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Toyama, David Transcript Part 4
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| Title | Toyama, David Transcript Part 4 |
| Date | 2008-02-27 |
| Time Period | 2000-2009
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| Interviewee | Toyama, Davd |
| Interviewer | Uhlig, Elizabeth |
| Transcriber | Ranseen, Susanne |
| Subject | Japanese Americans
Asian Council
Asian Foundation
Japanese American Association
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| Geographic Subject | Eugene (Ore.)
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| Original Collection | Japanese-American Association of Lane Co., OR, Oral History Collection
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| Restrictions | Permission to use must be obtained from the Oregon Multicultural Archives, OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center. |
| File Name | david_toyama_part4.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Full Text | Japanese-American Oral History Project David Toyama Date: February 27, 2008 Place: Eugene, Oregon Interviewer: Elizabeth Uhlig Interview with David Toyama – Part 4 Part 4 - 52:14 minutes Note: (sp?) means that words prior, mostly names, may be incorrectly spelled 00:00 EU: This is part 4 of the interview with David Toyama. David let's start talking about your activities within the Japanese community here in Eugene. I know that you have been active in founding some of these organizations. You said we should start with the Asian council. DT: The Asian council. That was the first time I got involved with them it was 1989 probably when I retired. That's when I thought I could become more active in this type of thing. But, the Asian Celebration was going on about two years, two-three years before I become really active in this type of thing. When I retired they asked me if I can, as I mentioned, that the thing was a council and so the Japanese group was just a social group and mostly we just get together for a potluck; that was about it. EU: What was the name of that group? Was that the Japanese American Association? DT: No, it wasn't even an association it was just a Japanese group. Just a get together because we did start the Bon (Odori) dance before we organized that association the one; but, I guess we get to that when we get to the JAA portion. This one here, that was in ‘89 and they asked me, the Japanese group asked me to be the representative for that year because two from each group would go and form the council. EU: Two from each? DT: Ethnic group, Chinese group, Korean, Japanese, Indonesians, that type. But then, when I went and became the president of that I found that it was not functioning. It was difficult to get the representatives to come. So the meetings were all the same people and the others wouldn't show up and when I go and talk to them and they would say "Ok, they will find a representative from their group." That person would come one meeting and the next meeting you don't see them again. So I proposed that the group, we had a group who was almost like directors, and like Ken Nagao and Bern Hall was the main one then and Hasa Lee (sp?). But, I said "we should revise this council into a membership organization." And the council was formed mainly as a business league because this person, Bern Hall, wanted an Asian Chamber of Commerce. 2 That's what the group was formed as initially and the first celebration was done to raise funds to publish that business directory. So it didn't switch over completely into what it turned out to be: a cultural pride thing. In any case I told them that it wasn't working right because you can't get people to come out. If you make a membership, then it would be a formal organization and then you get your chairmen and secretary officially and it would function more effectively. They finally said "Okay" so I had to rewrite the articles of incorporation and bylaws and resubmit the paper work and things. I remember when I submitted to the, what do you call the…? EU: Attorney General? DT: Attorney General. You have register there with a corporation board and attorney general, internal revenue, and all these places. That office wrote back they would penalize us ten dollars a day since that first whatever year it was for two years three years because we failed to notify them to register, we were violating the law. So, I wrote back and I told them well "Firstly, we have nothing but volunteers. It was just kind of a council type of thing not a formal organization. That's one reason that we missed out on doing that and I said, "besides if we have to pay that then you wiped this organization out completely" which is true because we had no money. So then they excused us and we didn't have to do that. But then we registered with them to and all of that and they gave us membership and then I think it turned out much, much better too. The Asian Council did. EU: How long did you continue serving with them? 05:08 DT: I think I was present for about three years. And then one year we stopped talking about the culture center, you know an Asian culture center, where the kids can practice their Taiko, their Chinese line dance. I