The Japanese-American experience in Petaluma : an interview ; April 27, 2008, with Cynthia Miyano Hayashi

I was born at Petaluma General Hospital in Petaluma in June, in the year 1947 doing 12. And where Who were you passed? My parents were Sam. My parents were Salmon Claire Ammiano. And they also lived in peddling mind Skillman Lane. And when and where was your

father Born? My father was born in Pen Grove in 1921. My mother was born in Ah, Watsonville, California in 19 0 1921 Also, my grand parents were in the home. Yano family was in a maki and also Central California went to Colorado. They were also relocated

into a machi. And that's what my parents met. Both My dad was relocated from Petaluma to a marquee. He was in the Army at the time he had joined. He was attending General T. J. C. And he was relocated into a relocation camp. And my mom,

being from Turlock and Watsonville area, Central California, also went to, uh, a maki and they met there, and I think my dad took off from Germany. But sometime while they were there in those four years, they got married. My dad was signed up, was attending Santa

Rosa J. C and and joined the army. And then Waas relocated into a machi into the relocation camp. And that's interesting Onley. While it's extra interesting because his football team help bring the family the pill in the high team to the train station, I think was

a trainer at the bus station for the family to look. Take the train to the relocation center because you couldn't bring your car right. He wanted to show that, you know, both his brother and himself. I think they both started to, I think, apply, you know,

to join the Army and then prior to fly to Pearl Harbor, right? My grand parents came. They were both indentured servants and they saved their money and they became chicken ranchers on Skillman Lane. At the time, it was very difficult. They came in early 19 hundreds,

and they were able to buy 10 acres on Skillman Lane and raise chickens. And they had my Auntie Gladys, my Uncle Jimmy, my Uncle George, my Auntie Marlene, my Auntie Lily in my dad. And all of them lived on the two story house on Skillman Link,

which looks exactly like it does today. The only difference is that there was a dirt road because we found some pictures. Damn, uh, of the house and my grand parents were very successful chicken ranchers, and we're able to provide a very good life for the whole

family. Uh, all three boys had motorcycles, and I guess those mobiles and rape with they liked high school. And my grandmother was very interesting because she was a vegetarian and she was really cut a women's libber because she brought my dad would bring her into San

Francisco on the weekend so she could see what's happening in San Francisco. And she enjoyed the music and close family very close. They were. My grandfather was a treasure for for the Sonoma County. I think it was a Japanese organization. And that's why the FBI after

Pearl Harbor. That's why the FBI came and their house was a two story house on Skillman Lane, and it has a circular dry, and the FBI came in block both driveways and FBI of the four of them came in and took my grandfather away, which was,

you know, no one was expecting it, and, you know, they just took him away for quite a few months. Um, so that was that was always big. And during that time, I think when the FBI came after than my dad did kendo for discipline with Van

will things. And so they went and buried everything out in the backfield so it would look like they were enemies against the United States. And so you're what was your grandfather's name? Uh, each if you Taro Miano and my grandmother's name is Tamino Miano. And where

were they for? They were both born in Japan, and I think your hero, FEMA and my grandfather actually came. He left his home at 13 went over to Hawaii and then from Hawaii, came to United States when he was a little bit older, and it worked

along the way from Hawaii and came here and then did he return to Japan? Your grandmother, you know, that's a good question of my car. My grandfather, I think, like my grandmother was a picture bride. I think that's what my aunt Cut said. And that's how

they met. And so she came over, Um, I think a little bit kind of near the same time after he was here for a better I can't remember. So can you explain what a picture bride? A picture bride is when you I have, um They send

a send over pictures to all the men that are working here are established and where young women want to. Also, in this case, Japan come to the United States and they have someone arrange arrange their wedding. Would they have gotten married in Japan? Are you know,

they I think they got married here. Our my grandparents got married here. No, I had come across a reference Teoh. Your grand parents living in Sebastopol is that before they bought my grand parents lived. My dad was born in Pan Growth. I think one day when

my grandparent's first came to this area, they think they lived in the Bastar Paul before they bought her property on Skillman Lee. And with the laws of the time that prevented aliens from owning property, would it have been their Children? Actually, my grandparent's property on Skillman

Lane was actually entitled the title that was under my uncle's name. My Uncle Jim. Usually it was the oldest son in the family because of the alien, um, discrimination they could not own property. So it was my kids that owned it. My dad and all my

aunties and all my uncle love Pelham. They only had fun things to say about Petaluma. They love being brought up in Petaluma, their pill. My friends remained, their friends tell they passed away when my dad passed away in November. And there friends that they went to

high school and for my aunties and for my dad and my uncles, they remain friends till the end, which is It's similar to myself because I we went away to school and came back and my actually my books. And my dad went to Wilson School. I

went to Wilson School. My kids went who who since school And there is something about Panama that is so great that you do remain friends. You have friends outside of Petaluma, of course, but we always say Europe L number presents. No, where you came from, they

still like you. And so and that was the way it was for my dad. We're think I came across a reference to your uncle's being really involved in sports. And your dad, my dad and my uncles were very involved in sports. They all played a football.

