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BH: Today is Friday, June 13, 2014. My name is Betty Jean Harry and I'm a volunteer with Oregon Nikkei Endowment. I will be interviewing Alice Matsumoto Ando as part of the Minidoka Oral History Project. We're in Portland, Oregon, our videographer is Ian McCluskey. He is accompanied by an intern, Cameron Boyd, also present are Marlene Ikeda Wallingford, another volunteer, and Todd Mayberry, the Director of Collections and Exhibits at Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center.

[Interruption]

BH: We'll start with some personal details. Alice, when and where were you born?

AA: I was born in Portland, Oregon, January 2, 1933.

BH: And where were your parents living when you were born?

AA: We lived on First and Pine, that's southwest.

BH: And what was the name you were given at birth?

AA: Alice Midori Matsumoto.

BH: Is there any significance to your name?

AA: I think my father named me Midori because our last name was Matsumoto, and there's a song, Matsu no Midori, and I think that had something to do with it.

BH: Okay, now, let's talk about your parents. Your father was born May 10, 1881. What name was he given, or what was his name?

AA: Well, it's Kametaro Matsumoto.

BH: And where in Japan was he from?

AA: Wakayama, he lived in Wakayama.

BH: And did he have any brothers or sisters?

AA: Yes, he had one sister and two brothers. And he was the oldest.

BH: He was the oldest. Why did he come to the United States?

AA: I think it was so he didn't have to go in the army.

BH: So he was evading the draft in Japan, okay.

AA: Draft.

BH: And he came over quite young then, didn't he?

AA: Yes, he did. I think he was in his early twenties.

BH: Okay. And your mom, she was from Wakayama also, correct?

AA: Also, uh-huh.

BH: She was born August 20, 1905. What was her name?

AA: Miky Matsushita.

BH: Okay. And now, I understand before she came, her parents came.

AA: Were here, yes.

BH: And where did they go?

AA: My grandma and grandpa lived on Bainbridge Island, and they were farmers, strawberry farmers.

BH: So that was a little unusual for that generation to come over.

AA: I think so, right.

BH: And your mom had a brother, didn't she?

AA: Yes, I think they left him also. I think he came over afterwards, too.

BH: And then after your grandparents were up in Washington, did they have more children?

AA: Yes, they had two more girls. So I had two aunts that were Nisei.

BH: Right, same as you. Okay. So on Bainbridge Island, what did they grow?

AA: They grew strawberries, mostly.

BH: Uh-huh. Do you remember visiting your grandparents?

AA: Yes.

BH: What was it like?

AA: My dad took me over when I was about, must have been about five. The island was very primitive then, they didn't even have electricity. So they had kerosene lamps, I remember the outhouse and the Japanese bath. And it just was very different than it is now.

BH: And didn't you have an aunt who also lived up there with them?

AA: Yeah. The two aunts lived there, uh-huh. And they were actually, I think, school age, at least one of them was. My younger aunt was going to school.

BH: So how did your parents meet?

AA: Well, the story goes that my dad went to visit my grandpa, because they were actually closer in age. And my mom really hated the farm life. She hated picking berries and working out in the field, so I think -- this is what my sister says -- that Grandpa asked my dad to marry my mom and take her off the farm.

BH: Okay.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.