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RP: Let's talk a little bit about your dad, first of all. What was his name?

VI: His name was Taijiro, and, of course, when he worked he had the name Tom, you know. But basically it was Taijiro.

RP: What can you tell us about his life in Japan, where he was born?

VI: Well, he was born in Takamatsu, which is on the island of Shikoku. It's a smaller island right across the sea from Hiroshima there. He was the oldest son, and how he made it here is kind of a... usually the oldest son stays behind, and the younger son leaves. But he came here, I think, in about 1908, I think.

RP: And do you know why he came?

VI: Oh, well, not real...

RP: You said he was the oldest son.

VI: Yes, so not really. I never did get it from him why he came, so there must have been a lot of reasons for a lot of people coming.

RP: Economics?

VI: Economics, and you had a war almost starting, you know, with Manchuria and all that, so...

RP: So he may have come to avoid the draft or something?

VI: Could be, but... yeah, but probably came more to make a name for himself because they all come over here with the idea of making the millions and going back to the home country. And he probably had the same idea. [Laughs]

RP: Like everybody else.

VI: Yeah, but I never did really sit down and talk to him, you know, about why he came.

RP: But he, he came to Seattle. He settled in Seattle?

VI: Yes. They came to Seattle. [Interruption] And I think he went back to Japan and got married and brought my mother. That's what most of the Isseis did. They came here, you know, single, and a lot of 'em went back and got their bride and came back. I think that was about 1918, and some of these dates I'm not that sure about, but then... and my older sister was born in 1920, and the next sister was born, that's Martha, and Hannah was born in 1922, I think, or '23.

RP: What was her Japanese name?

VI: Junichi.

RP: Oh, I'm sorry, your sister?

VI: It was Masako, but then it becomes Martha. And the other one is Hanako, and it becomes Hannah, so they went through life as Martha and Hannah, you know, so...

RP: And were you the only boy in the family?

VI: Yes, and I was the youngest, so I probably was spoiled. [Laughs]

RP: Well, yeah. Got to keep some traditions going here.

VI: Yeah. [Laughs]

RP: When you look back on your father, what do you see as a child? Can you describe him personality-wise and physically?

VI: Well, he was, he wasn't a big man, or he was just average, probably about 5'5", you know. And most of the Isseis were smaller than we were. And they weren't too vocal as far as talking about family. I think they had a tradition that they expected us to be good, and, you know, do things right. I mean, they don't hound on us. And you have kind of a language barrier because you're brought up in a public school so you speak English and very little Japanese except what you hear at home. So you speak, say, Japanese, to your parents but not the kind that you can keep on conversing. So we didn't have too many conversations about, you know... they just expected you to grow up and be good. [Laughs]

RP: Was he very strict with you, with the kids?

VI: As far as I remember, maybe he was stricter with my sisters than myself. I think they have a tendency to kind of coddle boys than they do the girls, so...

RP: What were some of his other -- you mentioned that he expected you to grow up and be good. Were there other expectations as well that you recall?

VI: No, except... oh, there's one thing that I think... you're brought up, and if you can do that, you won't have to worry about anything else. And that's what I tell my kids, "Don't ever disgrace your family name." And if you do that, that's all you have to do. Then there's no other words you need to tell your people, that if you don't disgrace it, then you'll probably grow up good. So that's about the things that I remember as we were growing up, that it's always, you protect your family name. That way, you probably won't get into trouble, you know, so...

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2007 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.