<Begin Segment 20>

TM: Okay. So do you remember, or do you have memories of community events, going to picnics at this time?

FP: I remember the Obon. The Obon's always been there, and it's wonderful. It used to be at Washington Park a few years ago, that's when I was very young. And we would all dress up in our kimonos and everything. And for a few years I wore the kimono, the silk kimono that Mom had managed to save somehow with the cummerbund.

TM: Saved it throughout all these years?

FP: Yeah, somehow. Wow, because they were only allowed one suitcase, you know. But this beautiful silk kimono came out of storage, and embroidered, so I do remember that, dancing in that, and then later she would sew me a summer-weight...

TM: Yukata.

FP: Yeah, yukata, which is very convenient.

TM: Do you remember celebrating Japanese culture or learning about Japanese culture at this time through your household, or was that always present in your house?

FP: Oh, it was always present in my house. Especially because Mom was raised in Japan, right.

TM: Do you remember celebrating Girl's Day?

FP: Yes, we would celebrate that.

TM: Did you have a hinamatsuri set?

FP: Yes, I had a doll collection, but it would be an odd assortment of dolls. It was not that wonderful collection with the emperor (and empress) on top with all the court sitting there (in rows in front).

TM: But you had an emperor and empress again?

FP: No, no, I just brought out all my polyglot assortment of dolls, and we called it "doll day," right.

TM: And do you remember the type of food you ate in your household?

FP: Yes.

TM: Can you describe just some of your favorite Japanese...

FP: Okay. When Mom had time, since she was raised in Japan, she cooked very good Japanese dishes, okay, like teriyaki, chow mein, tempura, and umani. Umani is like a steamed stew, you know, with gobo in it and with chunks of konnyaku in it, which is kind of a jelly-like substance. And, let's see, sushi, of course. Mom was an expert at sushi, and she carried that through to her church attendance years a few years later, you know, after Grandma passed on. So I miss the homemade sushi a lot.

TM: Did you see any difficulty balancing Japanese and American culture and life at all? Was that ever an issue for you?

FP: It was not, because I spoke English well. And the passage through for any country is, and the passage to being integrated is the skill to be able to use the language. And I think that's about everywhere. I might be generalizing, but in general. You can communicate with others if you know the language, right.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.