Other Faces, Other Lives

00:12 20 minutes

00:18 final

00:19 final so we can waste some time

00:28 pretty good you can sit on the cushion you don’t know

00:47 should Michael sit in front two

00:48 do you have I think so.

00:50 What do you think?

00:53 Because he’s so big oh

01:02 well maybe maybe

01:10 maybe this this is the first picture I guess Leonard should not be in the picture. I’m the mother and and and the two and then the and then he

01:24 put things in

01:26 wherever they want everybody who’s who’s who’s missing among the children. The

01:32 sister right are missing again. And Cheryl and Cheryl Cheryl.

01:39 Yes nice large family.

01:44 Oh yes 5g. I have five children. And Claire Leonard have four. I have Sherlock. Sherlock.

01:57 Only claim Sherlock I

01:58 don’t know boss mine.

02:03 Snowball is a dog.

02:07 A little noisy one.

02:11 You can tell that is a noisy one’s heard?

02:17 How often do you get together like this? Is a family?

02:20 Oh, quite often? As a family? Yeah. At least a couple of times a week. When you say yeah, once a week. Sometimes Mary don’t get to join us because she’s always working. Mary, Mary is always a clown. It only works on on weekdays when she teaches you see, but but Mary teach and work in the Desmos. And and so she has three, four jobs.

02:56 What do you do when you get together as family?

02:58 Mostly each, we usually get together for dinner and then we chat afterwards. And sometimes we come back to the house to have dessert

03:11 is this something that you’ve always done is we’ve said Chinese tradition more.

03:18 It’s it’s a Chinese tradition. But mostly because we want to be together. We don’t get together very much during the weekday because we’re all busy. So on the weekend is the time when we do have time together we usually it outdoor outside and then come home and chat for a

03:45 while to you know, sometimes we do activities together. For example, if there’s something going on in the theater or the you know, ballets and this type of thing we go as a family, but since you do have this mixture of generations, you know, mom wasn’t into a lot of mom and dad weren’t into a lot of the you know, the tennis and the swimming and camping out and that type of thing. Where you know, some of the the newer generation, you know that the younger ones of us do. And we traveled together to as a family. In other words, we all our whole family got together and expo together. And then we also

04:19 this is including all the other young sisters

04:22 and all their family and all their families to as many as they

04:25 can. And then we went over to the Oregon Coast one year. And we just kind of did that. After Dad died as we move in to try and do this as a traditional type of thing. And then it ended up that the third time we tried it they we couldn’t get it all together. And so we’re kind of thinking that maybe sometime we got to do it in Hawaii together as a family again, where we, you know,

04:49 we try to have a family reunion once a year, and we try to go to the place that if there’s an egg spool or if there’s something else going on someplace else, that’s what we’ll go we usually get together and go there. That is, my family and and the rest of the children, grandchildren,

05:15 activities to do and where there are, you know, you can get to know each other, you know, some people will want to go shopping, some people will want to go this way or that way, and yet away from their homes, so that they don’t have those kinds of ties with other friends. You don’t.

05:28 I can I can picture how big this family is. How big is this family? Marie?

05:35 Well, my daughter, Claire has four children. And Mary is a career girl. And Gary’s my oldest son. He is a lawyer in his own office in Nampa. He and his wife Anita has three children, two girls and a boy. The oldest one is

06:08 Jennifer, Jennifer,

06:09 Heather, and Heather and Daniel. And then the fourth one is my daughter, Cheryl. She lives in Corvallis, Oregon, and she and her husband. Her husband works for Hewlett Packard and they have two children. The oldest ones four year old Sariah. And the younger one little boy. Sigh. And then yeah, and then Dennis has just moved to San Diego about two years ago. He was on he was here he was working for a travel service. And then when he went down there, he still work for trial service, but he feels that that that is just not not going to work for him that that so he is selling for a Honeywell Honeywell operation cooperation in San Diego now. And his wife,

07:11 electrical engineer working for the Navy. And then they

07:15 they have two children. One is a Tony at 10 years old. He’s in the fifth grade is September, and the youngest one is Devon, he’s born five months ago.

07:33 Did you Marie, how did you and my come to Moscow or come to Idaho?

07:39 Oh, my family, my father and mother and. And children came over here to Moscow. In 1926. We my father came over when he was younger, about what 19 Nine and Matt. But when he came over, he could just come over by himself because his father paid for his fare coming over. And that’s all he can afford. And in those times they do not include the wife to come over because the United States people think that if the wives come over, maybe they have too many children whatever. Well anyway, what is it the they only a allowed all the younger? They want the the men come over without their wives. But my mother was pregnant at the time when my dad came over here. So I was six years later, the first time he went back to China. And when I first saw my father, and when I was six years old. And he when he came over as a boy he went to school, and then also work to to make a living for himself. And then and then a night, I think somewhere around 1915 He went back to China and saw my first time I mean when he went back to China. My my mother and I were there once there and then about a year later by my sister, Shang Yi was born in 1916. And then after that, where he went to when he was still in China, he went to Hong Kong to train as the Ubers so he can come back over here to make a living as a doctor. He came back somewhere around about 1918 Back to Spokane and that’s when he first came over his stay in Spokane and And after he came back, after the training with as an herbalist. He started being a doctor over here and started his practice in Spokane. About 1920, the winter of 1920. I remember it was wintertime because the first time I saw Snow was, was one we came up with by boat into Seattle, the Port of Seattle. And I saw the snow I said, Well, what’s what’s all this on the ground? You know, well, they explained to me that snow and that’s when I saw that and, and then my father went into Seattle to bring us back to Spokane. And then the first thing after we got home was, I heard my father talking next room. I knew there was nobody there, you know, I can understand what he was doing. So I went around, he was talking on the telephone. That’s the first time I knew about the telephone. So about later on in, I think, the first semester in 1921. I started in grad school at the Hawthorne school in Spokane. I finished grad school in 1926. And that was one though we plan to we move over here to Moscow in 1926. We wonder how come that we went into the restaurant business was they my father and mother came around? He said, Well, let’s go around the police country see what is law like, you know, so they came over here and went to Moscow and went to a house cafe to get my little sister to your sister some cookies. before they left the house cafe they bought the cookies and the cafe. So that’s how come we started in Moscow. We have the restaurant starting at July the third. I remember that because we wanted to have the business. July the fourth. So I remember that. And that’s where we were and until you find that my father and mother’s restaurant

12:11 was house cafe.

12:13 On the corner of second and Main.

12:16 How did your father get to have? How much? I mean? How did he get to help that much money to buy a restaurant?

12:25 Well, you see, after he came back here 1918 He saved enough money to buy 19 Winter 1922 cent for my mother and my my sister, Shani and myself to come over here. And then of course, he was a practicing as a doctor there until 1926 Khitomer Why do they

12:50 have to start with just a second? Record? There’s a couple of things. One thing

12:57 to do it you had my mad Yeah, well,

12:59 okay. Then from there, I

13:03 you don’t want that little story that I told you about why they decided to quit the business or business and then never gonna go to New York, remember? And they decided they’d see the

13:13 loose country before we leave here. Definitely.

13:19 Because once we because again, this shows some of the superstitions of the Chinese. Well, the fact that what you that’s the way they feel about right, because you know, he hadn’t been able to save his own sons. Remember, I told you we have decided to give up.

13:35 Okay, all right. Well, let’s tell me, tell me. What made your dad give up the business in Spokane?

13:45 Well, in 1923, my sister Cory was born. The first the first one of our family to be born in Spokane. I mean to be born in the United States. She was born in 1923 in Spokane, and then I think somewhere around 1925 We have we have a brother David was born there. And within nine months why he died of Splinter mother’s diagnosis. So, my father, by that time, my father don’t feel like he’s, he’s quite the person to help other people when his own first son died in in 1919 26. So, so that’s how come well we were we were getting all packed up ready to go to New York, maybe go into the restaurant business or something else. Whatever will be presented to us to do that. But before we leave Spokane, we thought my dad and mother thought they would like to visit around the police country because we haven’t had a chance to come down this way to the poorest country, when we’re so busy in Spokane doing doing my father’s practice, because my mother and I, we have to work behind and get the bottles and the herbs ready, you know, and cook it and make it into medicine and then why my father is the one that prescribes the herbs to the different patients. So that’s how come we they decided that they would like to buy house cafe when when they came over here, during that drive around the Palouse?

15:46 Can you describe how that early part of the business?

15:50 The all the rational investment? Yes, yes. Well, at that time, we we got house cafe because Mr. Huff had just finished as finished school in the law school, and he wanted to go into law practice. And so it’s a good time for him to get out of the restaurant business. So that’s how my father bought it, and also bought it and then we started, like I say, July 3 1926.

16:24 Recollection how much the cafe was? And how much is how much you paid for the coffee?

16:31 I’m not sure. But I think it’s somewhere around 800 $1,800 for the equipment or whatever was in the restaurant, and the goodwill of the house, Mr. Nice house, but not the building. No, no, not the building, we were renting. They were renting the building. And so we kept on being a renter.

16:53 So was there any real difference as far as the the business, you know, from when the house had is due when you as an oriental family had it?

17:02 Well, we started the Chinese food here, we’ve been the only Chinese family here at that time. We started whatever they were serving, we serve that in the American food and but we add the Chinese food.

17:25 clinic eat a lot of Chinese food no right at first and not very much used to it. So gradually, they have to learn that because most of the customer here are farmers and some students. They have to learn to like it before. And then I know we had there was quite a bit of prejudice against Chinese people at that time. And we saw many customers, you know, just walk past our door and went to some pre sales because we’re Chinese people. They just wouldn’t come in.

18:06 How did how did you feel about that?

18:08 We didn’t feel very good about it. Because we figured you know, we were serving the American food just as, as good as the other the other questions are and, and just as inexpensive, maybe a little bit less expensive. Because we we have to work. We usually work 16 hours instead of the eight hours that the other residences, employees do. I mean, ourselves are we ourself but what we two system cooks that we we hire, of course, they would only work for eight hours.

18:47 When did you begin to see a change in the way the community responded to your restaurant service?

18:54 Well, for one thing, we we belong to Christian Church in Spokane. And so when we came over here, we we belong to the central Christian Church in Moscow here and that kind of a brick the whatever, you know, among some of the people but because at least we have the support of the church people and they

19:22 were all came to your restaurant to

19:26 Yes. Some of them you know, at that time, not very many people eat outside like they do nowadays. They just on on a special occasion like birthdays and anniversaries. So then they will come to the restaurant and then some gradually get to learn to like the Chinese food. So that went over quite well.

