Densho Digital Archive
Oregon Nikkei Endowment Collection
Title: Alice Matsumoto Ando Interview
Narrator: Alice Matsumoto Ando
Interviewer: Betty Jean Harry
Location: Portland, Oregon
Date: June 13, 2014
Densho ID: denshovh-aalice-01-0009

<Begin Segment 9>

BH: Tell me about your children.

AA: Well, I have a son, Kevin. He's fifty-three now. My daughter, Melissa, is fifty, and she's a grandmother. So I'm a great-grandmother.

BH: And how many children do each of your...

AA: Well, my son has a son, Michael, and my daughter has a daughter Kristina, and she's the mother of my great-grandson Lucas.

BH: And when you and Albert first got married, what kind of work did he do?

AA: Oh, he used to be an auto painter. He worked at a paint shop. And actually, I think he did that before he even went in the army. And he liked things that connected to automobiles. He even went into, he was thinking about body and fender, he went to school for a little while. But anyway, that was what he did. And then when we got married and moved into this apartment, we met this young couple, he worked for Brewed Hot Coffee. So he talked Alfred into working for Brewed Hot Coffee, delivering coffee, and so he made this change, which was, I think, a good change.

BH: He was delivering coffee then, and then worked in catering?

AA: Well, that was, yeah. They opened up a catering part. First they used to brew the coffee and deliver it to people who wanted coffee throughout the day, and then they had a catering part, too, that catered parties. So he did that, too.

BH: And your husband passed away quite young.

AA: Yes, he was only fifty-six. He developed a lung disease.

BH: You said that your parents didn't talk about the war. Have you talked to your kids or grandkids about...

AA: No. I am afraid I really haven't sat down and talked to them. So I know I should do this.

BH: Why do you think it is that Isseis and Niseis have been reluctant to talk about their experiences?

AA: I really don't know. It's not that we are ashamed or anything. I often think that I should put it down in black and white, sit down and put it in black and white so that they can have it, but I keep putting it off and putting it off.

BH: Now they'll have an opportunity to see this interview. Your dad was active in the Buddhist temple. Tell me about your involvement with the temple.

AA: Well, I was president of the Oregon Buddhist Women's Association for about ten years, and I finally got someone to replace me. I enjoyed it, though. They were wonderful women. I miss... a lot of them are gone now. And so I really, really miss them.

BH: What were some of your responsibilities as the president?

AA: Well, we had our meetings, naturally, once a month. We belonged to the Northwest and also the National Buddhist Women's Association. So it encompasses the whole United States. And actually, at our temple, we took care of the cleaning and the cooking whenever that was necessary.

BH: And you also volunteer every Thursday?

AA: Oh, yes. Right now, I volunteer on Thursdays at Ikoi no Kai, and I really enjoy that. Cook meals for the seniors.

BH: How did you get involved with Ikoi no Kai?

AA: Well, I have a friend named Marian Hara, who, I've known her since I was a little girl. And we became acquainted again, and she suggested that I volunteer, so I said okay, I'd give it a try. And I've been there for, I can't even remember how many years, it has to be quite a few.

BH: More than a few. [Laughs] What other activities are you involved in?

AA: Well, let's see... with the temple and... I've been taking hula lessons for quite a few years now. Our job is entertaining seniors. In fact, that's where I'm going after this interview.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.