Interviewee: George Wakiji

Relationship to Japanese gardeners: He and his father, Hankichi Wakiji, were both gardeners

Date: July 17, 2007

Location: Japanese American National Museum

Brief Summary: George explains why we he believes we should be thankful to the gardeners who came before us.

Transcription
Without gardening, I don't think the Japanese would be able to - the Japanese Americans would have been able to exist, because, you think about it, they were gardeners, and my two sisters became domestic workers, and that's the only kind of jobs that were available at that time. So, I think that we owe a debt of gratitude to our parents and to the older Nisei.

Click here for part 1 of this interview >>
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This interview was conducted as part of the Opening Day activities for the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden.