Interviews with Japanese in Utah: Grace Oshita

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OHI Grace Oshita 5-30-85 s2:30 remember - it was so arid anyway.It was clay, hard soil. We had alittle pond. Somewhere. In the winter, I remember freezing over. And among the things we had stored in the government storage, my pair of ice skates. And so we used to go ice skating in the pond. I remember that. LK Didyou make - did you meet any boyfriends? Youwere a teenage girl. GO Well many many girls - you know, fellows found their mates there, I'm sure. Let's see I was raised more the tradition of the Japanese way. Especially being raised by a grandmother and then being an only child, I didn't go out as a group. I didn't have a brother whose friends would say, come on, kid sister, let's go. So, I was rot one of those popular girls of the community. I'm sure that many Niseis would be - couldbe categorized into Japanesie--and more American you know. [laughs] Those who were popular went to alot of dances. And -went to the - school football games. Whereas, I wasnore an individual, lonely person.In that, I never went to aschool game becuase I had to go to Japanese language class later. And, I had to take my - I got o my music lesson following the Japanese class before I went home for dinner. And - I think my life ~s well existed around my Japanese cultural lessons, and my buddhist church which was almost - well completely Japanese at the time.There weren't any Caucsion members. Ah. So, I was one of the girls classified as Japanese-"Japanesee" LK At the time, you~re classified that way. GO That's right. And - if you will read - ------------ Ichita's diary,