<Begin Segment 22>

MR: You said earlier that your father raised you all to be good citizens. How did he feel about this country when he got back?

YH: Well that's what, yeah. He became a citizen. He was, the truth is he was really very Japanese in his thoughts. He just, it took, I don't know, it took a lot, but everything he did, but I know he would, he would adopt American ways very quickly, but his heart was basically back in -- yet he left that when he was a young man of twenty, thirty. He left, and yet it's so strong in him. Yet he wanted us to be good citizens and he wanted us to do everything that was American. Sort of interesting. But he did, he had great admiration for this country, I think. After all was said and done, he realized that, the greatness of this country. He could never have any of this if he was in Japan. I realized that. And my mother, she was just happy to be home in her house. She worked, but she's sort of a, just so quiet, happy. And for the kids, all of us, I know she looked to my brother, younger brother, for support when my father died, 'cause when he came in from Fort Lewis, she looked at him and said, "Papa's gone." I thought... but other than, they're just, I think they did what they wanted toward the end of their lives, and they're very, they had a car. He'd drive her all over. She, this is going way back, but he tried to teach her to drive when they were young, and he'd get her back in the -- they, he told us this -- he'd try to teach her, and that's, those old cars, she kept, he said she kept going toward the telephone posts and just couldn't steer. So she, he finally, they had to give it up. But I mean, she would've been a really early driver, but I guess he just wanted her to drive so badly 'cause he really liked it, and she just couldn't do the things. It was sort of funny 'cause they'd talk about it. And so she had to have, go to the bus or have someone, and we'd all take her. When she had a meeting she'd ask one of us to take her, and we'd pick her up. She never, after that, didn't go on the bus very much. So then she'd want us to take all the other ladies home that were on our way. And when you're young, you'd roll your eyes and you don't say much, but you politely say hello but wish they didn't have to come with you, but you'd take 'em home. And she did that. She's real good about things like that. She was the only lady in the Japanese community that had gray hair like mine. They all dyed their hair. And somebody, they didn't know, "Who's that lady with the gray hair?" They found it's Mrs. Inuzuka. But she tried it once and didn't like it, and then we told her not to. All those years, we said, "Don't dye your hair." Then I turned twenty-something and I was dying my hair like crazy. [Laughs] I was white early and I was dying it. But when I turned seventy I said that's it, no more. And it took me a whole year to get it white. It was brown, it was black, it sort of in between. My niece said, "Auntie, your hair is three different colors." [Laughs] So, "Well, that's what's happening right now." But it took me that long. I'm glad I did it. I get preferential treatment when I go anyplace. They open the doors. Men are very polite, even ladies, so it's nice. I was getting something repaired and the man looked up at me and he kept staring at me. He says, "You have beautiful hair." I said, "Thank you." [Laughs] He just kept looking and I didn't know what he was looking at. And it took a long time for my kids to spot me in a crowd, 'cause they kept looking for a black-haired lady. And then he, it was funny, he'd meet me and he saw me coming, but he'd forgotten I had all white hair. He kept looking and looking, couldn't find me, and my brother-in-law, the same thing. We went to meet him at the airport and he walked right past me. I said, "Hey, Min," and he goes, "Oh?" He's looking for the black-haired lady. And so it's free. I am free. Yeah, I enjoy it. But their, in retrospect, their life was, I think, very good, very, that one, just in there where it was really hard. Other than that, they made things happen and were happy, content. And it, it's just one of those things that he used to talk about, when he got old and had to have a cane. We saw that day happen, but you just know, that's life and it goes on.

MR: Is there anything that I didn't ask you --

YH: Well, there was something, but I've lost it now. Something real funny happened, I thought, but I can't remember what the heck it was. No, there, basically, that's... I don't know, 'cause my youth was so, just very happy childhood, climbing trees, getting into fights. Oh, I know, I was gonna talk, we went, we were, went to 4H. I know it's in trouble right now, but my sister right above, Yae and I, were 4Hers, and it was so much fun. We'd got to these ladies' houses, they'd offer and you'd do knitting and this and that, and then you have the pledge. And then we went to, they have a camp and it was at Oregon State College, and I went for the first time -- this is her second year -- and it's one week or -- I don't think it's two -- one week, and you stay in the dormitory. And the program's all worked out, and it's just the greatest thing for, I was in grade school when it happened, and it was so much fun, and it was so nice. And then my sister was chosen president of the ladies, of the girls group, which was really unusual. We were all surprised, but she, people voted for her, and so she was sort of a celebrity. And it was just such a nice thing. Her picture was in the paper, and it, it was just such a good learning experience. That's when I saw The Invisible Man for the first time, and we could all, we walked back to our dormitory all so close together. We were all so scared. But it was so much fun, and that was a real special week for me. That's, and I think for her too. She'd, I like to say a few things about her because she, I asked her if she wanted to come up for an interview and she said no. And she rode on the Rose Festival float, and she was very active in that kind of thing. I didn't mention, I have a daughter that was a Rose Festival princess. Her cousin Betty was also the same year, they're the same age, and our Leslie was Rose Festival princess from Lincoln and that was sort of a fun thing. They'd bring her up here, the white suit and the car and everything. And to this day she, they meet together, the group that's available.

MR: What year was that?

YH: Let's see, seventy-some. I can't remember. I don't have any idea what it was. But it was, it was exciting. That, and then we'd go to the ball, and very, very nice. So my cousin, Betty, she was Azumano, and she went from Marshall, and it was good. It was good. And so when, my grandsons are going to Lincoln now and they see her. There's pictures of the princesses, I guess, and so they see her there. It's nice. So other than that...

MR: Well, is there anything that you did talk about that you'd like to say more about?

YH: I can't remember too much more. I don't know, maybe I didn't hit on the right highlights. I sort of jumped around a lot, so it's... 'cause I just, what came to my head. That's about it, I guess.

MR: That's just fine. That's fine. Thank you so much for having us to your home for this interview.

YH: You're very welcome.

MR: It's been very informative and enjoyable.

YH: You're very welcome.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.