Densho Digital Archive - George Maeda Interview (denshovh-mgeorge

<Begin Segment 4>

KL: So when you moved to Reseda, how was it different than Chatsworth?

GM: You know, I don't remember the change that much because... I hardly remember Chatsworth. And I don't remember too much of Reseda either. My memories are pretty strong when I lived in Northridge, because I was in the third and fourth grade then, sixth, seven, eight, nine years old.

KL: Tell us some of your memories, what stands out to you about your time there?

GM: My father was in partnership with another family, Mr. and Mrs. Kaku. That's one of the reasons he farmed on a large scale, so there were two houses there. It seems like there never was too much of a dull moment, there were two families during the cantaloupe harvest time. The two families, my father and his partner, all two and a half ton trucks in Saugus where they grew the melons were eighteen, it was eighteen miles away. So every day there would be a whole slew of workers that picked the cantaloupes in Saugus, threw 'em in the crates, and loaded the two trunks, and they drove the trucks back to Northridge. And probably eight to twelve local housewives were hired to pack the cantaloupes, and about ten o'clock at night a huge truck would come by and they'd load the cantaloupes into the truck and he'd drive it to the wholesale market. I remember that distinctly because we used to play, we used to run around on top of the ramp that held the cantaloupes, in fact, we started on top, we could slide all the way to the bottom. But again, I was six, seven, eight, nine years old. I don't remember too much of the incidences. We had two dogs, chickens, two horses. But I did learn how to drive when I was six years old. My father used to wire this block of wood on the brake and clutch so my foot would reach it, and he let me drive out in the field, so I knew how to drive when I was six. That much I remember.

KL: Who were your playmates?

GM: I had one boy that lived down the street, and I don't recall his name, but I still remember what he looked like. We also grew some hay on the other side of the road, and we used to dig tunnels in the big haystacks and play around. In those days it was all outdoor playing. I don't even think we owned bikes at the time. And I had friends at school, but I only saw them in school.

KL: What school did you attend?

GM: In San Fernando, I don't know the name of it. It's the fourth grade.

KL: What was the atmosphere like there? Was it demanding or fun?

GM: it was more fun, but I was very quiet in those days because I was different. I remember at the outbreak of the war, the first thing the teacher said was, "I don't want you to treat George any differently because he's one of us." And I remember that talk so well, but everyone there treated me so well. I had nothing but fond memories of fourth grade, third grade. And my father occasionally would bring crates of cantaloupe, and we'd have cantaloupes, take a break and eat cantaloupes.

KL: So you were a minority in the school?

GM: I was the only Japanese American in my grade.

KL: What were the other people's backgrounds?

GM: All Caucasian. I don't even remember a Hispanic or African American.

KL: You were pretty young, but do you have a sense for whether their parents were also immigrants?

GM: I don't know anything. I didn't know anything about their backgrounds.