<Begin Segment 6>

LL: So what other activities did you do through, you mentioned, there were a lot of activities from the church.

MI: Yes, and we'd go on field trips through the church, we'd go on... they had a number of activities designed just for our age group. Let's see now, there'd be conferences and interaction with other people our age from other cities.

LL: Oh, so you traveled to other cities, or they would come to...

MI: Yeah, it was very limited. It was either from here to Seattle or Tacoma, that was about it at that time.

LL: That must have been really fun. Do you have memories of when you traveled there, when you met other...

MI: Yeah, other Nisei.

LL: Other Nisei, and what types activities then would you do?

MI: Well, they were, like I say, conferences, and we'd meet... I can't remember exactly how many of these conferences we went to, but they were always well-organized and pertinent to what we were interested in. I found that very enlightening.

LL: So with regards to family life, what other memories do you have of being together as a family? Like at mealtime?

MI: Oh, at mealtime, yeah, we were all required to eat together every meal, maybe except for breakfast. I don't remember eating... I think that's where it stems from. I went all through college and never had one single breakfast, because I much preferred sleeping in. But I can't remember... but lunch and dinner we ate with the family.

LL: So was that usually Japanese food that you ate?

MI: Yes, it was. My mother took cooking lessons from somebody, and she was able to cook some American food. But yes, mostly they were Japanese food.

LL: So she took cooking lessons to learn how to cook American food?

MI: Yes, she did, and she turned out to be pretty good.

LL: So do you remember what things your family did for pastimes or trips?

MI: Well, one of their favorites, like my mother loved, in those days, what do you call those movies that... I can't remember what you call them. They don't have dialogue.

LL: Silent movies?

MI: Silent movies, yeah. My mother was all for that, and she enjoyed that. And so, of course, we would go with her, and I realized how boring it was. But we went together, and she just really enjoyed it. My father not so much. He'd go because my mother would go, but...

LL: Where would you go to see the movies?

MI: Oh, these movies, movie theaters were fairly close by our hotel. And I would think it'd be within four to six blocks.

LL: So they were in Nihonmachi?

MI: It was right in Nihonmachi, uh-huh.

LL: Were they American movies or Japanese movies or both?

MI: No, they were American movies, all American movies, and all silent movies, as I remember, because... yeah, they must have been, because I was utterly bored. But I went with them because they enjoyed it so much.

LL: So they would, did they have English subtitles?

MI: No, they didn't.

LL: They just were completely silent.

MI: Yeah.

LL: So you didn't need to know the language. It wouldn't matter.

MI: Not really. It was all action. Oh, it was awful. [Laughs]

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2013 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.