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HH: That's when you went to Philadelphia, when you went into the service?

BO: That's right.

HH: What kind of formal education did you receive during the course of your lifetime?

BO: What kind of education did I receive in the course of my lifetime? Well, I mentioned earlier, I had a high school education in Sanger, and when I came to Philadelphia after the service, I studied plastics at first, and I was working as a plastic molder. And then I went through the Corpell School of Dental Technology from where I took off as a dental laboratory owner.

HH: Do you remember how you came about the decision of coming to Philadelphia in the first place?

BO: Do I remember why I came to Philadelphia in the first place? Yes. Basically, I thought of helping to relocate the family and the secondary thought was that Philadelphia was the center of, one of the centers of our culture and heritage historically, and also from the point of religion.

HH: So from a historical cultural standpoint, you thought Philadelphia would be a good place to come to. Did you know anyone here before you came?

BO: Did I know anyone here when I came? Yes. One in particular would be Henry Umino, who was my brother-in-law's brother, and he was working for the reverend, Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse in Doylestown. And actually he was the only one that I had known prior to the evacuation was here. Of course, those who came from Poston, there were several families in this area already. So I could say that he was the only one that I really knew.

HH: Did you receive much encouragement from your family to come to Philadelphia?

BO: Did I receive encouragement from the family? Well, not really. Because my brother George, who was the head of the family, went out to Idaho first and I followed him out to Idaho. And coming out to the East Coast was primarily my idea. Of course, my brother did have some experience, he had friends who were in the produce business who worked in the Philadelphia produce market. That didn't really affect me, but my brother did have that in mind. He followed, and he also came to Philadelphia.

HH: So to think back to your life at Sanger, can you think of something that happened there that you always remember? Some thought, some event, some experience that was, always remained with you?

BO: Do I have thoughts that affected me from Sanger? I would say yes, definitely. In those days, I can think primarily of the two families, the Domoto family and the Nishioki family, who had been very good to us. Our family, my father went bankrupt. He was in the produce business at the time of the Depression, and we lost everything. And we moved out to Fresno to work, and no place to stay, we just slept on the riverbank, and there's where these two families saw us and gave us a home, a house to stay in, and gave us fruits and vegetables, milk, you name it, and love. They just showered us with love. I can remember that very well.

HH: What kind of resources did you bring with you? For instance, how much money did you have with you in your pocket when you arrived in Philadelphia?

BO: Okay, what did I bring with me as far as resources and things? Actually nothing, almost nothing. I had probably one little bag that I carried my clothes, and what little money I had, and I suppose it must have been under a hundred dollars. I didn't know that I would come to home of Dr. Donald Barnhouse, and Henry was there. I suppose that was my security.

HH: At that time, did you plan on Philadelphia being a permanent home? What kind of view did you have of Philadelphia? Was it to be a permanent place, a temporary place? How did you see Philadelphia at that time?

BO: How did I see Philadelphia? At that time, well, actually, I came out seeking, my primary desire was, as part of the family, was to get settled in America. And I liked what I saw here. I did not come with the intention of settling permanently, although it was definitely a possibility.

HH: I see, so you kept an open mind about that part.

BO: Yes.

HH: When you first came to Philadelphia, you were by yourself, except for the few friends you had such as the Barnhouses. Who would have taken care of you if you'd gotten seriously ill?

BO: That's a good question. Who would have taken care of me at that time? Really it didn't cross my mind, but of course, as I look back now, I don't think I could have sent my children out under those situations. And therefore I'd say, "Well, it's just a matter of trusting the WRA." I can say I trust God, certainly, but it would have been whatever the WRA would have done for me had I gotten ill.

HH: For the record, WRA stood for...

BO: War Relocation Authority.

HH: Right. While we're at this, an acronym, what other organizations did you belong to?

BO: Well, what other organizations did I belong to? Starting from the time of my first coming to Philadelphia area, first I belonged to the Japanese American Citizens League. And then having gone through school, as a dental technician, I belonged to the Dental Laboratory Association. Having settled in Philadelphia, in Willow Grove at this point, then I joined the Willow Grove Methodist Church, and I joined the men's group, whatever group was there, I taught Sunday school. And then I joined the Boy Scouts of America, I was a Scout leader. And I joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and then I joined AARP, that's senior citizens group.

HH: That's AARP?

BO: AARP.

HH: American Association of Retired Persons, is that correct?

BO: Yeah, something like that.

HH: Okay.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 1994 JACL Philadelphia. All Rights Reserved.