used to go to the dancing party when I was the president of the consul to there the two group gatherings like potlucks and Christmas party. I remember the kids get out there and play the "bamboo dance." It was real neat they had the jumping and they just keep clapping and the timing. So I told Angie Dean, the one that was really active with them, I told her "you should get them on the stage" and then they did one in a few years. But, someplace where they couldn't even practice stuff like that these cultural things. To do Asian culture and they had some good ideas. So I said I will go to the library and there was no computer then, at least I didn't know what a computer was and the internet and what not. But, I searched through all these directories and what not and I wrote to, I don't know maybe 20 organizations, foundations and big corporations and what not for grants. Almost everyone was nice enough to respond and says "here is the application and turn this in the annual determination is in March or February" and so you got to turn it in before January 31st or something. Every single one I read in there the application says, "are you a 501(c)(3) organization?" I didn't know what a (c)(3) was. "If so attach a copy of the certification from the IRS." And that's when I went to the IRS and I got the information and I looked at the thing and we were 501(c)(4). Which is a non-profit organization; but, the 501(c)(3) is a non-profit also but, people making donation to a (c)(3) can write it off on taxes, as a donation. Like you can donate to a church or a lot of this stuff coming and asking for 3 money. So I told the group that if we want to we have to organize a sister organization that can be a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Then we can ask for grants and this thing here. Then so nobody wanted to do the paperwork so they told ok you do it so I said Aito (sp?) is the president and I will the vice president and go and work on this paper work for the foundation. We got all the paperwork done then turned it in. Then we got recognition as the foundation our mission we to make scholarship grants for kids. EU: Now this is now the Asian Foundation? DT: Right. The scholarship grants we made it so unlike all the scholarships like (?) is only for their own people. You know, "I said that's not right, it's our community and we're all kind of mixed, so why don't we make it so that anybody can no matter who that helps us and participates in our Asian Celebration, like the Bon (Odori) dance, and cultural activities." That how it started off to do that and encourage them to continue their cultural activities by making these small scholarship grants, $500 whatever it be and before the end of the year. Because we not going to be active for all intents, whose going to do it? You got to get these young people interested in doing that. The scholarship we started off with that and the cultural center was a long range plan. Just recently we revived the efforts. This person Jason Mack (sp?) is, a works for the city … making a cultural something. EU: Cultural Diversity? DT: Yeah. He is going to work on get grants like I was trying way back when. So perhaps we can get started again doing that. Ken has a friends that. EU: Ken Nagao? DT: Yeah. Has a friend that's willing to donate land but that cultural center would have to be to be slightly different purposed since he said it was close-by but it is uh [sniff] 20 minutes [mumbling] you can't get there it is a good half an hour drive in the county towards, uh, what pass what do they call that pass? EU: McKenzie Pass? DT: High pass, low pass? It's like going to the coast like Jackman City (sp?)? Right? I forget what, but it is quite a ways out but he says it is not that far but who is going to haul the Taiko kids and the line dance kids out there every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday whenever their practice is? It's is going to be a logistics problem for the kids, hauling the kids. That is fine if we want a museum or something like that but we should have one for the original purpose so that the kids can practice and get together and things like that. So they finally decided that Jason Mack would try for grants, for something that was here. EU: Have that cultural center here in Eugene? Was? 11:14 4 DT: Yeah right, was so much more accessible [mumbling]. So that is what this foundation is working on. The scholarship program is going, we got organized in 1993. I think I got the registration completed and but I was the president for about 5 years and towards the end, I told them it's not right, a person shouldn't be president that long and the officers change and get new ideas and what not. So I asked the board members to make suggestions and only one gave me a written, Don Moon Lee. I don't know if you know Don, but Don Moon Lee was a chairman of the Oregon Community Credit Union. For about 10 years, long time and he was at the University of Oregon. I remembered when he retired that the university ordered him because he was working for how many years, I don't know, in different positions. But they named that one lane by 28th Ave? I think and just past University Ave. They named it Don Moon Lee Lane. EU: