<Begin Segment 4>

RP: How did your mother and father meet?

YW: Oh, their, their fathers were on the same boat coming to the United States from Japan. So I guess they talked about having the children and somehow they got 'em together.

RP: They kept connect... contact with each other? Hmm.

YW: Uh-huh. That part is kinda foggy.

RP: Do you know where your parents were married?

YW: No, I don't. But at... my father was living in California. My mother was in Colorado. So I don't exactly know how they got together.

RP: A new story.

YW: Maybe my sisters will know. I'll have to ask.

RP: Sure, yeah. Speaking of your sisters, why don't we take this opportunity to maybe mention your other siblings, brothers and sisters. If you can give us their, as well as their English name, their Japanese name and, and maybe a date of birth if you can recall it?

YW: If I could remember. My oldest brother was James Noboru Hasui, and he was born in January 1927? Would that make it right? He just passed away and he was eighty-one. That adds up? And he was the oldest. And then I had another brother, Madoka Hasui and he was... was he about three years younger, and he died when he was eighteen months. He drowned in the pond that we had on our farm.

RP: In Niland?

YW: In Niland, yes. And then my sister, Naomi, she's three years older than me, so she was born in '32? Naomi. And then my other sister, Azusa, is a year, two years older than me and she was born in '33, October 1st. Naomi's born in March 10th. And then I was born in August 23, 1935. Then I had a younger brother, Stanley Ken, and he was born in May 14, 1942. And he passed away two years ago. He had Lou Gehrig's disease.

RP: So there's essentially just three of you still left.

YW: There's three of us left.

RP: Just the daughters.

YW: Yes.

RP: You told me that as a family, you never got close to each other because of, of your different ages.

YW: I, I guess that's what caused it. But my sisters and I are now getting closer. My oldest brother was much too, much older than I was so we never did anything together. But he always, he was a very kind person and he'd always tell me, as I got in my teens, that, "If you ever need any money, be sure to ask." Or if you needed any help. But, we, we never did anything together. We never were close. Then my youngest brother was so much younger than I was that I never did really get to know him very well.

RP: You had a little different personality than your other sisters.

YW: Yes, my sisters were, were girlish. They liked to sew and they liked to cook and clean house and things. And I liked to be, I was more tomboyish. I liked to skate and play tennis and play basketball and baseball.

RP: You adjusted to doing things by yourself?

YW: I was more of a loaner, I guess.

RP: Uh-huh.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.