(Japanese) My uncle was in Colorado after spending some time in the internment camp. He was making sweet radishes and corn. I say corn but perhaps it’s not only those that can be eaten but I think he was also growing some for horse feed because when I look at photos from that time, the corn was very tall. After the war, my uncle was able to come back here (California) and returned to his farm.

My uncle had two daughters and both daughters had husbands. The older daughter’s husband was a farmer but since the uncle and his wife were Meiji Era hard workers, they did not think that their daughter’s husband was a good fit as a farmer, I think. That is why they were asking if there was anyone that can help – since I happened to do some agricultural related jobs for Miyagi prefecture, they thought I would be a good fit for them. Then, they negotiated with my mother saying, “You have many children, especially boys so please give us one of your children.”

I am the second from the youngest child. I had two older brothers. That’s why they negotiated with my mother to send me to the United States. I actually didn’t know about this but when I heard, I simply thought, “Okay, perhaps I can go”. But if I go, I thought I would be spending my rest of the life here.