19:54 So how did my come into the picture your husband?

19:58 Oh, my husband was like Going to school at Washington State College at that time, he graduated in 1929, as a silver engineer, and he thought, well, he got great ideas of going back to China to help the Chinese people out and building buildings and bridges and roads. But so he, he went back in 1929, after after he graduated and looking to see how things are in Canton. At that time, his folks were living in Cape Town control nowadays, is what the name of it is now. But he can see that he can just kind of feel that there’s going to be war coming on. And another thing is, the Chinese government is very corrupt at that time. And when they hires civil servants, you have to, they give them the understanding that they have to entertain their hire their bosses, as well, by the time I, I would entertain half of my wages to be gone, and they wouldn’t be very much left over for myself. So he came back over here in 1931. But before he left here, why we have we have gone together, and we like each other. But I told my I told him, I said, Well, I’m gonna let you have the chance to look over all the Chinese girls in China. And if you come back here and marry me, don’t ever don’t ever complain to me that you couldn’t find a finding by us to marry as millions of Chinese girls, you have a good choice. But I guess he felt that he don’t want to say in China, he came back here in 1931. So he came back about me. And then there was nothing that he wanted, he can go into it that time not in 1931, we were having a big, big diversion here. And of course, the civil engineer there about about a dime a dozen at that time. So he didn’t get any job in that. So he started working for my father then for a couple of months. And we decided to get married July in July of 1931. And about that time, my father feel like that he wanted to take the younger children. At that time. My sister core, and my and my, my brother, Robert, and Sammy. He took them back there because he wants them to have a little bit of Chinese culture. Besides what American culture that they have acquired since they were born here. I mean, since my, my sister and brothers were born here,

22:58 during the early part during the early part of your marriage, how many Chinese family other other Chinese families were there in Moscow?

23:08 I don’t remember but I think there were one or two. No, I don’t

23:15 think it was somebody in the laundry down here.

23:19 No, that was before our time. In the old days before we move in the 80s. I mean, in the 1800s. They used to have people down there on on Jackson Street. I have the laundry. I think the excavations have shown that they have Chinese people there but we didn’t never knew them. We were the first family that Chinese family that was over here. As far as I know. At that time I imagined. I don’t think there were any other families here. But there are some Chinese students going over here. They come directly from Hong Kong, Mainland China or Taiwan.

23:59 So how you were the only Chinese family? Yes. For your social entertainment. That’s right. Where do you did you interact with the rest of the community? Or how did you

24:11 start not too much? Mostly, at first we the only people that we knew as friends are the church people at the central Christian church people and gradually Of course we get as far as socializing is concerned we didn’t have any time to socialize with our a you have to do is work in the restaurant and if we can, if we have more business we were hard. More help but right at first I just just my and I have a we’re working the restaurant. I think we have one waitress about 1931 It was very bad business all over it was bad.

24:55 I have a question. If you don’t mind my asking. What would you say was the most A unique experience that happened to you here that you could attribute to being Chinese as opposed to just being a resident of Moscow.

25:09 You’re talking about when she was growing up growing up.

25:13 I was I was 16 years old when I came over. And when we moved here in 1936, I started high school here in 1926, and then went on to college.

25:26 Did you have any particular experiences? I mean, was there anything that your mind

25:31 nothing particular, I have very few friends. Mostly, all girlfriends. Of course, at that time, of course, my, my father and mother would not let me date anybody. And there was no other Chinese boys around here. So I just went to school and study and then went to work at the restaurant.

25:54 Did you feel it was possibility for you to date? White boys?

26:00 Well, I never even thought about dating at that time when I was 16. Chinese people don’t start dating until they are practically through school. I don’t think my folks who I knew they would they wouldn’t let me date anybody. What am I actually knew, though? Well, my younger sister is different. She’s She she did date with some men and boys. How old was she? Well, she told me I was I was 16 years old when I came over. So Oh, at that time when she came over, you know, she was six years younger. And my sister Shani was six years younger. So when I was 16, she was only 10. Because she didn’t start dating until she was really into high school. My sister Shani, and my sister core. And my brother Bob were all graduates of Moscow High School and the universe downhill. Except my brother Bob. My, my husband wanted him to go into pharmacy kind of leading him toward pharmacy since since my sister Corps was going into medical school.

27:20 Very when you when your parents were raising you? Can you could you remember that? They were raising your differently than you raised your children, you and my?

27:33 Oh, yes. As far as, as far as I know, I think we’re much more modernized. And my parents are because they had just great school education over here and whatever English they can learn. But on my on my, my husband, I marry my, with our children, why were more or less, more modern?

28:03 What do you mean by more Manuel let him

28:07 mix more with American people with their friends, you know, they would have friends, of course in high in high school and the university. But

28:18 at Cornell quality too, though.

28:19 Well,

28:21 I mean, no, no,

28:22 no. In 19 In 1937,

28:27 she had American friends and so did Uncle Bob in particular. Yes. Anyway, why don’t you tell him about the you know what happened when she was dating the University of Idaho

28:41 of Athabasca, mine is to eat and not mine. Well, in a way, my sister Shani, who’s six years younger. When she went to the University. She dated American boys. Because at that time, even at that time, there weren’t very many Chinese boys. And didn’t French was the dean woman at that time. You know, she had a good talk with my sisters as well. You mustn’t go out with American boys too much, you know, I mean, but of course, my sister didn’t go overboard, but she have her regular friends as well. If the other students can keep can keep the boyfriend so I hate why can I you know, go out on dates with them. You know,

29:36 how did your family react to that?

29:39 Well, we didn’t like it too much. But then you can do very much about you know

29:44 what would infringe would say that

29:46 oh, no, no, no, not that. We didn’t like the idea of her going. Dating out too much.

29:54 How was it when, when your children were growing up in terms of school go into, like, say dating on this aspect of dating.

30:03 Well, the education comes first. Of course, if they have ever do all the lessons, you know, and still have time to go out, we let them go out. Well, some with friends with very, very good friends but not just just anybody you know, every Tom, Dick and Harry.

30:25 We wouldn’t go out with any just any Tom, Dick and Harry anyway. But I was a junior in high in college, when I asked for the first time to go to a movie with a friend that was always the guy. And my dad says that he preferred that I didn’t. And so I didn’t try. But it was but he just, well, no, he didn’t know he wouldn’t forbid, and I wouldn’t need the word forbid for me not to do it. And so and so I didn’t I didn’t date until after college.

30:55 Right. And I didn’t date at all in high school or college. You were? Yeah, I never got to go out with any as Caucasian.

31:07 That the idea my, my husband feels is that going to school is going to school, and you have no time to be dating. And so he said, Well, wait till they’re at least a junior at college. For

31:25 me, Dave as a

31:26 junior No, but he didn’t like to have you do it. But he did not forbid you to do it.

31:33 I was married by the time I was a sophomore. In other words, he let he let us go out as long as it’s the right person, right and the right person had to be

31:44 Chinese. Not not that not that we have anything against the American people. It is much better. If you do marry within your own race, you have a background together the same background the same as the same hot coals, cultures, and the same ideas that the Chinese people have.

32:12 How did you I’m curious, how did you Claire and Mary see the family structure in terms of the decision maker or the final decision maker? Or how in terms of rules on behavior.

32:26 While I was more as far as any kind of doing anything, like I said, my dad would not have to forbid me to do anything for me not to do it. If he says I prefer that you didn’t, then automatically. I was that way. So I never had any problems as far as well. Both of us, you see

32:44 are kind of from the quote, same generation. Okay, from there on down. And because you see, Gary, of course, married out and well, they all have, okay. But for us, I guess, again, you know, you can ask my kids to, I’m afraid this facet of my growing up of my growing up is still is still a part of me enough that I feel very strongly about this myself. You’re saying

33:16 that you were raised by your parents in a traditional Chinese? Yeah, way.

33:21 Now, of course, she possibly didn’t feel as. But I actually I guess I didn’t until I went to Hawaii. We, each of us when we graduated from high school, went to Hawaii for a summer. Yeah. And of course, we had been raised, you know, amongst, you know, in Moscow, in essentially an all Caucasian community atmosphere. And so when I went to Hawaii was the first time I had been immersed into, you know, a multicultural setting. And I realized when I came back, that my dad was right, and that I would marry within my, you know, with, at least within the Orientals. And so then Leonard and I started, Leonard already had was working on his master’s. And so we started dating when I was a freshman in college. I was married at the beginning of my sophomore year. And I really feel and you can ask my own children, this because they’ve also gone through this, but I still feel quite strongly,

34:19 you would say you’re raising your family, you and Leonard in according to the traditional, traditional Chinese

34:27 way, well, from the standpoint of who they marry, okay, and who they want to make lifetime commitments to as far as a family, you know, I mean, as far as friends and everything, that’s great, you know,

34:39 you you’ve made it known to them that that’s what you would like, I’d like to see what do you think, Susan?

34:49 About what about marrying outside of our race,

34:53 being raised in a traditional Chinese way as a family and your parents wishes? It seems like that you should marry within the culture.

35:05 They have a lot of priorities as to what, what kind of guys that we date, they would want us to marry a Chinese and in our race, they haven’t. To put it in a very

35:21 explicit

35:22 about what they want. So I mean, especially my mom, my dad, since he was background with blacks in Jamaica. I mean, they were, they were the kind of the lower people and my dad was kind of like

35:44 was born and raised in Jamaica. He came over here to the University of Idaho to go school here.

35:53 So that so yeah.

35:59 Well, I have a saying, I mean, they’re saying, Well, you shouldn’t marry a black, because it’s just not appropriate. I guess that’s what they’re always saying. And we should always try to find a Chinese person or oriental man or woman to marry.

36:19 How do you feel about that?

36:23 I don’t know. I’ve never, I just kind of think about more of getting through college and finding my own career before I even think of having somebody else to marry

36:36 her question. When you think of yourself as a person, you know, I think of yourself as a woman first, you think of yourself as a Chinese woman or an American woman.

36:50 As think of myself as a woman, I mean, just my own self I never had. I mean, I kind of brushed off when people ridicule me and things like that. And I just kind of, oh, well, you know, that’s their own opinion about me. I I get along with a lot of people. I mean, I work with a lot of guys. And they’re, you know, I’m there’s a black person white. And there’s a a person who’s kind of bias of everybody, but I just kind of like, well, I know what I’m doing. And don’t tell me you know, like, just because I’m a woman or I’m a minority that I don’t know what I’m doing.