Oh okay. DT: Pretty good honor for a university too. Anyway he summated a suggestion that said some organizations have "up and out - one year." The vice president moves up to the president, and the president moves up to the advisorable chairman or whatever you call it; then up and out. I put that in the policies and procedures and then had the Board adopt that. So the following year, ok now that year, person to change, so I'm out and someone moves up. So we moved up the step type of thing. EU: So was the Asian council or the Asian foundation? DT: foundation. The council I left because of the they we couldn't get the council grant with the council. EU: Okay, so then you formed the foundation. Are you still active with the foundation? DT: Not really. I'm supposed to be an advisor. So I wanted to retire from that. I mean that's how many years? 15,17 years. But after ‘93 we finally got it organized, but on the onset especially scholarship grants and things like that still a lot of work to be done, policy and procedures and how we going to raise money? [mumble] There was going to be an auction. I had a good friend that was here in 1990 I think to 1993 for about 3 or 4 years as an exchange professor at the UO. He's two daughters that where in the Waka Daiko, the kids Taiko, with my twin granddaughters. They were all about ten years old or something at the time. He likes to drink beer too so my wife used to go to Taiko practice and we would sit around drinking beer so we became very good friends. Anyways. So when he left he attended our first auction to raise money at the Valley River one of the big halls or something. He brought a table full, a table full of 8 people from the university so he saw the auction and what we were doing and I introduced all the board members. I told him the first board members I really did that to, to make sure we had as much representation as we can at the different ethnic organizations. So I introduced each one of the board members to the group, he represents the Indonesian community. I remember I still had fun because I didn't know whether you know "Rusty" George Mayer? He is an architect, a designer anyways. "Rusty" Mayer. We have one minority representative [laughs] yeah old George. So anyway the foundation started going okay. 5 16:03 DT: And this (someone's name?) has been getting his friends together, this group and supporting the auction here for a long time since '94 to about last year ‘96 for about 12 years and they don't send cheap things. You look at the ladies the Esei Ladies (sp?) like Joy Smith Sulliavan, Joyce, Yoki, Macdonald (sp?) they know that in Japan those things would cost a thousand dollars or more for a real kimono but they been sending that kind of thing for years now. Finally Kaniamo's (sp?) daughter have been here for about two summers for her certification and stayed with us. So one year we are talking and she said "how long are you going to have the auction going?" I said "Why?" She said "I heard my mother and father having a kind of discussion about obi." I can see each year is more expensive with gold thread. She said "my mother thought we shouldn't give it away but keep it for the two daughters." Father said "the kids will never use that thing here so why are we keeping that thing just give it away [mumble]" I just wrote the them and thanked them. I send thanks to all the people I know on the list every year. Cause their generous which is true, we raised sufficient funds now that we can make a scholarship grant through interest which is what we are doing. If we have a special occasion I will contact them again. That's what I told them so they won't have that squabble later. But that is true that it is primarily their donation that got us all that money that allowed us to have a 400-500 dollar scholarship grant. It is not big but it is good encouragement for the kids. So that is the foundation. The only one left is the JAA? EU: Yeah the JAA or the Asian Celebration? Where you involved with the founding of the Asian Celebration? DT: The Asian Celebration is sponsored by the Asian Council. So we are involved with them when I was president after that too, until recently. After that I provide information, staff the booth and stuff like that. The Asian Council and Asian Foundation is the same members, basically the same group in there. So majority is the JAA group. EU: Did you help found then the JAA? When did that… DT: The JAA in 1994 I did make all the organizational paperwork again like the IRS and getting the thing approved. But once you get money it is easier. I know the first time did with the foundation one or two, I forgot his name, I said you know I would like somebody to have an attorney to take a look at this I don't know what they are going to charge but because I am not sure what I am doing right. The Articles of Incorporation, the Bylaws and all those things. I have some experience with some of those thing because my last job in (location?) when I was a property records manager one of my jobs was to review and make approval for property exemptions for charitable organizations 501(c)(3). So know what a 501(c)(3) [mumble] it has to be that when you dissolve then that fund has to go to another 