Densho Digital Repository - Yoneko Watanabe Okamoto Interview

Densho Digital Repository
JACL Philadelphia Oral History Collection
Title: Yoneko Watanabe Okamoto Interview
Narrator: Yoneko Watanabe Okamoto
Interviewer: Herbert J. Horikawa
Location: Medford, New Jersey
Date: August 27, 1994
Densho ID: ddr-phljacl-1-7-7

<Begin Segment 7>

HH: Do you wonder sometimes if your children ever felt angry that they were Asian Americans?

YO: You know, I have never discussed the fact that they had an Asian background. We have always lived among Caucasians. They had very little contact with the Japanese other than our personal friends, and their association was all Caucasians, and they were accepted like any other Caucasian. So therefore, actually, to this day, they feel more comfortable with Caucasians than they do with Japanese.

HH: To what extent do you suspect your values and practices have their roots in your Japanese-ness?

YO: Will you repeat that again?

HH: To what extent do you feel that your values...

YO: My values, uh-huh.

HH: And your cultural practices, daily living, as their roots in your Japanese-ness, being Japanese.

YO: Being Japanese?

HH: Or being Asian.

YO: You know, I think it has a lot to do with it. From all the experience that I have had from the time of going through a lot of prejudices when I was much younger as a child, going through the relocation experiences, I think my sense of value, the fact that we have relocated into the suburban part of Philadelphia, that we are accepted by any other Caucasians, anyone living in that area. The fact that this has happened to me really has done a lot for me. My attitude of appreciation for many, many things, I think, is deeper because of that fact, that I have gone through so much prejudices.

HH: This is going to be... I'm through all my questions, but I want to ask you this. If there's one event, or it doesn't have to be one event, at least some memorable event in your life that you always remember or cherish, will have some kind of significance in your life, what might that be?

YO: [Laughs] You know, I cannot answer that question. There are a series of events that have affected my life. I can't think of one specific thing that has affected my life, I'm sorry. [Laughs] I can't answer that question. There are a series of things. Coming to Philadelphia is one which certainly has affected my life. Found that people were friendly, I loved Philadelphia. That would be the one, perhaps my one single choice that I made that I'm grateful.

HH: Thank you very much.

YO: Thank you.