Child Rearing

Yosh wasn’t sure whether past harsh treatment of his family affected the way he raised his children. He expected his children to do well in school. When asked if he felt that JC’s had to be better because of the way they were treated, Yosh responded:

Japanese Canadians were better [in school].

However, he agreed that nisei often were not allowed to do everything and to reach their full potential. They were treated like second class citizens and had to work twice as hard to maintain a level playing field. Yosh’s dad would say:

If you’re going to do something, do it properly.

When asked if he shared stories about what happened to his family with his children and grandchildren, he said he didn’t. He felt they learned about his family’s experience through “everyday talk.” Occasionally he would say to his children, “when we were kicked out of here in ’42. . . “ But his children may not have fully understood what had happened.

Scroll to top