And I want my uncle Given. That's the oldest was all league football. And then my dad was all league football. He was a fullback. Uh, pill in my high school, okay? And I still have his jersey, and his block b have was a big thing. Um,

what about your aunts? For the involvement, my aunties were less involved in sports. I don't think truly girls did sports back in the forties. Eso they were less involved in sports. It was mostly my dad and my uncles, but my aunties also they still have their

senior problem dance card, which I find sort of amazing. My Auntie Lily, the youngest, did have to fill in her name in a couple places Could he wasn't asked to dance all the time, so you bring it and show it to us. But they love pillow.

My oldest aunt was born in in the United States, but it was always the tradition with a lot of Japanese families that you sent back the oldest child back to Japan to show that you either returned there for visit or you will return. So, my Auntie

Gladys, the old listen to me on a family was sent back to Japan when she was very young, and it was it was hard on her. They when she was in high school, they saved their money and they went back to get her. And I want

to say it was $5000 which was a lot, which is still a lot to go back and bring her back. And it was a very big hardship on her. She, I think, had a good life in Japan. Then she came out to Petaluma. My dad and

all my aunties and uncles were in high school or just out. And so they were kind of into, you know, there high school scene. And my auntie Gladys only spoke Japanese. And so it's it was very difficult for because she didn't feel like a part of

the family. I think it was harder. And I think you know my dad and all coaches to talk about They have a me on a flight home was a two story home, and they used to do kind of not nice things tour like they would put,

um, a bucket of with the snake in it in front of her door. She had never really seen snakes and then he'd open it and then he'd like, start screaming and then they'd run away. So it was difficult for her. But, you know, eventually it became

easier for her and she moved to San Francisco when she was still fairly young. She was, I want to say, probably after kept before relocation camps. He moved to San Francisco. My Auntie Gladys did not graduate from Pelham I because she was, uh my dad graduated

from Petaluma High and I think 1942 And though get the Pro Harbor had started not too long after that. And so my Aunt Gladys was the oldest of my grandparent's. Who I really get it. No, they passed away before I was born, my dad to tell

you the truth and did not talk about the relocation being taken away until we were probably almost in high school. The way I learned about it was someone from Germany had come to interview my parents and they kept talking about camp, and we really I thought

it was church camp because that was what I was familiar with was the Methodist Pendulum a Methodist church camp. And when we started, when they started talking about it, that was the first time I really learned that they had gone to a relocation camp. They they

really talked about it in the beginning, when we were younger, with probably more fondness. Then when they got older, when we were younger, they talked about really the marvelous things that happened. The, uh Jensen family that were close to my grand parents or my dad Walk

came into moved into the me on a home, and my grand parents and all the brothers and sisters left everything in the house, and they could only carry their suitcases when they left. And the Jansen's who was my dad's friend, Cubby End, um, moved into the

house and they just moved right in, and my dad always talked about when he came back. He had a jar of coins that used to save him. He kept it on the dresser, and when he came back to Sinjar, coins were there. And when they walked

in, then the family walked out. So they really watched over the you know, the family home for them and really the kindness of the people of Petaluma that were good, good to them when they had to leave and then help them. They were. My mom's family

was not quite as fortunate. They had to, I think, sell off a lot of their things. But the pendulum in people and the neighboring areas were very good. A lot of the teachers saved, you know, took some of their if it looked like a gun or

something that you know, they couldn't keep. I know that a lot of the teachers in the area were very good, and a lot of people were very nice. And, you know, some of the neighbors I know Mrs Kanoute's and sent blankets to the camp cause camps

were extreme. When they first went over, they were in horse stables. And then Then they went to a Macci camp after, but they to the end. My dad always talked Very lonely. Petaluma. One of my uncles was it in the poor 42nd which is a famous

