Densho Digital Archive
Manzanar National Historic Site Collection
Title: Maria Sato Interview
Narrator: Maria Sato
Interviewer: Kristen Luetkemeier
Location: Portland, Oregon
Date: July 11, 2012
Densho ID: denshovh-smaria-01-0002

<Begin Segment 2>

KL: When were you born, what year?

MS: November 19, 1930. So I'm going to be eighty-two in November, November 19th.

KL: And when you were born, where was your family living?

MS: Same place.

KL: In Lima?

MS: No, Trujillo.

KL: Trujillo.

MS: Yes.

KL: And are you, do you have brothers and sisters?

MS: Oh, yes. The oldest one is Luis, and he was born in November... I don't know Taisho, what is, that is Japanese. It says Taisho 12, juuninen. Anybody know that?

KL: Do you think it's a different name for Luis, Taisho?

MS: Taisho is the year, like in 1932 or 19 whatever. So he's going to be ninety-something, the oldest one. The second brother is Antonio Juno Mayoka. He was born in March the 14th, and that was the 14-nen, that's the... I don't know how to explain, like in 1930 or '33 or whatever. Juuninen and juuyonen. And my sister Teresa in March the 5th, that's the same thing, Showa ninen. I only had the one, mine, 1930. So you could minus three years, about three years' difference, my sister Teresa, Antonio and Luis. And Francisco is November 28th, now I got it here, so 1932.

KL: Oh, okay.

MS: And the youngest, Julio Yoji Mayoka, January 6, 1936. So you can minus and add the three years.

KL: Yeah. So you were pretty close together in age.

MS: Yes, right.

KL: Did you all play together or who did you usually play with?

MS: Oh, fighting, playing, you know it is, brother and sister. But after we grew up, we were pretty close. You know, we're all getting old, but when you're young, you know how it is, you fight.

KL: My brother loved it when I poured sand on him. [Laughs] That's what I told my mom, anyway, he didn't fight back.

MS: That's good, that's wonderful.

KL: Sometimes it's hard to be the little one, I think.

MS: Oh, I know. So you have only brother? That's kind of lonesome, isn't it? So you're living here then?

KL: No, I'm in California.

MS: Oh, going back and forth?

KL: Just here for a few days.

MS: Oh, really, I see.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2012 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.