NARITA​,​ Masaaki

I was born in 1898 in Aichi Prefecture and came to America in 1915, to California. There were six of us children — three boys and three girls. The three girls all married. I was the second son, but I had been adopted into another family. When my older brother was killed in the war, I had to return to the Narita family. My younger brother, the third son, was also adopted out, just like me. Later, I was called over to America by my uncle who was already living here. I got married in America. My wife, who was ten years younger than I, came from Japan. She passed away in 1978. Now I live with my eldest son — he takes good care of me, so I have nothing to worry about. I have three children. In California, I washed dogs, cut their hair, and took care of them. I lived there until the war. During the war, I was put in a camp and stayed there for two and a half, maybe three years. After that, I didn’t want to stay in California anymore, so I moved to New York. Before being sent to camp, all my property was confiscated and lost, but I had kept a little cash with me. I’ve never gone back to Japan — not once. I just came here and never had the chance to return. I don’t know how Japan has changed now. This interview is part of the DMHJNY's new exhibit Issei: Portraits Of The First-Generation Japanese New Yorkers which is on view here: https://www.historyofjapaneseinny.org/issei/