Partial Transcript: Staff Sergeant Joe Hayashi is a Medal of Honor recipient. The interviewees are Sgt. Hayashi's family members. His older sister Chiye Hayashi Watanabe, cousin Henry M. Hayashi, and half-brother Seiichi Nakawatase. Chiye is born in Blanco (Salinas, CA) on July 11, 1919. Henry is born February 15, 1916, in Los Angeles, CA, and Seiichi is born May 9, 1927, in Pasadena, CA.

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Keywords: 442nd; Japanese American soldiers; Medal of Honor; Salinas; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Chiye's parents Toyo Nakawatase and Chikuchi Hayashi, are from Kagoshima, Japan. They married in 1918. Chiye's father, Chikuchi, passed away in 1925, and the family moves to Pasadena, CA. There are six children in the family. The oldest to youngest are Chiye (herself), Joe, Kiyo, Seiichi, Sayo, and Shizuo. Henry's father is Sosuke Hayashi from Kagoshima, Japan. In 1902, he immigrates to the United States and works on the railroads. In 1913, Henry's father returns to Japan to get married and have a daughter. She is too young to travel. Therefore, she stays behind in Japan. In 1921, they open a vegetable stand in Los Angeles, CA.

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Keywords: family; Issei parents; Salinas; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Henry's older sister is too young to travel. Therefore, she stays behind in Japan. In 1923, there is an exclusion act that no Japanese can come to the United States. Henry has other siblings Yuri, Mark, Jack, and Tony are born in the United States. Tony has a twin sister but is killed in an accident. Henry does not meet his older sister in Japan. However, he meets her children. Henry's father meets Chiye's in Salinas, a farming community. In 1903 Henry's family moves to Los Angeles. Chiye's father and Henry's father are second cousins.

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Keywords: farm; farming; Japanese Americans; Salinas; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Seiichi is Chiye's half-brother. Seiichi's father is Kakichi Nakawatase from Kagoshima, Japan. Seiichi's father marries Chiye's mother in 1926 in Pasadena. Seiichi's father is a gardener. Seiichi says his father is handsome and loves to sing. Seiichi does not remember too much about his mother. However, he recalls she is hard-working and cares about her children.

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Keywords: employment; farm; friendship; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Salinas; social activities

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Partial Transcript: Seiichi's mother loves to garden and work in the yard. He recalls a memorable moment with his mother going to the hot springs. Chiye says her mother is a very hard-working worker. She loves gardening, planting various vegetables, raising chicken, knitting, and sewing. Chiye says she is a loving mother.

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Keywords: Issei; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Chiye says she is hard-working like her mother. Chiye starts working at the age of 10. She worked various jobs, from cooking to making dresses. Chiye buys a German bicycle for Seiichi when he starts a newspaper route.

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Keywords: Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Chiye discusses her first father. She recalls living on a farm, and her father is in charge of the horses. After her father finishes work, Chiye recalls riding the horses. Her father dies early from an accident.

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; farm; Issei; Nisei; Salinas

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Partial Transcript: Henry recalls his childhood in Los Angeles, CA. Saturday mornings, he attends a Japanese School at a Christian Church (2nd and San Pedro). After Japanese School, he helps his father at the vegetable stand. Henry says at primary school, the Japanese American students and the hakujin students got along. However, they did not socialize after school. In 1936, he graduates high school. Henry is in the service before the war. Henry's friends go to college but could not find jobs in their profession after graduating. Before the war, Henry says there is no discrimination in the Army. It is easy to get promoted in the ranks.

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; childhood activities; discrimination; education; Hakujin; high school; Japanese identity and values; Japanese language school; Nisei; sports; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Before the war, Henry says there is no discrimination in the Army. It is easy to get promoted in the ranks. However, when they go to Camp Shelby, their lower rankings are given back to them. Henry is in the first battalion in the 442nd.

Henry discusses his father. His father immigrates in 1903 and does various farm labor. In 1913, he returns to Japan to get married and has his firstborn.

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Keywords: 442nd; Americans of Japanese Ancestry; Camp Shelby; family; Japanese American soldiers; Nisei; wedding; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Henry's father is an easy-going, happy-go-lucky guy. However, he is stern in his work habits. Henry's mother is easy-going and carefree too. His parents work together at the vegetable stand. Japanese American farmers would come by the vegetable stand and talk to Henry's parents about Japan. Henry says this is their socializing time. Henry recalls himself as a child. He shares one of his regrets, working on a farm in Salinas.

