<Begin Segment 2>

LT: Now, your father and mother came back to the United States. Where did they come?

JH: They came to... my dad came first and then he worked for the railroad, and then my mom came, and then they bought this farm in Parkdale.

LT: Okay. And how did they buy the farm?

JH: It was in my name, because Isseis couldn't purchase land at that time, and so this Don Nunamaker was my... was it my guardian? I don't remember. But anyway, he's the one that got... and the farm was in my name, because my folks couldn't...

LT: Now why was it that the farm could be in your name and not your father's name?

JH: Because being an Issei at that time, they weren't allowed to own any property.

LT: And what about you?

JH: This Don Nunamaker said, "You can put it in my name," and he would, I don't know what he did. He mentioned that it could be... and then he would take care of it as long as it was in my name.

LT: Okay. And you were born as an American citizen.

JH: Uh-huh, uh-huh.

LT: So you had the rights to purchase the property even though you were a kid.

JH: Yes.

LT: So you and Don Nunamaker, then, purchased the property together in your names, he as a trustee. And this must have been after 1923, after the alien land law that prevented Issei from purchasing land?

JH: Yes.

LT: Okay, okay. Now, what did your father and your mother do with the property that they purchased?

JH: It was, they had to clear it, and then they started to raise strawberries, and of course, they planted fruits. But in the meantime, before the fruit beared, they had strawberries and asparagus.

LT: Okay. And then what kind of fruit trees did they plant?

JH: Pears and apples.

LT: Okay. Do you know what kind of, was it difficult work?

JH: I really don't know.

LT: Let's talk about your father a little bit. I understand that he came to Parkdale on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle?

JH: Yes, he did. [Laughs]

LT: Can you talk about that?

JH: You know, I really don't know too much about it. But I do know that that's what he did, he was on a motorcycle.

LT: Well, as a little girl watching your father work and come home with your mom, what was he like?

JH: You know, way back, I just don't remember a thing.

LT: What kinds of things did he like to do?

JH: Fish and hunt.

LT: And maybe ride his motorcycle?

JH: You know, I don't remember him riding a motorcycle at all.

LT: Okay, okay. Well, when your family had the farm, what was your mother's job?

JH: She hoed around the trees when they were, before they started to bear, and then, of course, worked in the strawberry patch and the asparagus patch.

LT: And then she came home and probably did housework.

JH: Uh-huh, and fixed dinner.

LT: Oh, okay. How would you describe your mother?

JH: She was a very hardworking person.

LT: Okay. What about in terms of, by that time, you were the oldest, and then you had two younger brothers. And what were their names?

JH: Kazuo and Yoshio.

LT: And then they also had American names.

JH: Yes, Charlie and Homer.

LT: Okay. So there were three children in your family. When you played and when you maybe did something that was maybe a little bit mischievous, who disciplined you and how were you disciplined?

JH: Well, you know, I can't remember that at all, because I don't remember my parents disciplining us very much, or even at all.

LT: Okay. Maybe you didn't need to be disciplined. You mentioned at one time that your mother was very thrifty.

JH: Yes.

LT: Can you talk about that, how she saved and why she saved?

JH: Evidently, being brought up that way, because I knew she sold all of my clothes, even my panties. And she'd save every little thing, says, "Don't waste anything."

LT: What about in the kitchen when you had, when you had meals? How did she save there? How did she show that she was thrifty?

JH: "Don't take more on your plate than you can finish," and then what was left you would have it for lunch the next day, whatever.

LT: So as you look at your mother and father as a kid, how would you describe their relationship with each other?

JH: They seemed to be getting along, talk to each other, do things together. And, of course, my mother was kind of, didn't think he should go fishing or hunting as often, but other than that...

LT: Did she ever go with him?

JH: No, no.

LT: Okay.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.