<Begin Segment 7>

AW: Now so, how, can you tell us the story about how you came to Japan or came to the United States?

KS: Yes. That's how I came to Japan to the United States.

AW: And then you went, did you go, you never went to Tennessee or where did you end up going first?

KS: Oh, I went to the, I called from Seattle to the medical doctor I used work with. He lived in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and he said, "I want you to come here and stop here, see my folks." So I say, "Yes, all right." So I get airplane to the Minneapolis from the Seattle and stayed his house. I don't know how long after that. I stayed a little while, and I talked about the, my pain going to the South, and I had lots pressure going there, and he said, "Why don't you marry me and let's go together to the California." Well, I was thinking. So, but I thought well, that was good suggestion. I take the suggestion. I will take, get married. And someday, I can accomplish as a nurse, I thought. And I took the suggestion; I got married to him.

AW: And you knew him previously from Japan? He was a doctor that you knew in Japan?

KS: Yes. We are working together in the army hospital. I was his assistant nurse for about two, three years.

AW: That wasn't so odd that he proposed.

KS: No. We know very well each other, and his family was very nice. He had one sister and the parents, and I become, I became very, very good friend with his mother, especially his mother was a wonderful Christian, and I and she was good relationship until she died.

AW: So from Minnesota, did you get married in Minnesota?

KS: Yes.

AW: And then from there you went to San Francisco?

KS: Yes.

AW: Can you tell us about your life in San Francisco a little bit?

KS: Well, in San Francisco, my husband started work in the Kaiser Hospital, and he was an OB-GYN resident there, so we did not have very much money, very little money, and we were looking for the house, housing to live. Then he found, he thought that there is some up on the hill. I don't know San Francisco some on the hill, hilly area. It's very exclusive area, and he thought that was nice to live there. So we went there, and I was turned, we were turned down to occupy the house there because my nationality. And manager there told me, "Well, I'm sorry. Japanese coming in around this area only janitor or painter only, and I'm sorry, we cannot take you." We are refused to occupy the apartment. That was a very, very much depressing experience.

AW: Was it difficult to meet other Japanese in San Francisco?

KS: Yes. I met some of Japanese, Japanese nurse. And other than that, I was not driving those days, so we stayed only one year or two, that's all.

AW: In San Francisco?

KS: In San Francisco.

AW: What did you do to occupy your time?

KS: Well, we were just around, looking around our neighbors. And our neighbor was a registered nurse also. She had two children, and she always asked us to go to the park in the afternoon with children, and we played there under the orange blossoms. It was so beautiful. It was very peaceful, so nice, and there was not too many people around there, so it was, it was very nice. And I still responding, corresponding with her.

AW: And so your daughter was, was she born in San Francisco at that time?

KS: Yes. No, she was born in Minneapolis.

AW: Oh, before you moved.

KS: Yes, yes. No, before we came here, just before. She was only very, very little baby.

AW: So you're probably very busy with her too?

KS: Yes.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.