501(c)(3) or another government agency type, stuff like that. I would like to get it off in the right way. 6 20:43 DT: So this attorney says I will look it over, the paperwork. He said, "You know what, I am sorry but you know what I talked to my friend he says I just can't do it he says because at least three times IRS is going to bounce it. It will take too much of my time. I can't do it." I tell him "thank you anyways." And I tried and sure enough the first time they bounced it. So when they bounced that, the funny thing is, they had this case control officer handling our case. I tried to call them because I got the name and they let me talk to him and it was a Chinese guy. So I talked to him you know I know you bounced it but can you give me a little help because we are only volunteers and we have no attorney on the staff or what not. And we are trying to do as indicated it is a charitable organization trying to make scholarship grants. He says "Well I tell you the reason this won't pass is that you have the Asian Celebration activities in this organization." So where going to move the celebration under this foundation but he says is "what they want to know is do any of your members have booths in that celebration?" So then it becomes like a scam, an inside charity, they making money he explained that to me. Sure enough we do have some that do their own. I said we have organizations that do it for food booth. He says "that is okay but individuals?" I know we had, so we deleted that and next time it went through no problem. So that took care of that and the JAA in 1994. I ask because we had this informal steering committee for the goodbye Dan (?) you know. EU: Who was on that committee? DT: I have the list someplace. It was, let me see, Misa Joe (sp?), Ken Nagao, Mary Mori, myself, and Saiko (sp?)About six of us on the steering committee. And we didn't have no regular organization because I remember two of you got to be the officers and because we had $200 to open the account for the organization. Mary and I had to be that. Mary said I should open that account because she had an office real close by. EU: That is Mary Mori? DT: Yes Mary Mori. She called me and said David you got to go sign that contract, they need two signature card, I went there as she said leave a space there for president. I said to the guy at the bank I'm not the president. She had signed under secretary treasure. The guy said that is okay, it is just a signature on the check. We had no officers really. We had the steering committee, but after I drafted everything I had the committee look it over to make sure they agreed. But it was standard, you know, simple, the only thing that it promoted Japanese American cultural activities like the Bon (Odori) dance and things of that nature. But the JAA otherwise was uhh…and the main thing too is in 199(?). The Bon (Odori) dance, 1990 it was started. The steering committee group was talking about the Bon (Odori) dance at that time; they were going to do the Bon (Odori) dance and the problem was. [Discussion of food and beverage – hot plates] DT: The reason why I did that too is we still had a steering committee but we used to have a meeting all the time and the planning and what not over here. Meanwhile the foundation was 7 going it was really too much and I thought, so that is when I suggested lets make a formal organization. They agreed so I wrote the thing again, as I say no one wanted to be the president. I said I can't because I am president of the foundation and I am just starting that organization. So I tried to talk Mary Mori into it and I told her you would be an excellent person to do that. Because we want to start of right and make sure we follow the bylaws. The bylaws are the guide of what the organization can and cannot do. 26:31 DT: Since you are an attorney it would be perfect. She said no she's too busy. Third time I said "Mary, how about one year? Just get it off started." She said "okay but I may not be able to attend some meetings so you get me a good vice president. You know that person can do it." Then she says, "Okay I'll do it." So I was trying Howard Yamamoto to do that because Howard has been the manager for that employment agency for many years. In fact, I don't know what his title his, more than a manager because he had some sections he supervised more than managers do. Howard told me no he won't be the president. So I told him, if Mary be the president will you be the vice president? You are not going to run the meeting; beside we don't have that many meeting anyways. Very, very few in a year. So finally he says okay. That is how that got started, once you get those two, the rest is easy you get the secretary, the treasurer, and stuff. Then we worked again to get representatives for the board, and that is how the board got started. The JAA is one that is going real nicely. EU: What are some of the activities? You said the Bon Odori? DT: The Bon Odori is one, and the cooking classes, and stuff like that, more social activities. Cooking classes people want to learn different kinds of dishes and people like Saiko (sp?) used to be a? What did they do? Anyways, a nutritionist. We have an annual bowling tournament and an annual