Japanese in California (Part 2 of 2)

I won't say that during this present a save revival of what they call Japanese architecture. I think we enjoy a favored position. But actually in the business itself in the profession I have very few experiences that I could say were untenable to me because of my race having to look for a partner. Oh not too long ago within the last year and a half we did run across isolated cases. Let's say it was. It's a lot better now than it was maybe five years ago when I first started looking for housing after I got married. We did what we did the last time. The only thing your honor which I feel that I feel left out.

You might say I like to play golf but I can't play go or let's say I don't play country but I can never become a member of the best statement covering all area because another town but they are created in your country to do our job. But in the Bay Area now assuming that the time will come when I was financially able to right now this is a direct question. Good for you but I get a chance to clear a number of these clubs because in my choir I think you would be nice if I did belong. But I can't. There's a place. For step gets into a real private community living room I say. So the members have a right to choose who

you want in your body. You know I mean the members are all players individually. Verify. But if I were to put my name in the African for membership I would be black vote even probably one of them and not a sore point but some of you become aware of because all my other areas have opened up so completely scared thinking when I was going to school we go over to the hotel to share this book to be used to think maybe they were destroyed. This is coming from the valley where discrimination real strong. When I was going to grammar school. You know I mean there were signs for city right. So that was for a long time. Well I remember going to count here and has photos which are

Cisco you know for general gas or what have you faced embarrassment. Well those they don't exist I want pictures of. I've never like to happen to me. Last year my activities of broad so that I'm exposing myself to a lot. Things are looking years ago I was able to financially or socially and solo American as a courier so now it's becoming well over the last car or court you know over. My heart. Well I really have no receipts and it's very difficult I think for the U.S. to get into to private golf clubs or something of that crane because

it's a selective group. We don't feel particularly bad about it because a there's a like to be one of your own group you've got to have the resources you don't have the finances from a very high for your initiation fees in there feeling kind. But I think it's a matter of time before that will go a generation too and it will be those lines of the race to that one time. This is about five years break where they were reorganizing and plugged in my own bank manager who's on the board of directors and put my name in but he's very embarrassed going to do some objection. That was the end of it but I don't feel particularly care about it and very very happy and remember those heroes should belong to a certain club you can play that course in law because you go on investment programs very different

courses and not be tied down financially in a way. Another girl walks or even. On a first course of call foresters to those people walking in. A field of domestic work and of course. They walk on water on certain hours a day. Start there is Sunday. And then even less. Spending very little for the ordinary living expenses. They just say the same to me. Why am I the only Japanese on a jar. I'm a foreman. And they are active in the union and

everybody treats me as just ordinary. But the union member just ordinary wear our swim. And then on the street. My association is all different races. We just treat each other walking man. They are discrimination in many fields. For instance you know proficient with a history of discrimination in. Their neighboring state. Discrimination by the union for instance Teamsters Union. Chom huge starting job to use the service. To the service profession nursing is kind of different because in the last 10 years is try to bring in more

groups into a mix of the surety of national studies and other areas of recruitment of groups that haven't been touched. And so all you know. Final question. In any area right after the war you had discrimination because people were used to buy homes in different areas in one area previously and more similar already in that area. They say that the only way is to talk to the owners and start placing. People in different.

Piece of it they would. Mix in with the other groups. There was quite a bit of resistance at the beginning that the areas were designated. See I can Berkeley they were in South Street or North Street only certain areas were decimated in and any homes that were for sale in the areas they just flatly refused to show it. There isn't too much resistance now it's just in certain small areas. I mean generally you couldn't sell just about any in any area but there are still some small neighborhood groups. There is just solid one on one race. When you compare our. Impressions as before. Or I'd say the poorest 100 percent.

Nurses and dark engineers. I don't think that. More than a hand for her are employed before the war in this area. Now or I think if you're Japanese the very fact that your niece a year ago was would be to your advantage when you're applying for it down. It's quite a change from one or two. If. You misjudge anation the marriage of persons of different races has been illegal in California and other states. Yet despite the law and general public disapproval the Japanese-American becomes more and more assimilated.

