Densho Digital Archive - Mika Hiuga Interview (denshovh-hmika-01-0007)

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AC: So was the Japanese community very strong in Hood River?

MH: Yes. We had a Japanese hall, and we'd have, oh, can I mention my minister and my sensei? Okay. We had Reverend Isaac Inouye who was the minister of the Methodist church. We didn't have what you'd call a church, but we had services at the community, Japanese community hall. And he also was a Japanese language teacher. So of course, our parents had us go to Japanese school, so I learned some Japanese. It's too bad because when you don't use it, you forget. When my parents were still living, I could write to them in hiragana which is not the kanji, few kanji, but it's hiragana, I used to write to them. But after they passed away, you have no use of writing it. So when I was going to go to Japan with my sister, I thought I should write to my relatives that I was going to be coming, and you even forget the hiragana. I had to bring out the dictionary to, it's something you just don't use, you forget. But anyway, he taught us Nihongo. I went to Sunday school should I say at that church at that hall, and it was Pearl Harbor Day when we were meeting at the hall. It was just that morning. We were trying to raise, we had outdoor toilets, so we were trying to have a program to raise money so that we can have an indoor toilet. Pearl Harbor struck. Oh, we all had to go home, and I understand. I was out of school then, but my brother was still going to high school, and I understand the principal had the Japanese kids in a room and had a little, I don't know what you call it, but talk to them. And as you know, after Pearl Harbor, we couldn't go more than five miles, had to be in our homes at 8 o'clock, so I took us to the grocery store. My brother, he'd go out, and he'd barely make it home. But restrictions went right in then. And then of course, FBI came in. And like your friend said, Mr. Akiyama was taken, Mr. Yasui was taken, you probably heard of his family, and Mr. Watanabe was taken. Three men were taken from our community.

AC: And these were taken because they were leaders in the community?

MH: Leaders of the community, especially Mr. Yasui. Mr. Yasui was versed in English, so most of the Isseis, they didn't know enough for legal things and everything. So when a baby was born, Dad would go down to Mr. Yasui and register the birth or if he had different problems. Mr. Yasui did a lot for the Isseis.

AC: So going back to your Sunday school, was that also a Japanese school also or that was separate, just a bible study Sunday school?

MH: It was, it was us Niseis that went to the Sunday school, and I really have to give Mr. Glass my respect. He was a Baptist, but he came to our hall and gave us Sunday school classes. And so last Monday, we have what we call a lighthouse, and they said, "Who had the most influence on you to become a Christian?" and I would say Mr. Glass.

AC: Why is that, just because he took the time?

MH: Every Sunday, he gave us classes. He gave us scriptures from the Bible which we, I still remember John 14. We memorized it. And besides Reverend Inouye who was our minister, but I give credit to Mr. Glass.