<Begin Segment 3>

RP: Let's talk a little bit about your mother. You said that your dad went back to Japan, and generally, from what I've heard, marriages would be arranged.

VI: Yeah.

RP: You didn't pick who you would marry.

VI: No, they were, yeah.

RP: But family members or other baishakunin --

VI: They called baishakunin, yeah.

RP: -- would arrange the marriages.

VI: Right.

RP: Do you know how they met and what the circumstances were?

VI: No, I don't, but I'll tell you a funny story. My wife's parents, now, they were matched by baishakunin. And whenever they got into arguments, the father would cuss the heck out of the baishakunin. [Laughs] My wife used to tell me that. So, we thought it was kind of funny, he'd always get, not mad at her, but he'd get mad at the baishakunin for matching 'em up. [Laughs]

RP: What was your mother's name?

VI: Tsuru.

RP: And can you tell us about the meaning of her name?

VI: I think that means "crane."

RP: What's the significance of the crane in Japanese culture?

VI: I think it's kind of a peace. Because one of the things that you'll notice, like at the Hiroshima memorial, that you will always see the kids doing a thousand cranes, that's always hung there. So I think it's probably kind of like a peace symbol, you know.

RP: Did your mother kind of exude that kind of feeling?

VI: Yeah, usually when the Issei women came here, they were pretty docile, and they didn't speak too much. They just raised their family, so...

RP: Right, they were very subservient to their husband?

VI: Right. Very, very, yeah.

RP: Their role was very defined?

VI: Right, so you don't see too many stories about Issei women, 'cause they were so subservient that...

RP: Victor, what else do you recall about your mom?

VI: Oh, she was always cheerful, you know. And sometimes I wonder as we grew up, the way we treat our kids, it's a wonder what things that we did that our parents and our mothers didn't get after us.

RP: Like what?

VI: Oh, just being, you know, being kids the way they are, just being naughty, or like we started smoking early when we shouldn't have been smoking and, you know, things like that. When you're young, you think you should drink. Of course, like in our family if I have a sip I turn beet red so there's no way I can hide if I was, had a drink or not. But they never said a word, you know. So if my kids did that when they were my age, I'd probably get after 'em. I know my wife would have, you know, so...

RP: Your parents kind of were pretty tolerant?

VI: Yeah, they were pretty tolerant.

RP: So when did you start smoking?

VI: I have a story on that. Do you want to hear it now or later on?

RP: Right now.

VI: Oh, we were in camp. And we were the first ones to reach Minidoka relocation camp, the first group. And, of course, you had a lot of things that weren't finished yet, and one of the things that weren't finished was the plumbing in some of the blocks. So what they had was what we called a "ten-holer," it was an outhouse with five holes on one side and five on the other. So we'd go in there after we ate breakfast and be sittin' there. And, of course, the smell is pretty strong so they'll pass a, start smokin' so everybody will everybody the cigarettes to try to kill the smell of the thing, and that's when I started smoking. [Laughs] And another story with that is, we'd always find some wisecracker that would light a toilet paper and throw it down there, the toilet paper down there would catch on fire while people are sittin' on there. [Laughs] So, you know, that's when I started smoking. And some of my friends started at the same time, and they didn't want their parents to catch 'em so they'd alternate who takes the pack of cigarettes home, and they take it home and they hide it in their shoes. And, of course, one day he came back with a real glum face and he says, "My mom found the cigarettes." Of course, she probably knew 'cause when you smoke, you walk in and you reek of cigarette smell anyway. [Laughs]

RP: Yeah, just like this room.

VI: Yeah, you can smell that. That's when I started smoking, and I was fifteen then.

RP: Fifteen.

VI: Yeah.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2007 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.