Intermarriage becomes increasingly common. You mention it are married. I myself couldn't hear or can see or eventually something or to take place but with my generation my son's generation I myself can see here. In others it seems to me that well social problems involved which. I don't think to your community are you still ready to accept it. Because perhaps because there still are more Japanese in this area than anywhere else. I think it's just unfortunate but I don't think that I want my son to marry a Japanese girl. As my finger right now sorry for yourself.

I know a couple of. Instances where there are their marriages and. I presume individually very happy that. The parents are unhappy as long as your children look look like. Men with a misuse of connotation generally just alright. But I also know families where you get a completely Japanese term racist just to Harlem here. Roster I think you're close to four thousand five hundred one bracelet came over from Japan. But and so I remarried is a very common thing at the present time. I think it's a good thing here. Both are intelligent are responsible highly privileged well-educated. In. Iraq much better if you're in that category.

Well when you broke the law in work school it's so to actually go out with someone from an art minority group was a little different from talking about people. And I think all of a sudden I became conscious that maybe we couldn't go here we couldn't go there. And I had never had to think about this before you know. And I sort of had the feeling in the back of my mind that I would never really get involved with this man who took a very nice guy. I'll talk to him he'll be a good friend and I really felt quite sure that this was going to be just a friendship. You know and I think I never spelled it out to myself but I had a definite feeling that this was a close relationship in some ways I felt a lot and I sharpened up a lot more than I used to be about who I want to know who my friends are. But. I'm much more aware of.

What people think about. Negros Oriental mixed marriages you know before since I was one of the big white majority it didn't matter. You know you talk to these people all the time and. You're you might just agree with them but you're one of them kind of. I think that the only thing that happened since I've been there it is this feeling of I'm no longer one of this majority. You know I'm sort of. I have another loyalty kind of and I find myself not wanting to know people I might not even cared about how they thought before and now I just sort of have a stronger feeling about that. I don't want them for so many things have happened but you know the baby just little tiny things and I don't think that she'll run into any real trouble that the co-op the other day. But to Kenya to Horace and she a pub like DP But you know

what they're going to be pretty kids you know I think that all of our kids would be very good looking kind of kids and this helps just to be pretty helps you know in this world you know so I think some other funny things like this neighbor down the street kind of thing that happens where because. Another person and I are in the same group with they they identify with me. You know you're OK. And it gives them an in to look at this curiosity that is our marriage you know and this is just a feeling you get from people of this particular kind of you know the sort of being in the house and all of the areas again you know and looking at you sort of work closely like that. So if they have a party it's nice that they can sort of show off their interracial friend. They really you know. You say. Me say something. Three generations of Japanese

Americans with force already on its way. Some of them remember the language of their parents. Some of them hold to the ancient religion. But most of them have become much more American. Than Japanese. I think I could say that as far as my work is concerned with the people I work with from coworkers and client I think it's very easy to forget the Japanese-American. I find myself every once in awhile thinking about my going

to untreated i get anybody and. I think thank god I'm not really by racial features and an American from the American. I'm an Orient coming but it doesn't seem to bother anybody and doesn't bother me as much as it did on trend. Doesn't mean I don't go to the Buddhist church regularly but I feel so good as I go to church. I remember how so I speak to her as much right to muster they direct me to move me to go. I don't think there's any such and I don't search just

too cute. When I'm with Japanese Americans. Then I feel like I'm thinking like an American. And yet when I'm with the non-Japanese I feel I have to take a certain kind of position under certain kind of Staff because I'm Japanese and it's kind of a funny. Funny feeling. You have just heard the Japanese in California one of a series of programs on racial minorities produced by Pacifica Foundation. With one exception all of the voices were those of Japanese-Americans now living in the vicinity of San Francisco and Berkeley. The program was produced in the studios of radio station KPFA in Berkeley under a grant from the Columbia Foundation a special engineering and that ration was by Bill Butler and also Knight Thompson was

production consultant interviews editing and production whereby Marshall went over.