37:42 You think let me go back on. On the way you raised the way your your parents raised you do you get a feeling? Or do you can you tell that you were raised differently than your classmates or your or your peers?

37:58 In what mean Chinese

38:00 families say say on matters of discipline, respect of parents and elders? Do you think you have more structure in your family,

38:11 we’re very family oriented, we have to we think of our education and family. That’s a priority in our lives. And I think it’s I think it’s kind of sad how, how they only want us to marry in our race. I agree. And I see their standpoint, but it’s, it’s it’s a modern world and you have to you’re living in a white world so I think of myself as both Chinese and American and white and stuff. I don’t know.

38:57 You and how your social interactions who do they involve?

39:03 Chinese might have a lot of Chinese friends.

39:08 And how about you Michael and and Michelle? Oh,

39:11 there is no Chinese people and in our class or even our school only one grade up.

39:20 Say we do show

39:25 my husband my had always enjoyed and he really believes in education. And through his effort and persistence. Many of our Chinese when older, in our generation, not quite as modern as we are not graduates of college, but they are good people and we tried to push them to send their children to on to school. Even even odd A friend in Walla Walla who has a large farm. He said, Well, I don’t see why my boy have to go to agriculture school because he I can teach him all all I know. But then my husband said, No, because he he can learn all you know, but he can also learn more from the modern agriculture, they can produce more, and they can save more and do things more. And then also, we have been persuading our friends in Spokane, Walla Walla, even in Pullman, you know, to send the daughters to school to the Chinese attitude is that well, our daughter’s got to be married, and to her husband’s family, why should we spend the money to educate our daughters, when they can live? Live with, with the other family anyway. But we always tell them, that it doesn’t hurt for our girl to, to have a good education and be able to support herself. In case of necessity, that men she does not have to obey and, and do what their husbands want them to do. They have, they can make their own living, and they can do just as well as their husbands who have a college education. So they themselves have a college education.

41:39 When you were saying modern earlier, you were essentially referring to the education of the females.

41:46 Yes. Should they do not send their female children, even the the immigrants that come over here, if they haven’t had the wisdom of more education, they they don’t send their children to college. In the first place, it costs money. And most of the immigrants do not have enough money to send their children to colleges. But so they so these parents have to make an extra effort to work harder, and save more so that their children can have a good education.

42:26 Earlier, let’s see. In your class, you will be essentially a minority in terms of number of Chinese.

42:37 Oh, yeah. And all of our classes, right.

42:40 Well, I guess the question I’m leading to is

42:47 your parents seem to seem to want to seem to one, your parents are making an effort to integrate Chinese Chinese culture into your lives at the same time

43:06 that they’re growing up in an American society? Yes.

43:11 I can’t think of the word but it’s how I hear clear here’s here’s a question I’ll direct it to. When you were growing up, can you describe essentially the composition of your this is also true for Mary, the composition of your peer peer group or your classmates?

43:29 Okay. We were the only Chinese family the only Chinese family so therefore, we were the only Chinese kids in school. In fact, I think Dennis was the

43:37 no shirt. No, Gary had her local, the Japanese. And then Cheryl. Benson. Yeah, had

43:43 been sent. And those are the only two out of all of our and yours, you know, in the Moscow schools that we had any Orientals at all.

43:51 So how did that make it different for you? Growing up in relating to your peers?

43:58 Yeah, we had no peers. As far as oriental peers, right.

44:03 But no, in terms of your class, did you feel like you were isolated? Because you were the only Chinese? Or did you have a ready ability to mix with with everyone else?

44:12 Well, of course, the thing that stopped our family was the fact that we had to spend so much time in the restaurant. And so therefore, you know, I mean, we would come home at noon, we would come home after school and work until we closed the restaurant. And so it was more or less it. Because we had to work and we had to do our school work and that type of thing that we didn’t do as much socializing. Not and of course, our parents didn’t encourage us to do they didn’t they didn’t encourage us to take sports or to join clubs and organizations. It was just work do your schoolwork and you know come home and we tried to do things as a family. I mean, we we have the benefits of having a nice home. You know a loving, caring family we really, in you know we were always healthy and you You know, good food, we had good upbringing, we had piano lessons. I think some of us join, you know, like Girl Scouts and that type of thing. And we all went to Sunday school always. And but you know, that was about the limit of it, you know, we didn’t have we couldn’t do extracurricular school, things that school

45:19 didn’t have time, per se, but they did, you know, have our friends come home because I had very, a lot of my girlfriends that would come down to the restaurant. With me while I was working waiting tables, they would sit down and eat, and my parents were always, you know, there to feed them or to, you know, and then we’d all race back up to school together. So it wasn’t as though and I had two groups of friends, I had one group that were your real, you know, you’re my Phi Beta Kappa group. And then I had your other group that were the very my best friend was a very, very popular girl with a cheerleader type and with her families that we did everything together with and and so therefore, I was with him all the time with both both different groups, and I didn’t feel any kind of it wasn’t there, but you

46:05 are allowed to, to go to your friend’s home to

46:09 your you know, and

46:10 I would be invited, and then they were they, we would encourage them to have friends come into our home.

46:18 Like you assess a family group. Did you feel like you were part of the community? Were you active?

46:26 A small? Do

46:28 you mean in high school as

46:29 far as community?

46:33 individually or as a family?

46:35 Well, community? Not so much. We were just mostly our, you know, like I say, we were we had our restaurant, we had our hours to work at the restaurant. And yet we did. It wasn’t

46:45 as though we are slavery.

46:48 No, yeah, it wasn’t as though we didn’t have we just didn’t have time. For a lot of the different things that like I see that Clara’s kids are getting into though I was in Girl Scouts, and I worked in campfire.

46:59 So how is it different for for you children, for your children

47:03 hasn’t changed much? We are what do you? What do you mean, you don’t have to change match as far as people accepting us into into the society? We have? They look beyond what color you are, what race you are, they look for the person. They definitely do. So. I mean, sure, you’d have some people, you know, look at the outside, and maybe make fun of you or something. But you just you have your friends. You accept it, and you’re really proud of it. So you don’t let it get to you

47:43 know, what would happen when they want your daughters with the Caucasian?

47:54 So far, Claire doesn’t like what if question is

48:00 I would not be accepting

48:03 Lenin have his say.

48:07 Because I would be, I would be more like my father, I’m afraid and turn off.

48:13 To situation, when you say turn off

48:15 what you see, I think, by us going on by us to having our kids go on to school. See, it’s given each of them a chance to do some more growing. So essentially, I mean, if this had happened when they were in high school, or from, you know, right out of high school when they’re only 17 or 18 years old. Whoa, bad news. You know, he would like

48:40 to continue with a relationship.

48:42 Well, I mean, he’s telling me that this is it. I mean, they’re gonna get married, right? That’s the indication I got. Okay. I mean, I would be really totaled. I mean, I would, I wouldn’t I like I said, at that point, I’d react like my dad did. Okay, but if after four years after they get their degree, and after they’ve had this time to do some growing, where they have also had more experiences besides just what they’ve gained out of being in the Moscow community, you know, Moscow, high school, Moscow grade school, etc, then maybe and I’m not going to, I don’t you know, I don’t particularly want this.

49:17 So your statement broadcast,

49:18 but possibly there might be a little bit more acceptance,

49:22 you’d be making a parental decision if she did it now. A freshman in high school and non college, college and a junior in college until after they’re finished with their college education, you feel compelled to make a parental decision. According

49:39 to him. I have no parental decision. I mean, it’s there.

49:44 How about you, Leonard?

49:45 I don’t know. I just hope that that didn’t come up. Before he does, I’ll be putting my two cents worth. I would tell him a few things about out If it is, without mixing,

50:04 well, how would you feel about that Susan?

50:08 about marrying? And another one? About how my

50:13 parents reactions, which

50:14 one I asked say you, you found somebody and he happens not to be Chinese and you truly are serious about him. And your parents said no deal.

50:25 I don’t know, I think I myself would firstly, look for that Oriental. By myself. I mean, I just feel it’s, I mean, they’ve been saying, you know, it’s, it’s good to be have something that’s equal to you. And I mean, as a race. And then besides having to feel like you have to be on your knees form or, or have, you know, just something like that. You have just feel like you’re one on one. You expand when you say oriental view and beyond Chinese? Oh, yes.

51:06 And that’s a different way except, see, before when we were growing up, it was Chinese. Bottom line. I mean, that was it, period. I mean, I had no choice as

51:18 to idea and then I can so dish. And then

51:21 of course, I think the might maybe dad might have been a little bit more tolerant, of course, because Gary was the first one to kind of make the decision to go out. And, you know, had she been, you know, oriental, rather than totally Caucasian, I think that it would have been a little easier for dad to accept. But that wasn’t the case. And of course, then dad passed away before Cheryl got married to a Persian. And so we really, you know, don’t know exactly how men, but I think that, but I

51:51 think that you have to, like she was saying that she would give her kids these years, you know, to grow. And then if they get married, then that then that her decision would come at that time. But I think that you have to say that with her dad, you see his decision. It was it was after Gary had gone through college and had been out working that he was not like a freshman or sophomore or, you know, so he was, you know, very already said, like, you know, and he still did not accept until after the grandchildren came. And I think that that’s really, you know, so so he is, you know, even a little bit more old and older tradition that she, you know, then then she is in that refer me, she’s saying, okay, you know, when you have your education, you have your experiences all that time. Now, she’s not saying you’ll have your choice. But she says I’ll look and see the situation at that time. She’s at least opening herself up for it. And dad was just very definite, no matter how much education you had, no matter what time in life, it came that it was very definite. That was to be a Chinese.

52:48 How did that what probably posed for for the family? When Gary,

52:53 although it was a real problem fact, it was probably the only argument that I ever had with my dad.

53:00 You disagreed with him.

