Densho Digital Archive - Margaret Stanicci Interview (denshovh-smargaret-01-0009)

<Begin Segment 9>

RP: Did you, as you were growing up, do you recall, was there more emphasis on celebrating more Japanese holidays or cultural traditions or American traditions? Or a little bit of both?

MS: Well, the only Japanese one we celebrated was New Year's. And that was always a big deal I guess because you had to do extra cleaning and then you had, my mother made so many dishes that you had to prepare from way in advance. And, yes, oh, I guess all the traditional little dishes, I don't remember them because I don't think I particularly cared for them very much. But of course... oh, and then we did pound the mochi every year. And that was interesting to me because later when I reflect on it, you had to, a lot of Japanese culture is getting into harmony with everything actually, but with people and with the nature and all. And in terms of the mochi making I saw that in action because the rice, which is very sticky, gooey and all sticky, you have to water. You have to take your hand and you pat it and you put water on it and you put it back. Now, so the women will shape it and put it down and the men will hit with that pallet. Well that rhythm, he's gonna be hitting on his rhythm and if you don't get your hand out of the way you're sunk. So, and then I saw that rhythm which later I saw repeated in so many of the traditional activities throughout, well actually throughout the world because people used to do things with music, you know, with rhythmic chants where you would, a row of men would be doing something and they would be chanting and they would do their work while they were chanting. And actually that shares the, the energy burden in a sense of whatever work you're doing and it's much easier and, but I do remember that mochi pounding and thinking yes, you have to really be in rhythm. [Laughs]

RP: Did you ever get into the role of turning the...

MS: No I didn't, no. But yes, my mother did all of that.

RP: Your mother was the one that did that. Turned the rice?

MS: Oh, yes, Oh yes. She would have to do all of that.

RP: The roles were pretty defined.

MS: Yes.

RP: The men pounded and the women turned.

MS: Yes. Well, yes, and that made sense because to pound it that much would take a lot more exertion, so... and then also it's a position thing too where... yeah.

RP: You did not attend Japanese language school?

MS: Only for a very short part of one summer. We learned the alphabet at least in both katakana which is simple and then the hiragana. But I learned no, none of the fancier.