<Begin Segment 7>

RP: Your father, although he wasn't outwardly a leader, was very involved in community activities in Terminal Island. Even before that you shared a story about him in his village at Koza, helping people. Can you talk a little bit about his propensity to get involved in community?

TI: Uh-huh. He wasn't in Koza very long. But here in the States, because of his army ranking, he was looked up by most all the people that he came in contact with. So he served as the officer in, well, many of the organizations that he was involved in.

RP: Do you remember some of those organizations?

TI: Well, it would involve, as a parent of a student like myself, attending a Japanese school. He... I don't think he ever became president of these associations, but he, he was always involved in some ways.

RP: Was he part of a fisherman's union or association?

TI: Yes, uh-huh. They call it Gyo Gyo Kumiai, and yes. And I think he was an officer in that outfit.

RP: Being a veteran, was he also involved with a veterans association?

TI: Oh yes, uh-huh. He was the head of the veterans around the, well, just a small group, Terminal Island and maybe several in Long Beach and San Pedro area.

RP: And during that time you said that the veterans association had a very friendly relationship with the American Legion.

TI: Oh, yes, they did. What would be the... they'd have a parade, the American Legion would have a parade. They were all, and my father's group were always invited. They'd come all the way to maybe Los Angeles to march with the American Legion. So...

RP: Do you, did you attend any of those?

TI: No. I was too young so I just heard about it.

RP: Would they, would they march with the Japanese flag?

TI: I believe they'd march with the Japanese flag, but they never had any uniform. It was just everyday clothing maybe.

RP: That's still pretty ironic.

TI: Yes, uh-huh. They were always invited and they never said yes, I mean, they never said no. They always marched with the Americans whenever they were invited.

RP: He was also involved with the Japanese Association in, on Terminal Island.

TI: Oh yeah. Yeah, he was involved with Japanese Association, the Fisherman's Association.

RP: And you shared with me that he always kind of, sign of, was a calming influence whenever there was a problem or trouble that he seemed to be in the middle of it trying to...

TI: Yes, uh-huh. Yeah, for some reason they'd always call my father if there was any disagreement or trouble. And he was able to straighten those things out. Not because he was educated or... I think he relied more on his army status. [Laughs]

RP: He was involved with fishing for close to twenty years or so, but ironically he never took you out very often, did he?

TI: No, no. I don't think he liked fishing to begin with. And I was always envious of these kids that went fishing with their dad. So I'd try to get my father to take me fishing. And he took me out twice in all the time we were in Terminal Island. And I hate to say this but I get to go to the ship and there's a distinct smell in those fishing boat. And that'd get to me and I'd be sick before even leaving Terminal Island, I'd be laying on a bunk, lying down. So I never enjoyed fishing or fishing boats.

RP: And perhaps he didn't want you to follow in his footsteps either.

TI: No, definitely not.

RP: Do you have any memories of Brighton Beach?

TI: Yes, a little bit. Brighton Beach... there were, I think... since Terminal Island is a manmade island, we'd name it our self. There was the First Beach, Second Beach, and then Brighton Beach. And Brighton Beach was the one furthest from us and I don't think the others knew about the First Beach and the Second Beach. That's where we all had our fun, swimming and cooking wieners. [Laughs]

RP: Did you learn to swim out there too?

TI: Yeah. We'd do swimming there, uh-huh.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.