53:02 Well, you see Gary a myriad after he got his through his law school and into he has a job already with a law firm. And then yes, but I think is the way Gary presented his girlfriend at the time, we were at the Methodist church. And he came in with this girl. She’s a She’s a graduate of University, Idaho. She’s from southern Idaho, but she’s an and Gary was sitting right next to me. And my husband was on the left of me and he leaves he leaned over and said, What do you think of my girlfriend? You know, to me, you know? Well, that was certainly a surprise to me, you know, he could have getting me used to having a American girlfriend, you know, but right at church. And I don’t think the ministry was preaching at that time. But anyway, he he leaned over and told me, This is my girlfriend and we’re gonna get married. I think he said that that would have been a better way. I think it would have been a better way when he was going with her to let me know something about it. Not a wait until we get in church to tell. Tell me let me is the decision had already been made that they were gonna get married and said this is a neat hour. He didn’t need it and we’re gonna get married. You know, that? Just kind of

54:54 well, I think too is because you know, actually mom is the one that’s a lot more tolerant. Yes. I If she’s more open, and she’s been more always more accepting, okay, and I don’t know if it was an insecurity on Gary’s part or just not be able to totally see the situation, but he really should include mom in because I think mom, but he was the first one to break this tradition, you know. And so he probably felt really insecure about the whole situation that you’re in. But, you know, the same thing happened.

55:26 Maybe he thought at church, I could not do anything, you know, I have to keep keep quiet, at least until after we got out of the chair. And you know,

55:37 I mean, the same thing happened to us, you know, when we invited the chins to come up for lunch, his graduation and for our engagement party. And he had really not said anything about me to his family. And all of a sudden, he writes a letter, you know, mom and dad, since you’re not going to be able to come up for graduation, I’ve decided that we’re going to have our engagement without you. And whoa, they didn’t know what a Claire was, you know, and because, you know, we’ve been going together for a year, and they had no clue. And man, they flew up to his graduation, they took us, you know, over to Seattle for the World’s Fair for our engagement party. And the whole works. I mean, that’s how fast the turnaround was. And so, I mean, it was kind of the same situation. And it was, you know, so I think that No parent wants to see that type of thing just dropped on their lap like that. So that’s a good

56:24 point that in fact, perhaps a universal parents to be eased into the situation, right?

56:31 That’s right. But I was all all for Gary, getting married to the girl, the girl has her education, and she’s a nice girl and good and healthy. That’s one of the main things that we look for daughter in law, you know. And so I go right along with it. And I watched it. I went to the wedding. My husband did not attend that wedding. He just stayed home. But he said the kid everybody said, Just give me a year to get used to this, you know, but wouldn’t have been here even before the children were born by a he accepted her.

57:13 No, Mom, it was not until after in fact, was I wouldn’t have to say it wasn’t until Daniel,

57:19 oh, I

57:21 wasn’t that it doesn’t matter. It didn’t matter to me, it was a kid. So your dad that whether they have just girls or boys, my husband had never distinguished having just, you know, catering to the boys to the disadvantage to the girls. Every one of our children had had their education all planned for them while I was still pregnant. So So I thought, you know, he and I had did the best we could do what what we have

58:02 that seems to go along with your description of your family as being more modern. Yes. Is that you don’t make the distinction between male and female? No,

58:11 that’s for sure. Actually,

58:12 it’s more I guess I was picking up out of his family. Yeah.

58:17 That was more old fashioned. That boys are much more important than girls. In fact, we had three girls two girls before we had a boy and my mother my parents was was a little bit worried. Then we had boys and my other brother in Canada had a boy and then one in Miami had a boy what

58:38 what’s the importance to having a boy sort of

58:41 sunken carry them through the line in the name and the line will always have gone through the mail. The Orientals you know I can’t say too much about the Japanese or Filipinos or anything like that but I know the Chinese people feel that if they have boys that that they have the boys need to take care of them and carry on the name and he’ll be there low spot in the world. So I’m gonna stop here. You guys relax.

00:05 Okay

00:26 My name is

00:29 Miko, and stay tuned

00:39 what

00:41 I tell you guys make wonderful subjects.

00:46 You know, when you ask a question you might go back to

00:49 start with her question.

00:53 Or even before because grandpa Lee evidently did the same thing.

00:57 Coordinate Cora, you know as far as that first question, first question

01:04 let’s turn it on we

01:10 got a signal see in here?

01:14 What was the first question?

01:17 That’s the first Michael,

01:19 what were you referring to when you said first question? Oh, you know, what do we do to?

01:26 Yes. What do you do

01:29 that start with moving?

01:32 Okay, how did how did you add my ratio family to keep the Chinese culture going?

01:42 Well, I live in the context of Idaho, in the context of Idaho

01:51 don’t know very much about the context.

01:56 I’m sorry, I see you out there. I really just want How did you raise your children to ensure that they learned something about the Chinese culture?

02:06 Well, for one thing, we do take them to visit some Chinese, Chinese parents in different cities. We go to Seattle, and I have

02:19 two nephews and watch their family there. And then in Spokane, we have some very good friends that we have known for 65 years I have known for 65 years. And of course,

02:35 Mike and I were married in 31. And he has known him too. We still have good friends here. And then, in Walla Walla, we, we take them take our children at a time to visit many Chinese gardens. There are many Oh, I imagine there are about five or six gardens there and voila, while the rest are noon and Spanish, different Chinese vegetables too. And we take them, you know, on our vacations, or we take them to to visit our Chinese friends,

03:12 Chinatown and to visit Chinatown. Well, in every city, we go naturally, where we will look up the Chinatown first. In the first place, we have to eat you know, when when were visiting other cities, and that’s why we go to booths. And we like in the old days, we like San Francisco Chinatown very well, very much. But

03:39 last few years while we enjoyed the the Chinatown in Vancouver, BC because it’s a little bit closer to us in Moscow. So you expose them to the Chinese culture. Yes. Do you ever sit down and teach them? Well, we tried to we tried to

04:00 when they were younger, we try to teach them Chinese characters. Although

04:06 we don’t know too much about it, because I came over here to the United States in ninth in 1920 when I was 10 years old, and my husband came was his father. They settled in Walla Walla. His father has the restaurant there. And then cause

04:26 he started school there and then finished high school at Walla Walla and then he came over to Washington State and they went to college there. Did they get any formal instruction in the Chinese language?

04:40 My children No, no. We try to but then there were no Chinese school here. And well, one when my father came back from mainland China in 1962.

04:54 He tried to to

04:57 teach one to two

05:00 read Chinese and sing Chinese,

05:03 the church hymns, but they were not interested in too much. So he didn’t get too far. Okay, I think in the olden days, you know, my mom’s generation, I think one of the things that they really did was trying to get their kids to go back to China for so many years. In other words, they go back when they were they were younger. Yeah, when they were younger, like seventh eighth grade, or maybe even in high school for a year or two of Chinese education. Okay. And for us, I mean, when when mom and dad were raising us, actually, probably we, we went to Chinese, like weddings and birthday parties and first month, part of it in other sand, you know, even some Chinese funerals? Well, not traditionally, Chinese, but as Chinese, Chinese funeral, loosen? Right, that’s true, I have quite a few. But

05:56 now, as far as we’re concerned, I mean, each of us had our Chinese names, and that’s about, you know, we know him, but I don’t even know we can write them. You know, now Leonard, at least can write it because he’s a little older group. So he can. But now, as far as we’re concerned, I have to make a concerted effort to, you know, to

06:19 make sure my kids have some Chinese tradition. Okay. All right. Well, first of all, when we were growing up, Mom and Dad used to have parties, where they invite the Chinese students from wazoo and University of Idaho and lots of the professors and their children. And we belong to the Chinese organization, when I was going to college and mom and dad were, you know, would always donate some, you know,

06:45 and also the Cosmopolitan, right, right up to when I was in at college.

06:52 But now with us, for First of all, I tried, I gave my kids Chinese names, just because I have no clue. And I made the grandparents pick Chinese names. They’re supposedly, in the male family with every family name, there’s supposed to be.

07:09 And each word of the poem indicates a generation. And so every, for example, in my brother, they’re all he’s he right? He, I came along and his son, okay, and I’m not pronouncing this correctly. So, okay. But and so that they knew then that was the heat generation, all of our cousins, you know, of the boy cousins are all same general. He’s in the loo family anyway. And then, so I thought, well, maybe there was this type of thing and in children. And so I tried to get Pava chin to name Michael, that word of the poem that would do it. While he was coming up with words like Bach, bong, and, you know,

07:51 this was from from

07:54 Yeah, far back.

07:57 Or whatever it is, I mean, just, you know, crazy toy I gave up, you know, I just, I asked Mother chin and to give us some Chinese names. So I did try with a Chinese name part. And I did try and have my kids go to Chinese school, which was absolutely.

08:12 Right. You know, it was just a real rough experience, not only for the kids, but for us. Because it’s Chinese school. Well, we had, you know, some Chinese students here. In fact, Connie, I think you’ve taught it for a while. And she taught and they really tried to teach the kids but where they weren’t getting any reinforcement from us at home. His family speaks haka. My family speaks some sort of Cantonese, and it’s called Kenya. And we can barely, I mean, we couldn’t even get to the bathroom. If we had to, you know, in Chinese. I mean, that’s that bad. Okay. So they weren’t getting any thing at home for us. And so they would go there. And it would just be like that little block, you know, at school, and they’d come home, they’d have nothing. And they were feeling frustrated. The other kids in the class, were feeling frustrated, the teachers were feeling frustrated, the parents of the other kids were feeling you know, it was just awful. It was just so fine. Now, let them go on that. I did take my children, the two older girls to China. For a month, we, and we went to you know, we went into Mainland China for 20 Some days, and we were in Hong Kong and in Taiwan, and I did that on purpose, so that they would have, you know, an identification so they could feel their roots. And that was my first trip over there. And like Dennis said, in his letter

09:28 that he said, I was just so thankful that, you know, my grandparents, both mom’s parents, mom’s dad and also grandpa Lou had the foresight to leave China and to give us the opportunities that we had, you know, for being Americans. It was just, I mean, it was just unreal. I just could not have imagined myself growing up in in China. I mean, it was so awful I was and yet I could see my grandfather’s foresight, I really, I went to his grave sigh

10:00 And I went to the three buildings that he still owns in China that have been given back by the Chinese government to the families that want to take it over. And I could see what an intelligent man he was, from the, from where he picked each of the buildings, you know, in the town. I mean, what happens right there by the police station is still there. And, you know, in the busiest sections of town, so there was always rented there was always business there, you know, it wasn’t, I mean, here it is, I don’t know, 40, some 50 years, you know, from the time when he first turned

10:29 6076 or 70 years, and it still in a real going part of Canton. I mean, it was really unique to me, but still, I’m grateful for the fact that we’re, you know, we’re here, I have a question for you.

