<Begin Segment 13>

SG: I was looking back you on living from Japan and decided to come to United States. Now how do you feel about coming back to United States and making that choice to live in the United States?

HU: You know, really don't think much about it. It's just a part of my life, and I choose to do this, so I don't really think back how I felt, how I feel. This is my life. When I came to United States unlike other Kibeis, I choose to be a member of a Japanese American community. And for my survival, I have to, I mention this before, mingle with the Niseis, so I just, just pursuing, as a part of my life and making, best of it every, every step the way. So I don't really think, how I felt. It's just continued motions. This is my being here then continuing life that including, the military service and other things too. So I just, and I'm just grateful what I am and just help I receive from the people. So it's, it's just my, just life, and when you struggle so much. You know, when I was discharged from the military service, I really struggled in the military service especially for the basic training and artillery schools, and my oversea duty was relatively easy. You know, I was assigned to commanding officers and relatively easy life. But a person suffer this much will make it regardless, you know, what happen. The next hardship that comes around, they'll just make it. And my wife, we share the same type of experience. She was a Hawaiian-born NiseiKibei, and grew up in Japan during the war. So when we got married, we said to each other, We experienced this much hardship so we'll make it," so we did, you know. So going through the hardship has developed a person's character. You know, some people kind of destroy themselves, cannot withstand for the hardship. But when you make it, it becomes your asset and valuable experience. So my wife will probably say same thing, we'll make it, so we made it. That's... and we'll continue to spend happy life.

SG: I think so. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about, Mr. Ueno?

HU: You know, I omitted a lot of things that I wanted to tell, but I've been, constantly talking, so that's about, unless I could think of something maybe, I could add it later. And that's about my life as a Kibei in Japan and the United States and just might add that I'm a very happy Kibei, Nisei. And all this time, I want to talk to my experience to Kibei people but never had opportunity to talk. Of course, nobody probably interested, what happened to one Kibei, in Japan during the war and the struggles after came back to United States. But I think it's, I really appreciate this opportunity. If one Kibei listen to my interviews, then somehow I am grateful that some way I can tell him my experience. The same time, they probably think to themselves how fortunate they are, growing up in U.S. born here and grow up in U.S. And probably most of the Niseis has less struggle than I have, less hardship they experience than I have, but I don't have any remorse. I'm happy here, so thank you for all.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.