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Identifier
MasataniKaye_2010_CRP
Description
Kaye Masatani described her childhood in the Salinas Chinatown during the late '30s and early 1940s. She is the daughter of a Japanese businessmen, an owner of a bar and Chinese restaurant among other small businesses, and her mother a cook at her father's restaurant. Her, as well as other Japanese kids during the post internment years, desire to show White America that the Japanese were smart and could succeed academically even with the world against them helped her earn a degree at UC Berkeley in business. Kaye began with how her family came over to America, initially to Lompoc, CA before moving to Castroville and finally Salinas. Throughout the interview she talks about her father's business, how she met her future husband, what her seven other siblings did, and sparingly about her mother. Kaye also describes the Internment Camps in great detail. She gives an idea of what a teenage girl would do to have fun in the internment camps, such as going to the movies or looking at the newest fashion catalogs. Her stories though also show the harsh reality that many families had to face. Her father was separated from his family for over 3 years and the news of one of her sisters' death did not reach the family until after the internment was over. Kaye doesn't describe the internment as a horrible time for the Japanese children, but her parents, as did many others, lost almost everything. While Kaye's information about Chinatown may not be the most full and complete picture, her thoughts on race relations is utterly eye-opening. She describes how when she was a little girl that she had a Chinese friend named Helen Lu. They were best friends, but when they came back to Chinatown Helen had to go on Soledad St. and Kaye had to walk on California St. Due to this being during World War II, race relations between the Japanese and Chinese were at a definite low point and she stated that one knew where they were supposed to be. She also noted on how few Filipinos and African Americans she saw in the community, deeming Chinatown/Japan town mainly for the Chinese and Japanese. She also notes how the Salinas community at large were overtly racist, with White school children not playing with Japanese students and her inability to find a job after graduating college, possibly because of her race. Her insights into race are of paramount importance to an understanding of the Chinatown community of Salinas.
Interview Date
11-14-2010
Interviewer
Ryan Eller
Geographic Coverage
Salinas (Calif.)
Subjects
Chinatown (Salinas, Calif.); Japanese American families; World War II--Incarceration camps; Incarceration Camps--Poston (Colorado River); Race discrimination; Cultural pluralism
Type
Moving Image
Genre
Oral histories
Digital Format
video/mp4
Language
eng
Digital Collection
Chinatown Renewal Project
Repository
Archives & Special Collections of California State University, Monterey Bay
Disclaimer
These oral histories express the personal views, memories, and opinions of the interviewee. They do not represent the policy or views of California State University, Monterey Bay.
Recommended Citation
Masatani, Kaye and California State University, Monterey Bay, "Interview with Kaye Masatani" (2010). Chinatown Renewal Project. 25.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/ohcma_chinatown/25
Rights Statement
