on the internet history I found, too, on the church's website.

HK: Oh, you found that one?

KL: Well, no, I just, I saw the date, 1903. Founded in 1903 and they got the land in 1913, actually, is what the church history said, and the building in 1916.

HK: 'Cause 1913 is when my grandfather passed away.

KL: Yeah. Did the Igarashis homestead also? Did they have property?

HK: Yes, I think so. But then he wasn't doing that much farming, because as I said, he was, he had the Japanese store and then he was raising chickens. So he had a chicken farm.

KL: Do you have a sense for how large the Japanese American community was in Loomis, or who was part of it, or if they were a minority or a majority? Would you just kind of talk about what you know about...

HK: Well, I think --

KL: Like when your parents were growing up.

HK: According to the pictures, there seemed to be quite a few families that came to the church. I think they all lived in that area. And they were the ones, I think, that started farming in that area, 'cause most of the farmers before were mainly doing cattle farming or sheep. But I think they were the ones that cultivated the land to grow trees, fruit trees and strawberries.