Densho Digital Archive - Yo Shibuya Interview (denshovh-syo-01-0013)

<Begin Segment 13>

RP: So did you graduate from Morningside --

YS: Yeah.

RP: -- before you started on this...

YS: Yeah, I did this while I was waiting to get into dental school. See, I applied like in 48, I was applying in '48 to get into SC. And they were taking classes for '51. They had a backlog of that many students. So I said, "Okay, just leave my application in." And then I went to, I went to graduate school for a while and then, and then I hit then I hit the road and then... but...

RP: And when did you finally get into USC?

YS: I got in '51, I got in. '51, yeah.

RP: And after you graduated from USC you, where did you settle?

YS: I went in the navy for a couple of years. So I was a dentist in the navy, dental officer in the navy. I was stationed at Port Hueneme, Oxnard, for the two years. Then after I got out of there I came down here to Chula Vista and I started my practice in November of 1957.

RP: And you're still at it?

YS: Yeah... my license is still is in effect. I can go down to the office if I wanted to and practice but I'm not gonna do it. [Laughs] But my daughter, you know, my daughter got out of SC and she's down there part of the time and her husband is also from, went to SC and he's down there part of the time. And the fellow that was in, was working with me when I was practicing, he's still down there.

RP: Why did you choose the dental profession?

YS: Well... I don't know. I like to do things with my hands for one thing. And I thought, well, I think I'd like it. I started off... when I started I wasn't... I started off as an engineer. That's why I took so much math and whatnot. But then back then, like about 1946, '47, this was after the war years, they were laying off engineers dime a dozen. They were firing all their engineers in the defense plants and whatnot. So I thought, god, this the wrong thing to go into. And then I thought well, if I go into dentistry I'd like to do things I'll be, I'll be pretty much my own boss, set my own hours and that's another thing that I thought well, I think I'll go into that field or try it anyway.