<Begin Segment 13>

SG: Did you ever go to Japantown growing up?

BO: Japantown, no. We were kind of scared because Chinatown is right there. But the sumo was down there. They have sumo, and then we used to go to the deep bath which felt real good, but that's about all, Japantown. People down there, they talk too fast for us slowpoke farmers. Besides, they talked a different language. I think they talk Tokyo language, more national language, us, a Kyushu language. Like in service, they say, they talk to them, they said, "Oh, this guy from Kyushu." They're the slow and the thick headed, stubborn. You can't make him do anything, Kyushu kids. We're from Kyushu.

SG: So the city kids, the Japantown kids and the farm kids like yourself, what was that relationship like?

BO: They kind of, they didn't mix and mingle with each other too much. It's kind of separate because five of them from Hawaii. I see it, but I don't know about other people. Like Columbia Slough kids, they're tough. They're strong too. We must be the weaklings, but that's the way it was.

SG: Any other differences between the kids who lived in Japantown and the kids who lived outside of Japantown?

BO: That's again a tough question now. There is a difference because one who lives in town, they speak better Japanese and not much English. But out in the country, they always speak English. You know the Nisei language, nobody could understand the Nisei language. That's what they used to say, can't understand Nisei language all mixed with English. You have to live with it.

SG: When you were growing up, what was it like for you to go, actually go into Japantown? What did it feel like?

BO: When I go to Japantown, I kind of hold myself back because we're lower rated people than they are. Not actually, but that's how you feel because you just seem like hide behind the door or something like that, so we kind of hold back. We're from the country. You know, the language we speak is what the mom and dad speaks. We don't speak like town people. Town people is... you don't know what they're saying, go so fast.

SG: So did you ever feel any direct discrimination from the people in Japantown?

BO: No, no. The only thing is the people from Japan, the kids who went to Japan and back, they're the ones that we're having problem with because they think they're real good. They could really sling it, you know. And after that, Kibeis, so we had battled all the way through until they simmered down at the intelligence school. They simmered down and help each other.

SG: What kind of things did they do to you?

BO: Huh?

SG: What kind of things did the kids who came from Japan do?

BO: Oh, they think, they think they are real good. They're smart because they go to, talk it and all. Yeah. They think they're better than anybody else, so we try and stay away from them. We're not that rich to send the kids to Japan and study. Then they lose time over here. The boys over here, stay right through and go to school and all that. But over there, you have lost time. There's a difference right there.

SG: Any other memories you have of Japantown?

BO: No. Only thing I... they're all business, you know. They all want to sell, make money. The kids are running around all over. I don't see how they can control kids. I know the farmers did get out there, do this, do that, and you stay there, but not downtown. They're running around all over.

SG: So when you got your, when you, you mentioned when you were in high school, you got your driver's license. Did you ever go into the city with your friends?

BO: No, no. When we drive, we drove wherever they tell us we could drive and that's all, and we returned the car. We went to Montavilla Japanese School or Gresham G/T, or Japanese school or something like that. But other than that, we didn't go off track.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2004 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.