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JC: Frances, is there, is there anything that you want to talk about that I haven't asked you about yet?

FO: Well, our one and only son, a real high achiever, it was almost uncanny as to all the awards that he acquired in his youth. He, after St. Helen's Hall, he attended Central Catholic High School, and there he graduated as a valedictorian, student body president. He made governor of Oregon on the American Legion Boy's State Program. He was able to go to Boy's Nation under the American Legion Boy's State Program. Mr. Clinton was also a member the same year when they met up with President Kennedy. And then later years when Mr. Clinton became President, he had reunions for his former Boy's Nation members. He had that two years in a row. And my son got Christmas cards from the White House due to that. Our son was also a, he was quite an orator. He won the JACL local oratorical contest, then went on to win the regional, and then the national. He attended the national JACL convention with his speech on civil rights, and he was awarded a nice war bond. And just a year ago, I gave him the bond because I said it's not earning interest anymore. You do something with it. And then he, his college was, he started out at University of San Francisco and then... on scholarship, and then he went to Oregon State and graduated from University of Oregon Medical School, and then his residency work was all done and through the University of California at UCLA. And today he has, he's board certified for internal medicine, family services, respiratory diseases, and emergency medicine. And he's now affiliated with the Kaiser Permanente program. He is really self-motivated. He was a real enterprising kid. In his college days, he was a representative for Evelyn Wood Speed Reading. He got to travel all the way to Canada on a speed reading program. And I attended one of the sessions, and I was amazed. Here at Lloyd Center, there was one of the Evelyn Wood sessions there, and there was a whole group of people, and they toss a book. He and another fellow were representing Evelyn Wood at this program, and they would toss a book, and they'd say, "Read paragraph such." You have five minutes, three minutes, whatever, and that's taken away from them. "Now let's hear what the paragraph was all about," and it's uncanny. They can recite it back to you what the book was about. I was amazed. And friends would ask does that program really help, will it really help everyone. And our son said, "No. You must be reader to begin with. You can't just enter the program and expect to become a speed reader."

JC: So besides producing a very accomplished son, what other thing in your life are you most proud of or feel, you look back and you say, "I'm so happy about that?"

FO: Well, all in all, except for the evacuation program which was really unjust especially for the elders, of course myself having had the foster parents who befriended me, I did not suffer the personal, the loss of property, job, whatever, too young to be in that category. But all in all, I think life has been pretty good to us. I have no complaints. And so today, we're reaching the age where we're living day to day, but our foremost would be to strive for good health, good relationship with family and friends, and to be a good citizen, to pay our taxes. Speaking of taxes, my son says we're over taxed on our homemade home.

JC: Is this the advice that you would give to young people today about how to live their lives, how to live a good life?

FO: Well, I think you have to meet up with the proper, with a good partner to have a smooth marriage and family. But I would say it's all in fate what you come through in life. It's a learning process.

JC: You seem to have an extraordinary capacity to see the positive in some of the negatives that occurred in your life. Where does that come from?

FO: Well, all I can say is my life has been mostly harmonious. I haven't been dealt very few so-called blows.

JC: Many people would consider losing their father when they were ten, coming back as a child to be alone in a country, being taken to an assembly camp, working in a labor camp, as very adverse circumstances.

FO: I think it's youth. You don't worry. When we were at the farm labor camp when I look back now, I think goodness, what if one of us got sick? There's no insurance. There's no money. What would we have done? But I guess, blame it on to youth, never had such worries. But mostly, if you're content within yourself, I guess you don't harbor worries or you live from day to day.

JC: And would you think that that same philosophy applies other than that experience in Utah, your sense is that you've never experienced, prejudice, yet many, many Japanese Americans would tell other stories of prejudice. How do you account for that?

FO: Well, I think youth, we weren't old enough to be dealt real prejudice because we weren't out in the working world or such at our age when the evacuation came. So a lot of my friends, they took evacuation as it was a new opening, you know.

JC: So I'll ask the question again. Is there anything else that you'd like to talk about that I haven't asked you about, just something you'd like to expand on or that I forgot to ask or that would make an interesting story for a young person to hear about given the era that you lived in? It's an extraordinary era.

FO: Well, I would like to give credit to my husband John. He's been a wonderful provider, my best friend, and I have a son who is very good to us.

JC: Well, you're an extraordinary person, and you've lived through some extraordinary times, and I appreciate very much your willingness to be interviewed today.

FO: Well, thank you.

JC: Sharing your experiences with us and with the people that will view this video.

FO: Thank you much. It's been enjoyable for me as well.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.