<Begin Segment 15>

RP: So do your, have you sent your kids to Japanese school?

GK: We did. There's the Sawtelle school.

RP: Oh, to Sawtelle?

GK: Yeah, Sawtelle school there. All of my four kids. They went through high school level, and it's a fight every Saturday morning, it's a big fight. You have to go to Japanese school and study Japanese, they said, "Oh, no, we want to play baseball, we want to play basketball, do this, do that." But when they started attending college, they started taking Japanese classes. And, "What for?' Says, "Oh, some of my American friends, they speak fluent Japanese, and we're embarrassed." [Laughs] So, "Now, you're telling us you want to take Japanese class because you're just embarrassed?"

RP: And so that's so funny, George, because we heard the same, same lament from Niseis who were forced to go to Japanese school when you were growing up in the '20s and '30s, you know, "Oh, yeah, I want to play baseball," or, "I want to play with my friends, and they forced me to go to Japanese school."

GK: And the kids' says, "Why didn't you try to push us a little more?" "What are you talking about? Every Saturday morning was war," you know. [Laughs] And I think, I think most other language where they use alphabet is much easier. But Japanese, you have to learn kanji.

RP: Kanji.

GK: And it's so, so difficult.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.