10:46 How do you feel about the Chinese culture to the traditional cultural not necessarily being passed? down the generations? How do you feel about that?

10:58 How did I feel about the culture that the fact that they are not getting the culture that you know, you guys had? And my father and mother didn’t have your parents had? Michelle and Michael will not have that part of the Chinese? Oh, well, for in the first place. They lived in China for so many years before they came over? And poor periodically, we go back there to China to visit? And how do you feel about them losing their culture? How do you feel about the fact that Tony, and Michelle and and Jenna some of these kids when I think any, anything that

11:42 you don’t get it, you’re losing? You know, I mean,

11:48 like my grandchildren,

11:50 of course, at this point, or they have no chance to going back to doing too much traveling or visiting back in China. But

11:59 eventually, when when they are a little bit older, like if they have a chance to go go back to China to visit, I think that would be a good idea. That’s very, that’s a part of learning that the younger generation should get. And not only for, for my grandchildren and in the future. Great question. But I think everybody in this world if they get a chance to they should go to other countries to visit to the only thing is Mommy, so you were not one that pushed that dad was the one that pushed us. I go right behind him. Well, yeah, but the thing is, for example, when we were not planning on going to try and what we did, in fact, was that the year the year that a mom’s 50th anniversary, no, no.

12:46 Yes, right. Okay. And dad was the one that just said, you’re gonna you’re gonna go and you’re gonna take the two kids. And I think we had Michael at that time to deploy.

12:56 Right, and they they volunteered to take care of the kids because they want to get younger workers. And they wanted to expose the kids I mean, dad wanted us if he gave us no choice he’s said I’ll go on buy the tickets you’re going to send you’re gonna go to China period. And so there was no choice in that matter. How did you feel about oh, I had first when you father brought up the idea Well, I had never thought about it. And

13:24 and yet you know, I had always listened to the you know, the stories about what happened the great wall but how he felt when he walked the Great Wall for the first time. And going back to what he had really wanted to go back to his village and and was born you know, and all these things and after he came back, it really made me kind of think about it but still as far as my wanting to spend my money to do that at that time, and that wasn’t a priority until Dad just said you’re going period and when dad says you’re going you’re going to do we did I mean, I mean he’s bought he’s bought us things and he said well you’re gonna buy this we buy it you know whether or not we’re ready to buy it or we intend to buy it you’re buying it you’re gonna do it just like you know for example, you know, like with one of the houses you know, he just said you’re gonna buy this house for me and I had to buy it. He said You know, he bought this piece of ivory and he says you’re gonna buy this Claire and so I buy it you know without saying a thing he just tells me we’re gonna do it we do it and

14:22 so but I actually want to do it not because I didn’t add I don’t think that you were you were forced is nothing tonight would have done well that’s what you want to do. Not because yet not I wouldn’t have bought any I know you want to know much about it. But those are the things that that he had black he feels that you can afford to buy and NSA a good investment. And so you buy it Yeah, you complied. Yeah. Hard because of respect. Oh, yeah. Right degree because of that. Going back to

15:00 The way you’re raising your children

15:03 and teaching them, the Chinese culture helping them to learn about the Chinese culture.

15:10 When you were speaking about that Chinese school was strictly a language school and essentially, right. And they did teach them to do a little of the writing. And maybe to read, you know, just kind of explained a little bit how the words are formed and that type of thing, but, but my kids, like I said,

15:29 didn’t do all that well in it. Well, I’m curious, excuse me rehab, curious how the children felt about

15:36 being asked to attend the Chinese school. How did you feel about? Well, no one’s really, really excited about going to piano lessons and practicing a lot. And no one’s really excited about learning a foreign language. And that means you have to do homework, right? So that’s, that’s going to turn you off right away. But it was really, really difficult because

16:01 there was nobody that we could ask help for. I mean, we could go to class and everything, but we were kind of embarrassed or shy to, to really speak up. Because we didn’t do our homework because we didn’t understand what we were writing. We just knew the these were lines on the paper, and that it goes downwards, and it doesn’t go across, like we usually do. And then she would, we would she would sit there and she goes, Okay, read the story out loud. And I would sit there. I

16:32 totally speechless, you wouldn’t know what to do, you would just kind of go well, I didn’t do my homework. And all the kids would look at you and you go, you didn’t do your homework. Yeah. So it is. But otherwise, that’s it was, it was a good experience, I guess, if you really look back on it, but at that time, it was really, really hard. Very difficult. Would you generalize

16:57 that to the other Chinese experiences that your parents expose you to or take into? Or make you a part of?

17:07 It? It’s

17:09 just something

17:12 to broaden my,

17:14 my outlook on life,

17:16 too. You know, I mean, if you want to talk about things with people like, oh, well, what do you think of?

17:24 Nuclear War, something like that? I mean, it kind of brings out more of an interest for you. When you’re having conversations with others, like

17:35 the fact that you know more about your cultural background, seeing the the Chinese movies or going to the meetings.

17:46 camping with the other kids from the meeting?

17:51 Yeah, it helps me it helps to know that, you know, there are others out there. who speak Chinese. No.

18:00 No, except for grammar. Yeah. I guess I’m the only one let’s keep up with my Chinese.

18:08 Well, I don’t like I said, you know, I’ve had to make this real effort to do this. So anytime anything oriental comes through, they have to go and see it plays, you know, right.

18:19 acrobatic groups, I made them attend in, in Honolulu, this summer, they had to go to the the puppet show, they were planning on going to several Chinese movies, you know, from dimsum, to there was a whole group of more than because they’re having their centennial or Bicentennial right over there. And I just, I look for these things to come up. And they are kind of fighting me right now. Because I’ve told them they are going to Taiwan, you know, on that exchange program for overseas Chinese. And I thought that I was gonna be able to send the two girls over at once. And that’s how come I was waiting for Debbie to get into college because you at least in all,

18:58 Mary and I didn’t get to do this. But it was right after us that all the other of my brothers and sisters went in fact we were the ones that kind of brought it up to the you know, like the one kids I think went in they in the sons No, Huang’s went and then the chance Off they go just because we kind of we kind of brought this up to them and let them know that it was available and that we had you know the ones have gone had really had a good experience, you know with it. And so I’ve already told my kids you’re gonna go well now I found out they only take one from each family each year. So now Susie’s gonna go you know, and I’m so I’m giving her a forewarning, you know, for a year or so that she’s going to be heading out there for that experience. And again, they have like Wazoo offered this

19:45 program in mainland China being you can get credit at one zoo and one of the professor’s over there as the ones doing and I will send my kids I will make that effort. I will put out that money. So they will have that experience in all of them.

19:58 Is Leonard Leonard. Are you

20:00 All together in all of these attempts to teach the Chinese culture, well, not quite as

20:09 not quite as strong as she is.

20:13 I kind of think when these kids took Chinese lessons, you know, what am I not learn much Chinese. But I know it’s tough, at least we’re associating with

20:21 kids from different professors and different families. And I thought it was a good, good way to make good friends and lasting too, and they still do business, hustler friends around.

20:31 That’s a good benefit by reading the stories, or her telling us what the stories were. We understood how they thought and how

20:43 our culture, our culture, through those stories, I, I learned the culture of our background and stuff. That was really good.

20:52 Going to China, it was really different, though.

20:56 I mean, I felt like I was a tourist, even though I was one of them, you know, I was a Chinese, just like anybody else was there. But yet, everybody was wearing white shirts and black pants and riding bicycles. And I just, I didn’t feel like I was really a part of them. Really, you know, even though I was the same. So that was but it was good. Because I, I saw the that we we were, we had a Qin dynasty. And so I was really excited about that. And

21:30 I just saw a lot of Chinese and we never on the wasn’t on the Imperial, you know, they have all those little models. Yeah, it was it was a summer palace. The other three trips at my husband, I went to mainland China.

21:47 We were one of the 300 Americans that were allowed into Mainland China in 1972, after Nixon got open up the door. And we were very, very lucky. One of the reasons was that we had been a good family, and we have five children’s that we’re leaving here, at home in Moscow, and just my husband and I went there

22:17 to be able to get there, with a little boy appreciative that they that the American government, let us go and the Chinese government lets us come in. But we had to answer many questions of what our background is, and

22:35 and if we had ever been criminals, or anything like that, which we could answer in the right way that we’ve never done anything that

22:45 was wrong, as far as we know. And then one. Another reason was that my husband’s mother was 99 years old at that time. And he hasn’t seen his mother since 1931. When he came back over here when we got married. And we get to visit with her and she was just as active as she can be. And can see very well and and can eat well and see well and hear well. But for for two years. Prior to that, though, she had kind of lost her memory at 99 years, I guess you could expect that to be about normal. And,

23:27 but right after we saw her, she passed away about three months afterwards. So it just seems to us that he she was just waiting to see my husband again, you know, before her life is

23:43 cut in. And we were really glad that that was the first time I saw my mother in law

23:51 ever since even though we have been married since 31. I

23:57 after we were married, we did not have the money to go back to visit China.

24:04 At first because we were very poor and still working the restaurant everything. And then one one, we do have enough money that we could afford to go back when the Chinese people were close to the door so we could not go back there until 1972. And then in 1978 and 1979 We went with a torch groups and in somebody somebody ate, we have a Chinese Mei Mei Li family reunion there. My sister and brother, brother in law from Hawaii and my brother and his wife from Albuquerque and

24:45 Maya and I from here, and the only one we miss is my sister Shani and her husband from Australia. The reason why they could not

24:56 join us was because

24:59 the

25:00 Australian

25:02 government had already allowed them to go with another group into Mainland China. So, but we had a very good time there with the we visited the, the hospital in, in Shanghai, because my sister and brother in law are doctors. And so we join in with them. And then we went with that with people that are in agriculture. And so we get to see that, you know, and then we, and one of the really interesting things that they want to show to the tours is the school children, a system that they work on, all the school children have, have worked one uniform. So even though a person from a poor family, they would he would be dressed as well, as a student from a rich family. I think that is a very good idea.

26:00 In all of your travels,

26:04 in particular, in China, were people aware that you were from Idaho? Yes, we want to make sure that we’re from Moscow, Idaho, and not from Russia. And

26:20 we are and they,

26:23 well, we’re more or less tours to, like,

26:27 Debbie say, you know, of course, we still will be wearing our dresses and slacks, you know, and why the others, the mainland, people wear their uniforms. But everywhere we went, we were very welcome. Because they were bringing in money, you know, for the tourists.