golf tournament, things of that nature, so the JAA is going real nicely. You know the Bon Odori is the biggest one and the other money maker was the celebration the food booth. The JAA has a food booth and the other one that also makes a lot of money is the one that Jean had the craft booth. She got about 8, 10 of the ladies to come every Tuesday: October, November, December and make craft items. This sort of thing has been going on since 1990, 1991 say it is about 15 years. So she finally said she can't continue and should get somebody else to handle that thing. And so… EU: So the money that you raised, what do you do then? Do you give scholarships? For the JAA ? DT: No for the JAA that is not what we proposed that at the foundation meeting. The foundation consists of all ethnic organizations and the JAA raises quite a bit of money now at the celebration and between. The craft ladies alone raised about $2,000 every year then the food booth makes about $3,000, $5,000 a year. The Bon (Odori) dance makes the money in front of food booths and things like that. So what the foundation is going to do is try to approach all the organizations and ask them to fund at least one scholarship under their name to be administered by the foundation so they don't have to worry about the paperwork and things like 8 that, the evaluation and things like that. So the last meeting of the foundation discussed that. That is what we should have done from the beginning but like I said everyone was just getting started so. So again the intent was the foundation and the Asian Council to get all the groups together. You know now a lot of the groups are very active separately, the JAA especially. To that extent the support the scholarship fund indirectly instead of being fully involved their own members that type of thing. 31:02 EU: So you're still active in the JAA? DT: No. EU: No? DT: [laughs] I am still, after a couple of years ago, I handled most of the auction and that thing had two three hundred items. I got to make up the, what do you call them?, the evaluation sheets. I tried to organize that system by making donation slip, you know, a simple thing: name address, who donated, because you have to mail the thank you letters and things like that afterwards they donate that item, then a description of that item, and the value. Because that person because how many things I don't know the values so I have to find out the values of how many things. That takes a lot of time. Some like Don Lee, when he went to South East Asia he came in one night and had a whole bag there and he said, "Here I brought all this junk is for the auction." The bag is full of, what do you call those? tins, rings, cosmetic jewelry and that kind of stuff. EU: So how could you put a value on that? DT: I asked him what are these things? He said, "I have no idea, I just threw them in a bag and do whatever you want." I got to make the sheets out, donor want a sheet. This take a lot of time. This room was full with stacks and boxes of things - separate them into the four auctions shifts and things like that. Towards the end I said I have a group coming in, a potluck dinner, and then work on the pricing. I hate to do the pricing all by myself again. But the foundation is going okay now because the one thing we try to recruit and then one of the functions of the advisors like Ada Lee (sp?) former president and advisor. Ken is also a former president but I talked him to going back on the board because you need so old-timers too. Otherwise the direction completely lost by the new two. But at the same time I thought, we need to recruit new people otherwise everyone is going to retire and who is going to take over all this? Now we got a couple of young guys on the board too. Like Jason Mack (sp?) and David Tam (sp?). David Tam has got his hands full too he is the president of the council and president of the celebration, president of the Chinese organization. But the three organizations I think are going real good. I did help, I don't think anyone knows, I did help them to organize the Chinese Group Kaba. Because the guy who was the actively handling that informally was Vern Whole (sp?), his sister Lan Whole (sp?) is in the foundation, Lanna (sp?). But Lanna doesn't know I helped her brother. Vern, I remember talking to him when he went to Hawaii and he said he needed to get an 9 operation and what hospital he was in. I called him and he says the doctor says he had cancer, I forgot what kind of caner, but doctor says "I got a year. I can handle it but that is all I know." After he came back we met once, I don't know what the function was, but Ada Lee (sp?) had something at her house and then she had us over and Vern was there. At that time Vern says "you know David the doctor tells me that now I have at most 6 months so I got a big favorer to ask." I said "what?" He knew that I organized the Council and the foundation. So he says "you know what has to be done to organize the Chinese organization. Before I go the one thing I want to form a legal organization." It was an informal organization too. So I says "well, now we got computer, it's easy." I wrote the bylaws on what do you call those? Floppies. I said "all you do is