Densho Digital Archive - Eiko Yamaichi Interview (denshovh-yeiko-01-0005)

<Begin Segment 5>

KL: You mentioned your two girlfriends in Seattle. What did you guys do for fun?

EY: What did we do for fun? That would be fourth grade, so after school, I really didn't... see, did I... no, I didn't see her after school. During school we all got along together, but after school, I don't even know where she lived. But we really got along together, hung around together at school. But after school let out, then we all went our own way, and we were pretty close, two dark hair and then me.

KL: What did you three like about each other? What drew you together?

EY: I guess our minds kind of were in synch together and everything we did, because okay. [Laughs] And we go into one section and we just, okay, ate lunch together and talked.

KL: What was the name of your school?

EY: Washington grammar school. It was located near Wonder Bread, so I didn't have too far to go to get the bread. Once in a while my mom would give me a few pennies and I'd buy Twinkies, but that was rare.

KL: And then your school in Snokomish...

EY: Snoqualmie.

KL: Snoqualmish. What did the other students' families do for work, or what were their backgrounds? So they were mostly white and a few Indian people?

EY: Yeah. I think some were store owners and pharmacy owners, or they worked or managed for the owner, I have no idea there. Let's see. I think one was dry cleaning... no, that's about the extent I know.

KL: And you said it was pretty divided, the groups weren't really friends?

EY: Yeah, they weren't.

KL: What was the name of the school there?

EY: Snoqualmie, S-N-O-Q-U-A-L-M-I-E, it's grammar school, and then the high school was, I guess Snoqualmie high school. Because North Bend was the next city over, just like here, and then Willow Glen, same kind of a thing. So Snoqualmie High School, I think that's what this is. No, that's Tule Lake, that's Tri-State, that's right. Snoqualmie High School.

KL: Thanks.

EY: Okay, you're welcome.