<Begin Segment 15>

BH: When you returned to Gresham, did you become re-involved in any activities with the Japanese community?

AK: Well, we had gone to the church, and of course we'd gone to the Gresham JACL, and then we had a bowling league which we belonged to. Mas and Ida Suzuki were our bowling partners for thirty years.

BH: And where did you bowl?

AK: Reckwood Bowling. And then it changed to Rose City.

BH: Was this a Nisei league?

AK: Yes, it was. We really had fun doing it. We would leave our children, Mary and her husband would bring her kids over, and Yosh and they would bring their kids, and my kids would have to babysit all of them with Grandma. [Laughs]

BH: And that was your weekly outing.

AK: Weekly outing.

BH: What kinds of activities did you do with the Gresham-Troutdale JACL?

AK: We did have some dancing lessons. Of course, we used to play pinochle together, and we had picnics. We don't have that type of thing now, but when we were going, we had picnics and they would have different things at the hall at Gresham. They don't have that anymore either.

BH: Where was the G-T Hall?

AK: It was on Stark Street. Don't ask me the address.

BH: That's okay. And were you involved in any of the other clubs or kens?

AK: Hiroshima-ken? Yeah.

BH: So what was that about?

AK: It was just, seemed like it was just social. We would get together, especially for New Year's.

BH: And these were people whose families were originally from Hiroshima.

AK: They were. And my husband was president of that, Hiroshima, for a while. All those were good days. I think they still have Hiroshima club, but I just don't join, go to the different activities.

BH: And how would you compare what Gresham was like after the war compared to Gresham before the war?

AK: Well, I know Gresham before the war was more like a Japanese community, you know. I think after the war, well, they still had different things. They had the picnics and all, before, but now, I think right now we have no hall. And I don't go to any of their meetings.

BH: GT and Portland JACL, several chapters in our area, were involved in the redress movement. Do you recall being a part of that or knowing about that?

AK: Well, my husband may have, but then, I didn't.

BH: Where did your children go to school?

AK: They went to Gresham grade school, and then they went to Gresham High School, and then they went to Oregon college.

BH: University of Oregon, okay.

AK: And my son went to Portland State.

BH: And how many grandchildren do you have?

AK: I have, let's see, I have two girls and two boys.

BH: And their names?

AK: Jeff and David are the boys, and the girls' names are Sara and Lauren.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.