<Begin Segment 24>

RP: Your father just got right back into growing chrysanthemums?

TH: Oh, yes, yes. My father, and in partnership with his brother.

RP: And the rest of the family kind of...

TH: Helped along.

RP: ...helped out.

TH: Uh-huh. We all did it, we all worked.

RP: And how successful was the business after the war?

TH: Essential. Essential in that we made a good living. And we were respected in the area, because the flower growing business in San Mateo county was a huge, huge industry that brought a lot of attention to the county, and we were known as the flower growing capital of the country. Participated in local Fourth of July parades and other celebrations, so we're very well-respected in the community. So we felt very comfortable.

KP: Can I ask a question? You talked about that after Pearl Harbor, that you had to keep a low profile, and you wouldn't go out and kind of go downtown and stuff like that. When you went to New York, the WRA said, "Keep a low profile. Don't gather in groups." When you first came back here, there was probably some hesitancy about... you know, you said you didn't want to stand out. When did you feel that you part of the community again and didn't have to back off and keep a low profile? Did that ever happen? Do you remember that change?

TH: Oh, I think after I got married, started a family, and my children (Susan and Patti) were going to an all-white school, and they wanted participation. And I didn't want my children to miss out on any of that. So I felt like, hey, we're part of the community.

<End Segment 24> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.