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Keywords: childhood activities; employment; family; farm; farming; friendship; Issei; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Salinas; social activities

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Partial Transcript: (Interview stops at 30 minutes and 27 seconds. Resumes at 30 minutes and 34 seconds). Seiichi recalls there is snow in Pasadena in 1932. The neighborhood homes are two-bedroom style. Growing in Pasadena, Seiichi says there are some famous neighbors such as Jackie Robinson and Max Robinson. Joe is good friends with Jackie. Seiichi says his father is good a judo instructor. At home, they have a gym for kendo, sumo, and other sports. Seiichi says he knows a little bit of kendo.

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Keywords: childhood activities; friendship; Japanese Americans; Nisei; sports

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Partial Transcript: Seiichi says he knows a little bit of kendo. He recalls his mother buying him a kendo uniform. Seiichi's neighbor is Jackie Robinson. He says Jackie is a little older, but they are good friends. Jackie is also good friends with Joe. Seiichi says he looks up to his older brother Joe. Joe uses to take him to baseball games.

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Keywords: childhood activities; family; friendship; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings; sports

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Partial Transcript: Seiichi's father loves sports. He teaches Seiichi judo and takes him to baseball games (twice a year). Seiichi remembers going to kendo practice Friday nights with his brother, Joe. Both Seiichi and Joe attend Japanese School, but Seiichi only goes for a year. Seiichi says their childhood home is a decent size. Their parents like to entertain people at home.

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Keywords: childhood activities; Japanese Americans; Japanese language school; living conditions; Nisei; siblings; social activities

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Partial Transcript: Seiichi remembers living at the Community Center, and his parents would entertain high-profile people. Seiichi mention visiting a battleship of one of the guests who visit their home.

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Keywords: Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Seiichi describes his childhood home at the Community Center on Del Mar Street. The big is building with plumbing and electricity. There is also a Japanese School.

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Keywords: Japanese Americans; Japanese language school; living conditions; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: Chiye does not remember their childhood home in Salinas. However, she remembers having to cross a river to get to their home. She also recalls riding the horses and eating tomatoes in the tomato patch. She shares a story about an accident on the farm with her cousin. In Salinas, Chiye attends a kindergarten school. She says a lot of her cousins live nearby.

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Keywords: childhood activities; family; farming; Japanese Americans; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: Chiye's father has four horses, and the horses are for farm work. There are several accidents on the farm. Besides Chiye's father's accident, her uncle and sister passed away. Chiye's family moves to Pasadena because her uncle (mother's brother) persuades her to move. After moving to Pasadena, Chiye's mother meets Mr. Nakawatase and gets remarried. Chiye also mentions she is close with her brother Joe.

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Keywords: family; farm; farming; Issei; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings; wedding

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Partial Transcript: The farm in Salinas is managed by Chiye's father and her three uncles. After Chiye's father passes away, the family moves to Los Angeles. Chiye recalls her step-father as a kind man. He works for a restaurant until he gets an injury. Then he starts a gardening business. Chiye says her childhood home is comfortable. The family moves around for a while before settling in Pasadena at the Japanese Community Center. When Chiye is sixteen years old, she gets a babysitting job and moves out.

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Keywords: family; farm; farming; friendship; Issei; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: As the oldest sibling, Chiye takes care of her siblings. She says she is close with Joe, and she is a tomboy. They are fourteen months apart in age. She recalls having different types of pets. Joe is interested in raising pigeons for racing.

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Keywords: childhood activities; family; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Chiye and Joe have a close relationship. Joe is a good brother to all his siblings. Joe drives a car at a young age, and he would take Chiye to school. Chiye recalls doing a lot of sewing for Joe. She especially remembers Joe asking her to knit him special socks for football.

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Keywords: Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings; sports

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Partial Transcript: Chiye attends a Japanese School for 12 years. Henry discusses the difference in pay wages and employment between Salinas and the city.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: cultural heritage; education; employment; farm; farming; Japanese Americans; Japanese language school

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