Densho Digital Archive - Mae Hada Interview (denshovh-hmae

<Begin Segment 14>

Masako H: Going back to World War II, the war experience, how do you think that affected your life?

Mae H: How it affected?

Masako H: Uh-huh. How did you feel about it?

Mae H: Well, maybe I'm adaptable. That's one quality I have, perhaps, and I don't believe in sitting still. This is probably all the sitting still I've ever done here.

Masako H: Sounds like you have no bitterness over that experience?

Mae H: One advantage I would say, and I like to think of positive things too, some of the Niseis had to move to the Midwest or East, New York area, that was good for them. The advantages was that they could pursue their careers. They didn't have any desire to come back to the West Coast. A lot of us did come back for various reasons. So I think that was a positive in that effect, you know, the war effort. It just helped them in that, some cases. But other than that, I think it was a bad thing that happened as far as the federal government is concerned, and so I hope it doesn't happen again to any ethnic group.

Masako H: What would you say is your biggest worry right now?

Mae H: Well, most of us retired people like living in this place, I think well, my one decision was if I'm here and I'm still able to take care of myself, have a car in the garage, that's great. The kids are happy, then I'm happy, my children. However, they'll come a time they have to move me. I says, look, you can just tell me to go over there to the main building where it's really assisted living, wheelchairs and so on and three meals a day. When that time comes and they have to carry me out feet first, well, I'm sorry, but they are going to have to make decisions for me, and I know that I don't want to be a burden on them, but that's the way it goes. I don't let that bother me forever but right now.

Masako H: What do you think your greatest achievement is?

Mae H: Well, my achievement, I don't know if I have any. I have my hobbies, and I also feel that, I told you before is you've got to put forth fifty percent. You receive a lot from society, you give a lot to society. I think that that is important for all of us. Some people are able to do it better than others. I've been fortunate, but I can adapt to whatever situation I get into. If I can do it, I'll help, like I took a lady two doors down to the hospital, yesterday. It was four hours of my time, but I didn't mind because she couldn't do it. She had a hip operation, so you do these things.

Masako H: What advice would you give to young people if they, if they asked you?

Mae H: Well, if you're talking about those approaching their income years, you mean that?

Masako H: Young people, youth.

Mae H: Do whatever you enjoy doing. Don't do something, at the beginning, you may have to work in a fast food place. You have a goal and then get into a career you love. I think that's important.

Masako H: You mentioned one more thing, don't do drugs.

Mae H: Oh, yes. I didn't dwell on that, but my youngest son experimented with that and that led to heavier drugs and that was breaking John's heart and mine. We're not the kind of parents, though, that give up on them. So he, himself, knew he had to go get treatment, and he did that and we're proud of him that he succeeded. So that's a short story of what we went through for about five years, I think, maybe more.