Wisconsin Roots Too; 6; Toki

Oh. Oh and you. Know ya. Know and. You don't often find a farm within city limits but when the parents of a curagh Toki came to Madison in 1912 their farm was well outside the city of Madison. What was life like for the only Japanese family in the area. We've come to the Tokyo farm on the south side of Madison to find out the answer. Could you tell us why your father came to Madison. Well he was one of those of inventors persons or you just I think you about 18 or 19 years old when he left Japan. Annie just came to Hawaii and stayed there for a few days or a few weeks I should say. And then me. Came to San Francisco and I don't think I would know how long he stayed

there but I think it was just a few days there and then he heard about a sugar beet fact a sugar beet job that he was going to start near Brasco the thing beats out every six or seven inches apart saw you know they get big beads. So that's what he was doing there for about two or three years and then he can't do. Then he heard about. They're going to build a sugar beet factory in Madison and the same company that he was working for Saw. He came up here and then he helped build the sugar beet factory on on a side where I saw it horror Garber feed mill is now ordered by over part that sugar beets back to only last about a couple years and then they found it wasn't profitable. So there he lost his job so he went to the railroad work for the Northwestern. As a.

Section man and he worked in their own house why did you leave Japan in the first place you say he was there an adventurous kind of person but were there new opportunities for him in Japan. Oh I don't know he just he just was just like any young man want to go see the world. I think that's what he was and I think that's what was on his mind. So he just took off just like young people nowadays they just take off every once in awhile. He was on those kind you told me that your mother was a mail order bride What was that all about. Well I guess my father was looking for a wife or female companion or whatever I call it and so all we got in touch with my a my mother's I got in touch with my my brother my father's brother got in touch with. Their family. I think it was their father or father.

And they kind of work together and then they. While they process the thing through for her and him. So then they and she came over and 114. Now let's come back to Madison. Didn't your parents operate several farms in this area before finally settling on this property. Well before my mother before my mother came we were he went after the railroad he went on a farm on a Marshall and another German man at bachelors a farm there for maybe a couple three years and that kind of. Physical way had died out many went back to rural then and then then he went after my mother many times start farming or wharf or Phillips is over here and about like my dad used to tell me how they used to take their washing away and threw it with axle deep mud in the springtime

and then they put. Then they made cement road out of what was a two lane and then they came along with I think what three lane and now it's a four lane highway up there now and then they still want to improve it yet so. Would that encroach upon your farmland if they were to expand the beltline. Yes it would. It would take away our house and our garage and our well house so it would be put on a service road. Saw this landmark will eventually be gone. Probably the biggest change in Japanese lifestyle must have come with World War 2. How was your family affected here in Madison. Yeah we were kind of restricted a little bit you know going out so far.

You know what they dance by those two. They invited my father mother too much because I went into this I was at that time so there were kind of free more freedom on the West Coast people. And I saw them say all while they froze our assets bank assets and things like that you know they did you know what. But we got help from other people to get through it all. And the people are real good to my mother and dad you know. Because I went into service. But I understand you were not allowed to go directly into combat when you first in the US did. Well see when I worked first one went to basic. I didn't know that and that I was going to be I was going to I thought I was going to be entered into conflict. When I first went to basic but then when I came back to Camp Grant then they put us into noncombatant duty. Did that bother you. It didn't bother me because

I thought I would just go as anybody else. And I thought I was just good as well. I didn't think I didn't think I would I should be. Picked on that way or whatever on calling you know that. Be pushed aside and back when I thought I would have my equal rights once I start I used to complain that when I was a camp then they request my Does again do combat duty so he gave was that I had ripped off basic and then I went overseas from there. Nice to join my 4 for two hundred part time before to tell us a little bit about the 442 you when you told me before that they were the most decorated it was. Why was that were they involved in. Well we were yeah we were in volved into heavy combat most of the time. We spearheaded most of the fronts that we had open up

so we lost. We were along the heaviest cast of The Group of the war and the most degraded. From then the war when you came back to the United States after the war how did you feel after having fought for this country but it was against. And you know Japan Well I don't think anything over why heart was set for this country saying. Even if I went to Japan if they shot at me I would shoot them back right back I think it would it were you know because it's my life I guess they're saying. So all I want of my going over there either because my heart was over I brought her over here and I go I what's the bigger thing. And I said Were there any serious cases of bigotry or discrimination while you were growing up here in Madison.

Oh just a little little bit not them but after they got to know I was there or know me or that we overcame that. Gradually as they have more you have to get the people to understand you to know what kind of person you are and then they'll find out what you are and walk what you think. And then they all will come. They forget all the bad things about that person thing. So I don't have no no way of Prez's gets me or I I don't have no friends is a guess there either. Me ok bye. Thank you very much Mr. Cura Toki. Thank you.