<Begin Segment 7>

HH: As you think back on your life right now from the time you grew up in San Juan Bautista to where you are today, is there something that strikes you as being memorable, some event that was frightening for you? What would you say would be some of the outstanding things that you could put your memory on or your thinking on?

LI: Well, all through the hardship, I am so thankful that all my children were able to get their education, especially with the help of my oldest son. And I am so thankful that I am healthy and I appreciate all what my children are doing for me.

HH: Did you ever work after you moved to Philadelphia?

LI: Yes, I did.

HH: What kind of work did you do?

LI: I worked as a... well, government work, right close by my house.

HH: Which government office was this?

LI: Well, it was like an assembly center where they have all these tools and things, and I took care of the paperwork that came in and out for the government, yes. It was government work.

HH: Clerical work?

LI: Yes.

HH: Have you heard the expression the "Quiet Americans," and the Niseis being described as "quiet Americans"?

LI: Yes.

HH Would you say that you agree with that label, or would you agree?

LI: I agree with that, yes. I think we were quiet Nisei.

HH: As you think back on this now, would you think that that was a good way to be or would you recommend another way of responding to things such as internment?

LI: Well, I think the quiet way was because, you know, I think now they have, like East Coast when we moved here, a lot of people didn't know what went on in the West Coast. They were surprised to hear what went on. And we were quiet about it, which meant that now they realized what we the Nisei had gone through.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 1994 JACL Philadelphia. All Rights Reserved.