<Begin Segment 4>

RP: How about your mother? What did you, when you have a mental picture of her, what do you remember about her the most?

FY: Oh. She was a Japanese school teacher, and she was very outgoing. My father was not outgoing, but she was. And she became a Christian, and very strong Christian. And so when we were born, we all, our life centered around the Christian church.

RP: And your father, did he also...

FY: No, he did not go to church. He was too busy making a living for us.

RP: Did either of your parents have a creative side, especially your mother being a teacher, did she also, was she involved in arts and crafts, or did you inherit any of that talent?

FY: Yes. My mother loved to sing, so she was in two singing groups. And she was always singing at home, she was always telling us some Japanese fairytales, we laid our heads on her lap and listened to her.

RP: Did she play an instrument at all?

FY: No, she did not. But we all had to take piano lessons. And let me see. She said as a child, her parents wanted her to learn Japanese dancing, but she hated Japanese dancing, so she said she used to hide when she had to go to take a lesson. But I liked to dance.

RP: So she had a, being a high school graduate and teacher, had a strong sense of refinement and culture.

FY: Yes.

RP: And she taught Japanese language school?

FY: Yes.

RP: And where was that located?

FY: That was on Third and O Street, I think it was.

RP: And was it a Buddhist church or...

FY: Christian church.

RP: It was a Christian church. Was it the church that you went to?

FY: No. the school was independent from the church. But there was a Christian school, and then there was a Buddhist school in Sacramento.

RP: Now, did you take, was she your teacher for Japanese language?

FY: One semester I was a student in her class, and that was horrible. Whenever she had a test or something, the other students used to come and step on my toes. [Laughs]

RP: So it was a little awkward.

FY: Yes, it was.

RP: So the next year you were, you were in another teacher's class?

FY: Yes, uh-huh.

RP: Who else taught at the school?

FY: Oh, there was a Mr. Ono, was the principal, and his wife taught. And, let me see now... I can't recall the names of those teachers.

RP: How did, how did these Japanese language schools get established? Was it donations from...

FY: We had to pay, and I think it was five dollars a month or something like that.

RP: And that paid for your mother's salary and books and everything else?

FY: No, the books we had to buy ourselves.

RP: Oh, each student?

FY: Uh-huh.

RP: And how far did you get in your studies of Japanese language?

FY: Oh, I studied through, until high school.

RP: There were twelve books that you went through?

FY: Uh-huh.

RP: And you got through the end?

FY: Yes, uh-huh. And I was inspired to study in Japan, so I went to Japan and studied for two years.

RP: And when did you go?

FY: 1938 to '40. No... '40 to 1942.

RP: Were you there --

FY: Let's see, it was just before the war.

RP: You came back just before the war?

FY: Yes, uh-huh. I wanted to stay a little longer because I was just fascinated by the, especially the art, Japanese art. But my mother said, "No, war is pending, so you better come back."

RP: It's good you did. Life would have been very different.

FY: That's true. You've heard of Tokyo Rose.

RP: You might have been a Tokyo Rose.

FY: That's right. I knew some of the -- there was not only one Tokyo Rose, there were several. And one of them was Ruth Hayakawa, and she mentioned that over the radio one time.

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