<Begin Segment 12>

AC: So when you moved back out here, you had your family, was there a Japanese American cultural league out here? Or Citizens League?

SS: JACL?

AC: JACL, yeah.

SS: Yeah.

AC: Was there one and was it very active?

SS: Yes, they were pretty active in the '50s and '60s. I don't know, it's kind of not as active now.

AC: Why is that?

SS: I don't know. We're not active. [Laughs] But Paul was president of JACL I think in 1956 or '54. '54 I think it was. We went down to L.A. for a JACL convention in those days. We went with Mem and Mary Wakatsugi who lived out here, and they were very active in JACL and politics and everything, church. But I don't know, we don't get too involved with JACL now.

AC: When all this talk about redress started surfacing, what were your feelings about that?

SS: I thought that's something good because it was an injustice, but it was actually a paltry amount for what they went through. But if you talk to black people they think we should have a lot, you know, and why are the Japanese getting this? So it's all relative, I guess.

AC: So looking back over your entire life right now, what conclusions have you come to about living in America?

SS: Well, I've always been proud to be an American, and I felt American, but I knew I was Japanese American, and I was proud of that, too. I don't know, I can't think.

AC: Well, I guess if your father were standing right here with you today and listening to this whole conversation we just had, and they can see your children, grandchildren, what do you think he'd say?

SS: He'd be very proud. He'd think, well, he did a good job. [Laughs] My dad was really quite a man. I mean, he's somebody that everyone respected, my mom, too. They as a couple were pretty neat. But they were strict raising us. They were very strict.

AC: So how did that influence the way you raised your own children?

SS: Well, probably maybe a little negative, our kids think. We were maybe, that I was maybe too strict, and maybe it was kind of a carry-over from my folks. You know how they say you act like your parents? And even things that you didn't like about your parents, you find out you're doing yourself. I don't know. Well, I think our kids think we did okay. We didn't raise any criminals or anything. [Laughs] I don't know.

AC: Well, we certainly have talked about all kinds of things for the last couple hours. Is there anything that you'd like to talk about that we haven't talked about?

SS: Let's see, did I forget something? Paul, can you think of anything? My better half; he's half my brain. [Laughs] I guess he's not gonna help me. So you can cut that out.

AC: Is there anything you'd like to add to anything that you have said before? Any other thoughts that have come up about some other things that we've touched upon in our conversation today that you just want to add a little more to?

SS: Let's see, I can't think of anything. But we're really, our family has been, the Wada family has been very healthy and strong all these years, and just lately my oldest sister has been having health problems and she had to go to assisted living place. She's widowed now. And then we found out our second sister has cancer, so we're kind of sad right now. And then Shingo fell and hurt his neck that was already hurting. But as a whole we're doing fine. Paul's family's good. Paul lost a brother, I guess it was seven years ago. His middle brother died unexpectedly. They were the Saito brothers, and now there's just two left.

AC: Looking back again across your entire life, all your experiences, what advice would you want to give to your grandchildren and your great grandchildren?

SS: Hmm... I would like them to be kind and honest and giving, and think of others. Spend time, I thought there's... not be self-absorbed. Education's important, I think they should be educated and try to live an upright life. That's our main goals, I think. I don't know, Paul and I have been pretty blessed, I guess, with a nice family and nice friends, good community and good country. Oh, I forgot to tell you about my roommate and one of my best friends that I went to college with. Bertha Lee Saget. I don't know, you might know her in Portland, do you know her? She's a Chinese American girl. I met her when I first went to college, she was a year ahead of me. And at that time, Chinese people didn't like Japanese in Portland, anyway, but she was always friendly to me. And her roommate wasn't always friendly, but she was always friendly and really good friend. I'm still friends with her. And then Marilyn Todd was a girl from, Catholic girl from the Dalles, was my roommate, and we were always chums, the three of us. But anyway, I was married first, and had twin boys, fraternal twin boys. Bertha got married second, she had, I think she had three children, and her last one was a twin boy and a girl. And Marilyn was married about ten years, we thought she was going to be childless, and all of a sudden she had twin identical girls. So we had, the three of us each had a set of twins that was each kind, you know: fraternal, identical, boy and girl twins. Isn't that amazing? That was one thing I was going to tell you, I just about forgot. But we're still friends, we keep in touch.

AC: So Bertha was your good friend, your roommate from college?

SS: She was a friend, she lived down the hall. We were always good friends.

AC: Who was the third one?

SS: Marilyn Todd was my roommate, and she was a girl from the Dalles. Bertha was from Portland. She's a typical Chinese lady. She's just on the ball, and she's the oldest in her family and just keeps all her brothers and sisters in line. [Laughs]

AC: Is there anything else you wanted to add?

SS: No, I just thought of that just now. I'm finished.

AC: I'd like to thank you so very much for spending all this time with us and telling us your wonderful stories.

SS: Well, you're welcome. We enjoyed it. Hope we didn't bore you too much. [Laughs]

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2004 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.