<Begin Segment 17>

TI: Yeah, I know in the Seattle area, quite a few people from the Auburn valley ended up in this area.

RS: I think they lost everything, too.

TI: Yes, I know a lot of them relocated, or after the war, resettled there. What was the reaction? I mean, in many parts on the west side, people, Japanese weren't welcomed back. How did the Caucasians welcome all these Japanese coming around Ontario?

RS: Oh, it was bad because I remember a lot of these restaurants says, "No, Japs." They would have signs out there, "No Japs," and you were called "Jap." And even in school, see, 'cause I had two year, junior, senior, at Ontario. And some of 'em were real, real good to you, these kids, 'cause I have a lot of good friends, and there were others that called you "Jap," they just treated you like dogs. And the funny thing is, is mainly the athletes, the guys that are athletes, they're the ones that mistreated us. And the funny thing is, right there, is that these are the guys that mistreated us, and to this day, they are my dearest friends.

TI: So how did that happen? How did they become the ones who were the most different?

RS: I think they changed; I think they did. Because once in a while, I'll tell this one guy, he's Basque, and I'll mention to him, said, "Remember when we were in high school, how you hated us?" He'd laugh. But I think that's where the Japanese people are different, you know what I mean? Compared to the others, like how the Germans were treated and everything, and they would hold grudges. But with the Japanese people, they had to put up with all that, but yet they lived, we live here, and this is our home. So you either take it or you leave it. And to this day, my best friend, and to most of our Japanese people, best friends.

TI: So do you think it was just a gradual thing, because you were here so long and they knew you were going to stay, that eventually they shifted?

RS: Yeah.

TI: So going back to your high school, how many other Japanese were at the school then? Were there quite a few?

RS: You mean after the war?

TI: After the war.

RS: Quite a few. Ontario, we had, there was quite a few of us. Because a lot of them stayed, and just like in Nyssa, too, same way, lot of Japanese. Because it was a farming community.

TI: So like if you went into a classroom, and say there was like twenty-five students, how many of them would be Japanese?

RS: Oh, maybe four or five.

TI: Okay, so about... yeah, a good portion. So maybe about twenty percent. That's interesting. And when you went to school, to finish up high school after the war, how was your education? Did you get enough during Minidoka that you were okay when you started?

RS: Oh, yeah.

TI: So there was no dropoff or there were no problems?

RS: No.

TI: Were the Japanese one of the better students in the class? When you had about five in the class, did they tend to be...

RS: You mean after the war?

TI: After the war. Or were they just average?

RS: I think just the same, average.

TI: But it sounds like, in general, besides the athletes, the Japanese were treated pretty well.

RS: Yeah, some of them. Majority.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.