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VO: And what do you remember of your family life? Were there certain things you always did together or highlights?

EO: Well, we never took a vacation, because in those days, they didn't give ministers vacations. And like my mother said, we wouldn't have enough money to go anywhere anyway, you know. So I just don't recall going on vacations except going with him on these ferry rides. The Seattle church ran a summer camp for the boys, and it was in Auburn. I found out later that it was a Salvation Army camp, and it was right in Green River, and my brother went, and I would tag along with the cooks. It was an all-boys camp, but one of my friend's grandmother was the cook, camp cook, so she got to go. So then I would join her just for a short time.

VO: Were there other kind of church-related activities that your family was...

EO: Oh, yes, the church had a group that were really into acting. And so once a year they'd have this big program at the Nippon Kan, which still exists, and they had... of course, the kids would have to do something, like we usually did some kind of dance, yuugi or odori, and this group, acting group, they put on really good samurai shibais, plays of the samurai, and they would have swordfights on the stage. And one time they asked me to take a part, so I was supposed to be this little boy, and I practiced and I practiced -- and this was all in Japanese -- and when I actually was performing, they said they couldn't even hear me. [Laughs]

VO: And did you study Japanese dance?

EO: No, I didn't, but for these special occasions, they would have us taking lessons from the dance instructor, who was also a member of our temple. And I have lots of memories of doing those shows, and they were fun. We have pictures of the whole crew that were in these productions.

VO: So it was a big highlight every year?

EO: It was. And then they had picnics once a year. So the temple was kind of a social place, really. And I had lots and lots of friends because they were all people in the temple. And so I just never felt lonely. They were my extended family. And of course, sometimes they were kind of critical, too. [Laughs] So my mother would say, "Minister's daughter does not wear bright clothes," things like that. I was supposed to be a role model or something.

VO: And how did you take to that?

EO: I was a rebel. I didn't take to that at all. [Laughs]

VO: Did she feel, did your mother feel that your whole family had to be models?

EO: I think kind of, kind of. We were supposed to stay out of trouble.

VO: Did you also go to Japanese school?

EO: Yes, we had Japanese school. It was a private school, it wasn't the big one on Weller Street. This was a private school. And we went, after the American school, we went twice a week, and then half day Saturday, I think. Something like that.

VO: Do you remember the name of it?

EO: It was called Katei Gakuen, katei meaning "family." So Family School. And there weren't many, it was just the one class, one classroom. And then I think the high school students met on the alternate days.

VO: And did you enjoy it?

EO: Yes, I did. I thought I learned a lot there.

VO: Who was the teacher?

EO: Well, at one time it was the minister, the assistant minister of our temple. Another time they had hired a regular Japanese school teacher, and I really don't know their background.

VO: Why do you think you went to that Japanese school as opposed to the big one?

EO: I think it probably had some connection to the temple, that's what I think. It was like a storefront, and then the family that lived upstairs, they were strong members of our temple, and they kind of looked after the school. I'm sure that was the reason.

VO: And did Japanese come pretty easily to you, the language, since you had...

EO: Yes, because being in Japan for two years, I just knew Japanese. I didn't know any English. So when I started kindergarten, I didn't know English at all. So one of my friends would have to translate, be my interpreter. But by the time I was in the first grade, I was fine.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2013 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.