<Begin Segment 10>

BH: Looking back, how did you balance being of Japanese descent while growing up in America?

AA: I've never had any trouble. I mean, I know I'm a Nisei, but I've never really had any trouble. I mean, I like being a Japanese American, because I treasure the ethnicity. I've lost a lot of the Japanese language because they say when you don't use it, you lose it. And so little by little, I'm losing it. And the only people that I can speak Japanese to are the ladies at the temple who have come from Japan and still use it. I feel bad because they tell me to teach my great-grandson Japanese, and it's kind of difficult. But I feel fortunate for what I've been given. So I don't really worry about that too much.

BH: How do you think their wartime experiences affected your parents?

AA: Well, I really never got to talk to them before they passed away about how they felt. I think their attitude is, well, they just had to go along with what came along. So I know it was a hardship, but they never complained.

BH: Were your parents still around when redress happened?

AA: No, my father had already passed away. In fact, my husband had even passed away. But because we were married, I received his portion.

BH: What did you think of the whole redress movement?

AA: Well, I guess it was nice of them. They could have done nothing. But it didn't bring back a lot of what we lost, that part there, it's hard to take. But at least they did something for causing all this.

BH: What can we learn about, from what happened to Japanese Americans during World War II?

AA: Well, I hope it never happens again, and I'm sure the third, fourth generation will fight back. I don't think it will happen. I don't know how, but I'm sure that they are strong. I think the Niseis were kind of, I shouldn't say weak, but we didn't speak out, and went along with what they told us to do.

BH: You once told me that the Nisei were the "silent generation."

AA: Silent generation, right.

BH: What hopes do you have for your grandchildren and your great-grandchild Lucas?

AA: Well, I just hope that they grow up to be good citizens, and they have a good life. Go to school, get their education, good people.

BH: There's one other thing I want to bring up. You told me once that you and Alfred were going to try and rent in a four-plex or something, or an apartment?

AA: Oh, when we first got married and moved into this four-plex, the gentleman who was renting us the room -- this is in 1957 -- he said he had to ask the neighbors if it was all right for us, being Japanese, to move into the apartment complex. And I thought that was rather odd. This was so many years after the war, and there was still some feeling of prejudice. And I didn't quite understand that. It kind of boggled my mind. I thought, my goodness, all these years have gone by, and there are still some people who have feelings of prejudice. But we were fortunate, the neighbors were very nice. They accepted us, and we didn't have any trouble.

BH: Looking back, you've had a rich and experience-filled life. What do you think is important in life?

AA: Hmm, that's a pretty hard question to answer, because I feel that I was very fortunate to have wonderful parents, a wonderful husband. My children are doing okay. And I think that's about all I can ask for.

BH: That your family is...

AA: That, yeah. Is safe.

BH: Are there any questions that I didn't ask, anything else that you'd like to add?

AA: Not really. I think we covered a lot today.

BH: I think we did. I want to thank you again for your willingness to participate and share your story. And I know it's something that your children and grandchildren will really cherish, so thank you.

AA: Well, thank you very much. I enjoyed doing this.

BH: Good.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.