26:49 From the former United States or from other countries, they were very glad to, to,

26:56 to entertain us. And we were given the best

27:02 hotel rooms. And even when we crossed the border from

27:08 from

27:11 not Hong Kong, but into into the mainland. The way a search, you know, and aware you have to

27:20 one thing about it is that the woman do it with a job just as much as the man. They that for one thing, I like that, you know, because I’m being a woman, I want to be on the level with a man too. And so,

27:36 but the United States people, we have a special room that just the two of us go into and the

27:45 immigration officers just ask the tours in our private room, are they other people even from Europe, they all go through? Outside?

27:59 Big Room, you know, and we will serve hot tea and ask very nice questions, because we answered the best way we can.

28:09 We can do, we can. And when we come out, we can only we do not, we cannot bring any Chinese money back with us. So at the border, they would have little trinkets, you know, you want to spend your loose change on buy something or you can just spend all your Chinese money. When you go into China, you have to pack their money with a US currency, or to unite. That’s one thing I noticed, because we went with the Canadian group in this was even nine years ago. And we as American citizens were treated different, much better than the Canadians and anybody else related to this question you you’re very well traveled as a family or as a plan. Do you can you tell if there’s a difference between

29:03 a difference between being a Chinese and Idaho or the Chinese in Vancouver, in Canada or other places that you know, too much difference?

29:19 how other people were they act toward us? Now, we’ve always said, well, most of the time we travel

29:28 in a group, which was nice, but some of that time we traveled by ourself. Like in 1960. We stopped traveling then we we we went around the world for six months. We just closed the restaurant here because we were the only restaurant we have in Moscow at that time. And when we come back when we open our door or customers come back. In fact, some of them say oh, that’s a good time for us to try it because we didn’t have such good food and you know

30:00 So we could have all our customers back within a very short time and they were glad to, to have us come back. What are you asking? I’m wanting to Idaho being Chinese in Idaho? Three, or is different than being Chinese in Bangkok?

30:19 About Vancouver? Notice

30:23 there isn’t too much difference. You wouldn’t know if you didn’t live there. But I guess touring I tell you, I think there’s a difference in the way a tourist you know, the way you’re treated. an oriental in Europe is completely treated completely different from an American in Europe. Yeah, I think you’re taking advantage. I think it’s to your advantage. I was never spoken rudely to course luck. I say I have a completely different outlook on life anyway. But I was in Europe for five months and just traveling around your real classes living in, you know, hostile, hostile doesn’t. And I think that in lots of ways they didn’t know what I was. And because people don’t know what you are,

31:03 you know, the bad feelings that they have against Americans like in your in France, like in France, particularly is known to have bad feelings against the Americans? Well, I had no problems in France, I’d like to get back to

31:17 you never answered

31:20 is about the culture and

31:24 handed down from one generation to another? How did you react to that? And how do you feel about your nieces and nephew?

31:33 Perhaps not getting the culture traditional background that

31:38 you had?

31:40 Well, I think that like Claire’s, I think that she’s put a lot of effort into trying to get her kids has exposed as she can be. And really, I think that that probably as exposed as we were as kids.

31:53 So, you know, I didn’t, you know, I don’t see that they fucking others, you see, because there’s, there’s gonna be different. All your other needs. Oh, now see, my other nieces and nephews are Yeah, they aren’t gonna, there are gonna be different. I think that it’s if I had children, I will put the effort into keeping the culture because I think that that’s very much what makes us the way we are. I believe that better part, I think that I think that growing up, I’ve never felt like I was any different from anybody else. And I think that even though I’ve always yet I’ve known all the time, like I’ve looked at, you know, trying to remember things. And as you know, whenever you’d feel out your things, like when you’re in children, they have you know, your nationality. You know, I always feel that Chinese I mean, it didn’t even dawn on me the fact that other kids were not feeling that out. And so, and just the fact that I was and that I am that I was so sure of it, it just made me you know, so self sure assured and you know, having the traditions and having the family to back me that I had no quit qualms or when people when people would call out and make you know, comments, Susan was saying that, you know, people make comments about you, you know, whether it’s race well, I think you’re well, you know, if they’re not going to pick on my race, they’re gonna pick me because I, you know, you’re fat or you have glass, your hair’s too long, you know, you, you know, you buck teeth, you know, they’re gonna pick on you, for some reason, if that’s what they’re gonna pick on you if they’re gonna pick on you. And so, so when they picked on me culturally, you know, like they would, you know, they I’ve had, you know, kids as a child, I’ve had kids call me names, and seven year I didn’t think any differently than if they would have called a fat person fat. I mean, to me, that was just a part of them. And it’s the kids that that was it didn’t bother, you know, sure it bothers you, but it didn’t really, I just kind of brushed it off like, okay, they have problems, they’re also going to call that other kid fat, or they’re going to also call that other kid, you know, you know, a name for Whatever their reasons, and I didn’t even dawn on me the fact that mine was race oriented. You don’t worry and theirs was not. I’m curious how that Susan and Debbie Michael and Michelle feel about passing on or learning. Passing on your Chinese background the knowledge of a two year

34:14 job? Oh, I definitely will. I definitely will. But to

34:19 extend on hers, I feel that when they when they call me names, having to do with my race, it takes me more personal than if they tell me that I’m ugly. Because you are aware. I think it takes me It bothers me more because they’re insulting my whole race. They’re insulting my whole background. And what I believe in, and that’s, that’s worse to me than somebody calling me something that really is offended. You’re making a distinction, whereas Yeah, you hadn’t married yeah, see, I do not feel that I’m so secure In I knowing I’m Chinese and I know what my background is and feel so good about it, that I’m above

35:00 Have them as far as I’m concerned. It does not make any difference. I mean, they’re just, you know, what if they would insult your family though? See, that’s that’s

35:08 No, it’s a cutting apart to lose. Well, if they cut apart Well, if they insult my family, that’s one thing but but they’re not insulting. I mean, if they cut them down for it depends on what they’re cutting them down for what they’re insulting. If they’re assaulting only race, then I don’t know, you know that I would take that because then they can also say, well, your dad was a sneaky businessman, you see, that would really bother me if they said Your dad’s a sneak a sly businessman is saying, Debbie is just as offended. I mean, I can remember, you know, her telling me about this case where she had this kid right up, you know, he, he insulted her in the bus. And she just picked him up. And all of a sudden, she was lumping him against the window of the bus, what was the and, and she and all the Oriental kids, you know, that were the tennis team. And they were all trying to pull her off saying, Debbie, he was only kidding, you know, whatever, whatever. And she said, You know, there’s two things, she’s something against the wall in Hopkins, the window of the bus you do not touch on in one is more race. And the other is my family walk up.

36:18 So that was now Thanks, Mom

36:26 has been

36:28 discriminated against because of the race. See, I didn’t say this. So this is what I’m saying. When they say discrimination, I’ve always felt like I’ve been special. Because I’m Oriental. Because I’m Chinese. And I’ve always felt that all the way through school. If if, if in the classroom, they would recognize they would know me first, before they knew all their other little faces in the room, they would know my name first, they would know, you know, their expectations of me that they would know me for so I always considered a special. I always thought that I’m so special that everybody’s gonna notice me. So, to me, it’s never been a negative discrimination. It’s always been positive. And, you know, and this is my experience with it. And therefore, when kids call me names, it’s just the fact that they’re noticing that there’s something special about me about the rest of the family.

37:17 How about you, Susan? Have you ever had an experience where because you were Chinese, you were treated differently in a rather negative way?

37:31 A little bit, but not a lot.

37:35 I mean, I don’t think I could really remember me I was pretty I was

37:40 maybe in grade school or something that was a long time ago.

37:45 Not really, I just kind of brushed off. I think I hope being a

37:55 state that has so few

38:01 people in in in the towns are so small and smaller than some of the bigger schools that I think the American children accept

38:16 foreign people more readily than they do in larger cities like Spokane, although I was never

38:27 fill our place overnight, of course, I was only in, I started with a first grade when no one I came to, to Spokane, and

38:37 at that time, I don’t think any of the other children do anything to hurt me in any way. But I don’t often talk about the items.

38:52 That’s right. And that was one of the benefits of being raised in Moscow. Because, you know, of the, you know, the fact that we are university city, that’s our main, but it’s smaller than the, you know, the whole city are made up of students states that are made up of students and faculty. And you know, and I think that that is where we’ve been really lucky, in, you know, being raised in Moscow, because, you know, for example, when I first started teaching, in theory, I was probably, I feel glad that I was, you know, an oriental teaching in a small community, because I feel that for the little Vietnamese kids that came through the Koreans

39:35 and the Native Americans.

39:40 So I’m not sure if we had any

39:43 Mexican Americans, but, you know, I feel that I was the one that kind of opened the door for the East, made it easier for them to be accepted, you know, and I kind of felt well at the beginning, in my first few years of teaching, it was it wasn’t that you know, was outward

40:00 but I just kind of felt a little bit different, you know, amongst the faculty as well as you know, as maybe the way that the parents were kind of looking at me. In other words, well, she’s that way because she’s, you know, oriental type of thing. And I haven’t even been called, you know, the dragon woman, you know, the dragon lady or stuff like this, you know, but again, I, until I gained the respect, and a lot of this, a lot of the people still feel is because I’m oriental that I expect so much of their kids and, and that I, you know, demand, you know, and it’s not because I’m the way I am lots of appeal, it’s because, you know, because I’m, that’s my upbringing, you know, because I’m Oriental. Yet it’s associated with something positive. Right? It is. Now, at the time, it was a little bit difficult to, you know, my first classes were a little bit difficult. But now, I think that they, you know, they see, they expect, I guess, Orientals to be hard working, and the expectations to be great. And that we see beyond

41:00 just today, and my students know that, when I, that I’m interested in their complete, I mean, their total future, you know, from the type of people they married to what they do with their lives to

41:14 what they do for careers. And so we were, you know, some people just want to teach the subject matter, and that’s where it ends. In fact, I’ve been told that in some ways I live, work,

41:29 you know, that I get too much into the personal lives of my kids, and I keep telling these people is because, you know, I’ve had, you know, the next generation of kids I know.