Japanese, um, army battalions. And then my dad was in the hundreds. My oldest uncle, my Uncle Jim. I think it was four after, could not go in and which was good because he didn't watched out for my auntie and my grandparent's. And don't one of the

I think outstanding things that my grandmother, because she was a matriarchy, Brenda family did was in the camp. You took your food, it was cafeteria style and you took your food and you brought it back to your little hut, your little place that you live, that

Onley they had just cheats or whatever that divided up. You know where the parents lived in were, you know, very grown Children lived. My grandmother always made all the Ammiano's take the food from the cafeteria and eat it back in their own. No buildings in their

own little home. And the reasoning for that Waas, she believed like it. The family didn't eat together. Then the family would disintegrate. And you know the kids. And I don't think my younger ones, I think, like eating with their friends cause it was like a cafeteria.

But my grand parents were very stringent that the family eat together at every meal, and I always thought that was outstanding. My dad was very just like that. My grandmother passed away in the camp. My dad was overseas when he I think it was in France

or he was in Germany and it's very sad. It was a sad situation. My dad was very close to his mother and he was coming off one of the trains and he ran into a friend and they said, Old Sam, you know, we're so sorry to

hear about your mother and he said, You know, Oh, you know why And they said over, he had passed away and so he was able to He found out that way, and he would talk about that quite a bit. And that was in 1945 wary not

too long before they were released, right? My grandmother died in 1945 not too long before they were released, and it was very hard on my on the whole family. My grandfather was, um, came back to Petaluma, uh, for a short time, and then he passed away.

But it was very hard on the whole family that my grandmother had passed away there, and it was hard on my grandparent's actually to be there, because Japanese tend to be very private and in the camps. My dad talked about, But there were rows of latrines

that would oflife at the same time. That was, you know, So my oldest, second oldest anti Marlene would talk about. She would always use, like, the showers and the bathrooms, like, really early in the morning or real late at night, because she was somewhat modest. But

it was. It was it was difficult. Now what kind of, um, I think in the aural the DVD that you let me your anti Marlene was talking about being a chauffeur in the camp. That was her job. She was a driver. They have different jobs in

the in the relocation camps. Everybody had a different job. I know. I think it was that if you get charcoal, think that was one of the higher paying jobs my Auntie Marlene drove was a chauffeur, and everybody had a different job in the camp. It was,

um you know, date. I don't think they were. They were paid very modestly. Think the highest paying one, I think my dad said, was like $19 a month. So if they weren't paid that much in the other part that my dad always talked about was because

we have pictures. Um, which was very interesting that day. I don't know how they got pictures taken, but they my dad would always talk about that. It was supposed to be for their protection that they were in these camps. Um, but when they took the pictures

of the chaos, all the people that had guns and all the wire, the barbed wires were all facing in and the guns were sort of facing in. And my dad always thought that was sort of ironic, because if you were supposed to be protected against and

maybe the gun should be facing out When the families were released from the relocation camps, it was a difficult time because for the me on a family, they didn't. They knew that their house was still here. Um, but they didn't know really how the community was

going to or what it was going to be like to be traveling back to California. All of Ammiano's wanted to come back. They knew they wanted to come back. California. Originally, when my dad and mom were released from a machi, they went into Colorado to Boulder,

and they worked at the college, and they saved their money and which my both dad and mom loved. Our youngest son, Cory, went to Boulder. So when we takes a village to raise a child, when we brought our sudden for his freshman year, my dad and

mom went with us to show him where they worked on the college campus. So they worked at Boulder, and then they worked in Napa for a family named Mr Mrs Gasser who are very well known in Napa. And Mrs Gasses was very kind to my family,

to my dad and mom and actually wanted them to stay. But my dad really wanted to be a kick in rancher because that's what his head waas, and he wanted to move back to Petaluma. So consequently, my dad and mom bought five acres on Skillman, about

100 yards from his parents place and the college. When my dad and mom worked there. I think my dad get mostly, like maintenance and my mom, she never said what she did. I don't know if she did clerical because I think she did clerical in the

camps, and I think maybe I think my mom did some type of clerical work but they were much more accepting in what seemed. It seemed like in Boulder and at the college to come work then at other places where they were going. Because when my auntie

Marlene Waas 1st 1 to leave the camp and she will talk about when she had take the bus here wasn't a great situation for her, and people were not very kind to her. My Auntie Marlene got married right before she left the camp to my Uncle