change when it says Japanese American put Chinese American." So I says very easy [laughs] He says it was good. So I got all the forms for him from the IRS and corporation commission and things like that. So we did that. Good karma. But anyway, I think we got three pretty good organizations everything is going real well. The celebration especially is real good. 36:47 EU: When I went to the dedication for the Eugene memorial, you stood up then with the others that where in the camp and the whole 42nd. Where you involved with that organization? DT: The memorial? EU: Yeah. DT: Not over here. The thing is I was very active, unfortunately it was just about only me, but my friends in California they have a military retired officers association. All of them served in Japan because majority of them are Nisei like me and because of the language thing in the pacific they interrogated prisoners during the war and stuff like that. But when they did the national memorial after congress what happened is they petitioned one of them congress passed an Reparations Bill that gave each person $20,000 that was interned and also set aside a spot in that quadrangle in front of the capital building, the white house the big one where all the museums are in a choice spot did that and two presidents' made official apologies. So they raised money and Congress gave that thing but said you got to raise the money yourself so my friend was a president of that organization and we had very good friends still in Japan for many years almost 25 years over there, a long time. He asked me if I could do fund raising here. I said sure so he sent me all the brochures and things. So at the potluck meetings and what not I put down the brochures and I said what the thing is for and how people can help. But I guess people were not that much interested in New York because I had a difficult time the small amount of contributors do that so I had to contribute whatever I can to help out the thing too. Though we had one person here I won't mention their name but she made a very big contribution to. I think her father was in there too. Because of that those people that wanted to do that here by the time they did that, I had my friend in Oregon wrote to me and I agreed with them and I told that group over here. If they do that I will participate. EU: David is going into the living room to get a book 10 DT: I like what they did and I suggested they did that and I guess they didn't extend that to this. This thing that says "in good conscience." Actually the translation I don't agree with that but of course conscience with sincere gratitude like sincere thanks and what. 40:25 EU: The book that David is talking about is the title is in English is "In Good Conscience: supporting Japanese Americans during the internment" by Shizue Seigel DT: Yes and this is all about… EU: Oh, it says here "a the project of the military intelligence association of northern California." DT: Correct. My friend what it is is he wrote me about this project and suggested we do the same: before the internment and after the internment they were many non-Japanese that had assisted the Japanese that had been interned and objected to that and helped them. And so they did a catalog of everyone they could find that did that and they published the thing here. So he said now "that we have a national memorial we should move forward instead of looking backwards, no go and find these people and thank them." So they published this book. He is the one that sent me the book. EU: This book has been given you compliments of retired Colonel Harry K. Fukuhada (sp?). DU: Mhm. It is all about those people that helped the Japanese, before and after. It is a real nice book and some are deceased but they said they don't care, they just want to find it and put it in and what they did was they published this together with the Modern California Educational Association or something like that. They funded this book for them anyways so they worked together with them and made a decent educational text book for the schools. To show that there was this Americans that helped; they see that it was wrong and they did nice things. Interesting book though. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with going to do this too because there was people that where sent from here. EU: You mean the Eugene memorial? DT: Eugene memorial. That made it nice to them and I know all of them too and I did mention that. But unfortunately I went along my military intelligence group. So we did the national. I did my share there. I did assist them in some ways to for Kenji's the carving in the stone and what not. EU: Kenji Kobayashi (sp?) DT: Yeah. He's for example, they wanted the flag the emblem for the unit. So I wrote to my friend and he sent me that and I gave it to Kenji. So that says I helped them too. EU: Was it important for you to be recognized at the celebration for your service in the MIS? 11 DT: No. They ask me but I said [laughs] because it was the MIS only. They did ask me because the big donor here was that Indian tribe; the $50,000 for the project. And I meet one of them, Kenji in fact, at the Bon (Odori) dance told me this Indian guy he served in the military intelligence