41:38 And so therefore, it’s natural for me to be able to tie things in, and expectations of them, etc. And, but anyway, that’s, I feel that I think it’s a good time to ask if, if our view or to think of

41:54 the as a contribution or contributions that as the people as Chinese you you would have made to your community or to Idaho in general, what would you how would you respond to that?

42:10 Okay, I would say, probably, for most is

42:16 our strong family ties.

42:19 And our being willing to work hard.

42:24 And, at least in our family, our, our strong belief and education.

42:33 How about you?

42:37 Well, I don’t know, you can’t really contribute too much to Idaho, you know, in this age, and

42:45 I just go along with my mom, we do have very strong ties, and I feel really special being Chinese and stuff. Because you have a bonding with all the other Orientals, because you feel that,

42:59 that they share something that you have, because you they have the same background as you.

43:05 And even though you’re not really related, you feel like your cousins, or you will, or brothers or sisters or something, and you just tie in with that person really easy, and

43:19 have that relationship with him.

43:23 At the same time that you have this closely knit feeling of being Chinese or being Orientals, do you feel that as a group with such a strong feeling about being together?

43:36 Do you feel though that you are easily able to integrate

43:41 into the community?

43:45 I think, in many ways, I think that’s where we’ve been lucky to be of the race. That was really, at least and the time, of course,

43:56 to be pretty easily accepted. You know, it’s, it says that, you know, all the races haven’t had it as easily as we,

44:08 and

44:10 who didn’t get on this surgery, but I feel that because of the black movement, and everything

44:20 that it has made it easier for us as Orientals to be accepted to be accepted. And, I mean, they’re the ones that have gone through the suffering.

44:34 And we have read the, we have been able to benefit from that. And it’s, and I just

44:41 I said, I think that we’re group you know, the Oriental group has been

44:47 really easily pretty easily assimilated, as far as, as far as our culture and our foods and our style of living and, and even though you know, we can be really oriental, but

45:00 Still, when when our friends would come in, they could see, you know, us as being oriental, but they could accept some of our differences and say that, you know, it’s okay. You know, and I think I don’t know how to explain it where they haven’t. Like I said, with the Native Americans, they haven’t seen much with the maybe the Middle Easterners, you know, they haven’t with the blacks. They haven’t with

45:26 some some of the Mexican Americans as easily as it has been. I don’t know, maybe I’m just seeing it out of the jet American Japanese. What pardon? For the American Japanese, they weren’t, they didn’t have it very easy. And they had to go into concentration camps. I know. But that wasn’t Yeah, I know. But they had problems too. Or they had lots of problems. I mean, and again, I’m really just because of the times that we’re in, too. So what Marie, would you say, how was it? Well, I would say going into college. Before we go into that, let me clarify something I had heard. The Where did you go to get your college education I got from

46:09 Moscow High School, and the University of Idaho. And at that time, were you how many Chinese students? Well, I was the only Chinese student. I was the only Chinese student as far as I, I’m sure I was only a Chinese student in 1929.

46:26 I started college at 1929. And then when you graduated, in 1933, I graduated two years after I was married, because we wanted to get married at in 1931, when my husband came back

46:44 over here, and we decided, well, we were married when I was 21 years old, and on my birthday. And

46:53 I feel that Moscow and the University of Idaho and Washington state to help help our family to be what we are. And Idaho is, is a very good state to be in. And I’ve

47:10 although I we lived in my parents and I lived in Washington for six years, but really, Moscow is my home. I have been here since 1926. And I would never want to go anyplace else to live I do and Moscow have the best weather as far as I’m concerned. We’re a little bit cold in the in the wintertime, but we need that to to, to kill the germs and all that you know, and I enjoy the for the for weather that we have. And Moscow, especially

47:46 at one time, my father said, why don’t you come over to Honolulu and buy a house there? I said I would never live in Honolulu, about 31 days, about 30 days or three weeks is that just about all I can stand? Anytime I’m over there. I said I want to get back to Idaho. And that’s why we have the greens and we have the grains and we have the the the tree you know and and we have our weather and I love it.

48:21 Idaho is considered a pretty written next state. I mean, there aren’t very many

48:26 people other than white people in in Idaho and I was wondering if anybody here felt that you would be better would have been better off in a more progressive state like California or New York or not?

48:42 Yes. Okay. Well don’t print this one. Okay.

48:47 But

48:49 to be honest with you, between between wazoo and University of Idaho, maybe you want to see the rednecks. There’s a lot of over that. And, okay, as far as the business people, you know, in comparison to us, I think we’re business people. Yeah, I think Moscow

49:06 thing. You don’t you don’t you don’t say that about Washington?

49:13 Idaho, to shut that thing off? That No, no, not not. I

49:19 mean, see, it’s Pullman. Yeah, it’s busy. I just

49:23 I just, you know, after in very, very closely related to Alan’s that question is, it would seem that you all perceive you’re

49:34 kind of an ease in terms of fitting in to the community.

49:38 I would be I would be curious to know what that has essentially open for you say memberships in organization for turnout stations. Has it been open to you as easily as

49:52 well? It was not open to us at all. In my time. We were

50:00 Although we were

50:02 not able to get into hardly any association, except for the church, and the farmers,

50:12 a part of the community, we liked the four h. And, and

50:19 those things we can go into anything related with education. We were very welcomed into their their doings, but some of the fraternal and other sunless metals

50:35 they will not. They will not welcome us. How about

50:41 in your generation clear and Marian?

50:47 Well, we’ve never been really formally invited, I had a friend who was a gas station owner. And he was all dressed up pretty dirty, and came to me and says, Learn rejoining moose.

50:59 And I kind of smiled and said, No, thank you. I didn’t, I didn’t feel a moose was was something that I wanted to be. And that was the most was anything.

51:11 Raising, raising my standard, so I was just too busy, busy anyhow. So I wouldn’t

51:18 know as far as the Elks was concerned. I never seek to become a member of the Rotary, no, the lions.

51:26 Never nobody asked me and I never really looked looked forward to it. Using an oral of this organization, you need to be invited to become a member? Well, I am the lions in the Rotary.

51:42 I think you have to be invited.

51:45 And we’re running that thing. I make one count comment.

51:49 How does that make it feel? To have been able to see him? You Your family has dated a long history, and it has a long history in Moscow, in particular, and you’ve continued on

52:05 actually being very prominent part of the business community, we do contribute to different political party or friends who are doing this type of stuff. But as far as taking

52:22 as member of members of some of this organization, it seems like it hasn’t happened. And and how do you feel about that?

52:35 Because it doesn’t bother me. It does. I’m so busy with everything I do. Why these are so short that I can’t dwell on anything.

52:48 I could say something.

52:53 Because I don’t like it. I don’t want it down there. While you don’t

52:57 read it is the thing I do not want and he wouldn’t want. That’s what he said.

53:07 Well, alright, this is a very opinionated statement. I just didn’t have it not printed. Okay.

53:14 All right. Yeah. I wouldn’t, yeah. Okay. I will.

53:19 Go, would you would you desire to

53:23 be more active, say in city government or in the conduct of city and county affairs, if you

53:33 if you had an opportunity? Or would you even seek that opportunity on behalf of yourself and maybe the Asian community?

53:43 Even though I read the newspapers and keep up with what’s going on?

53:47 I have, I’ve never been able to reach a good, solid decision. I’ve always been able to see both. Both sides of the voters have their opinions. And

54:00 I’m always curious to know who wins and who loses and like to know what they would be for see yourself stepping in and

54:10 taking part No, no, no way. I see that.

54:17 Moscow has something unusual to Asian Club of mixed Chinese Japanese,

54:23 in other communities. Chinese.

54:27 What do you think about them? I think it’s been great.

54:31 To, especially for

54:36 I mean, it came in I mean, it isn’t all that old. I’m an organization and I wish it had been there. You know, when we maybe were first married. But for us and for our kids. I have really been glad that it was formed because it has given the kids a chance to make contacts probably

55:00 I just feel a little bit sorry that they haven’t been able to

55:05 take some of these friendships on farther that you know, in some of these associations.

55:12 But I think it’s been really good for the, for this community. And since and it has really opened up all of our eyes, as far as, you know, the intercultural amongst the Oriental races, I see a smile and Debbie’s face when you

55:35 want to take one take on

55:40 extensions that are well, sample, I mean, you see, LaBrecque has kids all this time, and it’s several several of meetings. And yet, and yet, you know, her son has never bothered asking you to go anyplace or whatever. And, you know, I just,

55:58 you know, or Well, the thing is, the thing is, I think, I think the thing is, is that

56:06 there’s an age difference, there’s an age difference. And there there is, he lives in a different place, and you’re embarrassing me. Oh, no, I mean, that’s just all these associations with a dairy kids, but he doesn’t, you know, it’s just you don’t sit there and, and pick out people to sit there and do no, you don’t you don’t do that. I don’t believe in it. I don’t, I don’t believe in saying okay, well, you know, he’s Chinese. So maybe we should go out and, you know, maybe it’ll lead into something, you know, I don’t I don’t believe in that. If it’s going to if it’s going to work, it’ll work. You know, if it doesn’t well, then it doesn’t you just don’t You don’t

56:44 force it. Yeah, you don’t force those types of things. You don’t sit there and say yes, you are gonna marry a Chinese because you can’t, you can’t see the future. And you know, even though you believe in that it happens.

56:57 Whether it’s in our family, or it’s in somebody else’s family, leaving it the way it is 111 step toward it already. Let’s hear something from Michelle.

57:08 We haven’t heard anything from Michelle, why don’t you describe yourself? You’re,

57:14 you’re 10 years old.

57:20 She’s 11 years old. Gosh, I lost one of the years I’ve been doing so many other things that I can keep track of all my love and grandchildren.

57:32 Plus, no more. But, you know, what more did I expect of the association? Okay. And it’s like I said, I would have hoped that it would just open you know, again, like when I have my kids go to all these different organizations, from for H to piano to whatever you know, I hope that it’s going to open up new opportunities for different types of friendships. And I was hoping for the same

57:54 was after one second.