and then he says you have to come and talk to the group too. Because the Indians also had some in the encampments and I know they did because what they did is sometimes when the Japanese would intercept a field communication talking between intelligence people they were speaking in Japanese. The Japanese cut the line and they go in and talk to mislead the group. According to Harry what they sometimes do was Indian tapped in between and let the Indian speak so don't know what they were talking about. Playing games. This person apparently knew that too and told me. He asked me to please come and mention it. I said well you know I appreciate your invitation but I said the reason I don't want to go to the tribe, the tribal group gathering, because once you start asking money it becomes more then the military interrogation of prisoners. After they went to Japan after the occupation, after the war, these people all moved, like I was in counter intelligence and intelligence activities; my activities where primarily in counter intelligence and intelligence strategy. They ask me and I don't want to say no I can't talk about that. I say it would be awfully embarrassing because I don't know what I can talk about and to what extent. 45:37 DT: So I said I think I better not. He said this is fine I understand. If it was a prisoner of war interrogation like I did in Korea that is fine but I didn't think I should. Because I know when we retired the one thing they warned us about was before we publish anything related to that kind of thing we make sure we get it cleared. There is thing that the government didn't want the public to know. But I talked to them. I loan this book to Misa (sp?) also, she wanted to read it. That is a second project that they could conduct here. I heard from these people, I don't know if it is in here, people borrowed it. The reason why the majority in Hawaii where never evacuated too is they said there was a Chinese guy. I have a friend named Chin (sp?) so I asked him of this guy named Chin there is rumor but they not sure. This Chinese business man was good friends with Eleanor Roosevelt was it Roosevelt? Yeah it was him. He was influential in convincing her that all the Japanese Americans in Hawaii where loyal Americans. She had a lot to do with that, sides like Alcatraz an island, it's an island anyways in the Pacific so you can't go anywhere anyways. They reasoned that okay, they say this guy really intervened. Chinese don't really like Japanese anyways he really went to bat for them. But they weren't unable to get that guy in there. EU: So he was unable to make it into the book? DT: No. Because they couldn't get verification of which Chin, there a lot of Chin's in Hawaii. EU: Well DT: This organization is really good. Where else do you find? I am from Hawaii which is supposed to be a so called melting pot. But the Japanese got their own function, Chinese have their own function, the Korean. They don't get together. I think it is only Eugene that all the 12 different ethnic groups get together and become personal friends. Like at Ada lee she took us to China. The first time we went to China I didn't want to go to China when it was the 50th anniversary celebration of Kombucha (sp?) 2000? I didn't want to go: I won't be able to get out of there [laughs]. So they finally convince me no but I go. She also took us to Hong Kong we are very close friends. It is real good, personal friends. She and her daughter Jean went up to New York when my granddaughter got married. It is real nice of them. EU: So these friendships are an important part of the community and for you and Eugene? DT: Yep. We got very good Korean friends Ken Yee (sp?) and Pilipino Angie, Indonesian Jokan (sp?). The organization I think is that one good thing it brought about is bringing the groups together, one happy family. The Ken will talk to you Monday but he won't remember. EU: Ken Nagao? DT: Ken Nagao. I know at the very beginning was just Ken and Irene, Jin (sp?) and me, and another couple that where school teachers. We always meet and talk about how we can get the group together, and the strange thing is the other couple they are still here but [laughs]. But we say "hi" when we seen then because we talk. So some of the first ones that mostly wanted to get the group together was Ken Nagao - at the beginning it was a small group to get together. What do we do? What made it difficult at the time was trying to find Japanese name in the telephone directories here. Majority of America is Caucasians [says various names] EU: Okay. Well, is there anything else we should talk about in the interview? Anything else I have forgotten to ask you? DT: hmmm, not really because these three organizations are the ones I was fortunate enough to be involved with and participate in their activities. I still do but not that active now. I guess it when your granddaughter is about 25 let them [laughs] EU: Ok. David Thank you very much. DT: Thank you EU: I appreciate it DT: For taking the time. 52:14 |
| Full resolution | Volume30/david_toyama_part4-0.pdf
http://digitalcollections.library.oregonstate.edu/cultural/full/david_toyama_part4-0.pdf |
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