58:01 We

00:04 clones

00:12 and the rotary and you know, some Kolomna, you know, Kuwana, some of these, you know, it is really interested. And again, maybe, maybe you, maybe your husband was asked, because he, you know, was close associates with some of

00:28 our extensive associations with non Chinese. So sometimes it’s how you get hidden. Somebody even has

00:37 actually more so than the more suddenly we’re in business. Well, I’m not sure that you were to at one time,

00:46 I’m just one, just wondering if you have to show interest and we have no interest in it. And people, you know, when they talk about their meetings, you’re not interested in listening to what they have to say, or what their groups do together, then, you know, then they’re not about to ask you, you know, they wouldn’t ask me, but I know that I could get into some groups if I wanted to, but I know

01:07 I know, in my time, you know, in 26, to whatever, they do not accept Chinese people in their organization. For one thing, of course, we’re always too busy making a living, you know, now, like I did suggest, I say, we have to work almost twice as hard as the American people would. Well, and we also save more than what the American people do. You know, like, like, like, they say, you’re supposed to pay 25% of your salary, you know, for housing, and maybe another 25% What is something? A cricket? Oh, yeah, I got a cricket. That’s my friend. You don’t count? Yeah, they bring you luck. That Clicks have been there for quite a while. But that’s all right.

02:13 Is it really just Chinese or non white is

02:17 non white? non white? Yes. That’s right. It all has to be white. Yeah, you’re either white or you colored? Or you don’t get in? Whether that should come out? I don’t think that’s you know, that’s that’s even. situation I don’t know about this Chinese history in Idaho, you know? Well, no,

02:45 they’re gonna ask that again.

02:47 Loud you can I don’t remember to me. I couldn’t 1926 We could have went and visit this lady. Why 1000

02:58 The goal is a goal Bemis Bemis.

03:02 We could have but we at that time, we didn’t know anything about it until it came out in the book, it says she was still living at the time when we came. You know, if we’d known about it, we certainly would go visit the house,

03:15 you’re saying the Idaho history books then would not have included much significant information about the Chinese.

03:26 And at one time, there was a whole gang of Chinese. Just men, all the Greensville after after the mining was done, they go Dean, you know what I mean, by gleaning, they take what’s left. And they anybody can can can get what’s left or know

03:49 what’s going on?

03:59 Well, that book is one I didn’t even get to read it until just very recently that my Claire told me about it. You know, and and I’m very much interested of course, in. In the background, there was, like I said, there was a group of men, it’s mostly men that that have been over here. They leave their wives in China. For one thing, the red tape. US government will not allow the wife to come over. Except for for businessmen. If you’re a citizen, you cannot bring your wife in here at that time. Not until 1943. I’ve been here ever since 1920. But I could not become a US citizen until 1943. Paul Buck was one of the persons that got this law change in the US government. And so as soon as we were able to join My husband and I a went to get our citizenship paper at that time. And if you’re not a citizen, of course you cannot buy land or building or anything like that. And so at that time, you have to buy it in your children’s name, because they are citizens and they are allowed to buy. And we cannot even vote all these years until after we become citizens. And this was in after 1943, about 1943. So how

05:35 did you, your family acquire property?

05:39 Through the through the name of the children?

05:43 No mom and Aunt Cora’s name. Some of them are born in Canton, so she did not have to be a naturalized citizen. So therefore, you know, she was born citizen, and then all their property was put in? Not all of it. Well, at that building here. Well, you know, what have you heard before?

06:05 To have to be in my sister’s name?

06:09 So that’s definitely

06:11 this doesn’t offend anybody. I think a lot of other Caucasians have trouble selling Korea from Chinese from Japanese. Okay. And you just mentioned a lot of things happened in 1943. But wondering, during that time, when a lot of Japanese people were being turned around? Yeah, that happened. At

06:31 a date, they did not get internet until after the Second World War. That’s

06:39 39 to 44. With that 41 to 44.

06:43 Did you feel Did you feel any pressure

06:47 at being Chinese? No, I have no, they were only the government at that time. We’re only a after the Japanese to be in turn.

06:56 Were you talking about community pressure? Or?

07:00 Oh, no, we have no pressure whatsoever?

07:05 How would people identify you as Chinese versus Japanese? I mean, you look alike.

07:11 Yes. But we can’t. We have to have passports, you know, but

07:14 if people look, you’re in business, are you saying that no one would go away? Because they thought that you’re?

07:20 Well, I think they were against any oriental, not only Chinese, or Japanese? Because? Because I’m Chinese. Well, I, they were against us, you see, when they pass us by and go to another restaurant rather than come in and cater, I mean, trade with us?

07:45 Well, again, I think that probably we didn’t get we didn’t probably suffer through this as much as maybe, you know, maybe in other areas would have. Because, you know, by that time, if you’re saying it’s 1943, we my folks had been in business for

08:00 since 1926. My father and mother had the head of Russia in 1926 case, so

08:06 they had been here for, you know, a long time. So they were very well established. And I knew that they were Chinese, but I would and the people that were coming here, you know, there might be some of the students that were coming from, you know, smaller communities that might think. But as a whole, you know, when you come to the university in the first place, you’re usually a little bit more liberal and accepting. And so in other races, I mean, even even when I was waiting on tables, you know, in the 60s, I’m, there would be occasions where you’d have people just walk by or open the door, see that it’s an oriental restaurant, even though it says, Well, of course, it said the grill Cafe, which people wouldn’t realize, yeah, it but you know, unless you read Chinese American food, and they would walk out and leave. And that’s two weeks, you know, but then you see people walk out of elephants to a restaurant, but

08:58 I knew we don’t connect that, you know, people walking out of other restaurants, you know, is because they serve Mexican food. Yeah. Well, they

09:08 did this always the other night at jolly Rogers, when we when Linda and I were sitting there, oh, you know what Frankovich is? And it’s just, I mean, they’ve ever had actually been seated and they walked out. So to me, that was not any more strange than, you know, I mean, that speaks

09:23 well, but if they walked out on a kind of you, then you feel a little bit more than then if you are not the ones that they walk out of away from. But then since second world war attitude of the American well, especially in Moscow, I think they have changed quite a bit because these soldiers you know, come back with, with other nations, marry into other I mean, other Japanese or Chinese or whatever, and then they pick can’t accept Chinese food lot more to since since the Second World War?

10:06 How about this is a related question in school in history books in particular, or in social studies books? I think I’ll ask Michael Young children how how does the your social studies or history deal with, with the Chinese? In general, the Oriental?

10:30 Oh, no different from other cultures, like Africans? You know, they tell about cultures, they tell the history, you know, so I don’t think he tells about any different Idaho history. You know, I’m talking about world history, you know, Idaho history, I think it just it it kind of tells about the old Chinese and what they did like they were more laundry people. And yeah, miners, men and gardeners,

11:03 do you feel you’re getting sufficient information? If you say you are not Chinese, and you are reading that, well, how would you feel about your doctor?

11:22 Unless you get more of a background of it like reading, was it that 1000 pieces of gold, all it is just oh, there was trainees here and they were wandering in miners, and that’s it.

11:37 But there have been there had been? Well, okay, when we were in Idaho history, we didn’t have that much in our head. But you know, they do have some additional materials out now. And I have, you know, like, for example, encouraged my kids, I think I must have gotten some of these from Priscilla, about the Chinese or the Orient know, the Chinese and Idaho I think. And so, of course, again, this is just because of me, but I’ve encouraged my kids to read, you know, I marked the stories and say, Okay, you gotta read this, you know, when you’re going to bed tonight, and you know, I, and I’m going out, and I seek these books, and I’m, I’m one of them that was really strong and wanting to bring some of the books into the library on on Asians. And when I’m making my donations, I, for example, I there’s a heritage book company out of Honolulu, and I’m, my, my donation this year, I’m going to ask them to send and get some of these, you know, consider some of these books as part of

12:41 a larger scale. More important emphasis

12:45 emphasis. Well, we are a minority, and I guess we can only have a minority part of the, you know, the history. Yeah. It probably it would be nice to know him and maybe there just isn’t that much information out? I don’t know. But

13:01 whatever information there is, I think people will get a bigger, broader background on us. Telling us, you know, telling them that, you know, where your people and we had to come over. I mean, we’re, we weren’t brought over because we were slaves or anything. But we were brought over because we wanted to make some more money, or the ancestors did.

13:38 Definitely, the the United States has the best opportunity for everybody and anybody I know, I know one thing, if a person is is healthy, and willing to work, they never have to starve, not in the United States, and also in Idaho, because we’re, we’re thinly populated here. And we are more togetherness with our neighbors. Like when somebody is hurt and cannot

14:24 gather their wheat was the neighbors would go in there and, and help out so everybody’s friendly basis. And that’s one thing I find that Idaho and especially Moscow is very good in that relationship with one, one friend to another.

14:44 How would you what do you attribute your success your family success and that extends not just from your generation, but but your daughters and possibly your grandchildren? So what what would you how would you attribute the success to?

15:03 Well, for one thing, we believe in working hard, and be being honest people in our business association or in our friendship Association. We believe in that. And also, as far as I know, the Oilers are used to being at 50 they save more than what our economics people tell us to save is a Oh 10% for the church and 25% for rent and 25% 25%, for, for food, and so on so forth. Well, we try to do everything at a min minimum. As far as our health is concerned, of course, we have to spend enough money to keep up with our health, and to eat correct food, and I’m a home economics. And so I believe in, in buying not the most expensive food and I don’t order the most expensive meal, I just want to order what is best for my health. The main thing, and I believe in working hard, like like I say, well, we don’t, we don’t have too many friends, but what few friends we have, we give our shirt for them and they would give their shirt to us too for us too. So we don’t socialize too much. But we do have some family friends that we visit with each other and have a good time with each other and mostly over the dinner table. Because that’s the only time we have really spare time is when we eat the other time we have to do our gardening like my husband like to do gardening and he would raise many Chinese vegetables and then he would go and clean it up and then deliver them to some of the students some of the faculty people and he enjoys that which is good. We believe in doing things right for us and as small as far as we can we do things right for our friends and we try to keep up with the community in their efforts like way you know who we donate to the United Way we we go to church and we donate to the church people because we think that they deserve and we enjoy it. So we enjoy our church and and our friends and our work and we gotta go we really

18:08 do we have an appointment right now we’re supposed to be at another coding session so you go ahead and finish up here all right. Are you You haven’t said anything she got her camera shot okay let’s go sorry. We have they have yes they

18:33 have success well I don’t I kind of advice would you give newer immigrants the new immigrant

18:40 I think they already got that advice from their from their own country. Most of them have that’s what we learn from our own country choose to to work hard. And to be honest. In your in your business association and be honest with your friends and have have good friends and good family.

19:08 Have you been sitting there relatively quiet? No. I’ve added No, nothing I can think of great