George, who comes over every Sunday for dinner yet and he's 90 91 now. And they lived in Marysville and then, eventually from marries Well, they moved back to Petaluma and my Uncle George, who was the second oldest he and he lived on. I think back on

the family ranch for my Auntie Lilies, who's the youngest and it is still alive and really a marvelously funny person lived at the pendulum a home entail, maybe the end of the middle of the fifties. Then she moved to San Francisco, and my aunt, my Aunt

Gladys, moved when she came out of relocation camp. She was already married and, um, had one child and had moved back to San Francisco, where she and her husband, Uncle Roy, lived and had a home or bottle. My Aunt Gladys, who's the oldest Miano, was married

before she she went into camp. The home alarm in Lane is my Uncle George Masada and my Auntie Marlins home, and my Uncle George was a contractor in Petaluma, and he built actually quite a few homes, out out, Larry lying areas of Telemann inside. It was

a very good contract. He built our home when my dad and mom and Ammiano family moved back to Petaluma. They didn't ever talk about any discrimination that they felt, um, if they did, they never talked about it. The chicken ranchers were chicken ranchers there. They had

a good relationship at the time. With, um, my parents always kept in highest, demand me on a family. I was kept in high esteem of the Jewish population in Petaluma and they outlining areas to savor also in chicken ranching. And I know that you know, my

dad always talked fondly about the Jewish population of this area because they were chicken ranchers, but they never really talked about discrimination other than you know, When we went to build this house. There was a time when I didn't think quite dead, you know, Bill the

house up here or belong to the ball here. I learned about the relocation camps and more about Marty and the things that my grandparents and parents went through when probably and but ninth grade, Um, we are Sonoma County, J. C. L does the GT or a

history project, which was started by 10 years ago. And we received funding from the California civil liberties we get to grants and also the Sonoma County Historical Museum. We went there and they gave us a grand and what that is what giddy means in Japanese, which

is G I. R kitty Means is going forward. But looking back and what the we're excited to do was to thank all the people, the community members in our forefathers, for all the kindness they showed us to make us who we are today and for Children

to remember that things were different and we wanted to document it at the time when we started. There are only four e se birth generations in Sonoma County. Now I think we only have one that and even the Nissay, which my dad was born here. They

theatric ages, probably in the eighties. So we wanted to thoroughly document would have happened in the kindness that other people had shown them in the community, the Japanese community, what they had to endure. So it was always an inter relationship that the Japanese had with the

community. But intra, because the community had to really stick together to get through the hard times and, um, to probably persevere where they are. They wanted us to be all American and, you know, get an education, all of that. So I think all in all it

was it was it was very enlightening to see what my parents had to go through here to raise this. If there was a downside, it was. And I I think this is true for a lot of Japanese American, third and pork generations is that they wanted

us to acculturated so into the community. I think a lot of us didn't have any heritage about some of the things like speaking Japanese or some of the traditions that I think maybe they for our family, they weren't as giving because they wanted us to be

writing that you know, American Pot and just put Iran Japanese tradition, I think, is stronger in my Children in some ways because it's more freely talked about things that had happened in the past. But they really see no reason, I think, to even have been a

lot of ways. The Japanese American citizen Lee. I know our Sonoma County. We have less of the younger people, the fourth and fifth generation, because they really don't see a need. I think for quite a much they don't see it as a civil civil rights leak.

Also. So you know, I I think in some ways they see less but probably are more interested in a lot of ways than what we were a different way, just in a different way. I grew up in Petaluma once killing Lane and went to Wilson School,

where my Children also went, and I enjoyed growing up in Petaluma. We used to be able to write our horses down the middle of Kentucky Street. No, we used to be able to ride our horses and actually time to the meters and running and get doughnuts.

My girlfriend and bird and I used to be able to do that. So it was a great place to be able to be brought up in. We participated in. I know there's 100 50.5 centennial. We were able to participate in the centennial when, uh and that

was excellent. My dad, really, I think, wanted us to be brought up in Pelham. Others a sheltering thing and a security That being brought up here was it was it was a good thing I felt always really comfortable. I got be in active in school, so

that was a good thing. And there weren't very many Japanese, probably in our school, which was, you know, fine. I didn't think about it that much, to tell you the truth, But I did love Petaluma. I went away to school to college. You're Japanese, American, You

don't have, you know that you go on at least two graduate school. And but when it came time to, I raised my Children. I was I got married and I wanted to raise my Children back in Petaluma. My panel, my friends similar to my dad, are

very treasure to me. When I was growing up, the ranch was still operating my grandparent's ranch. My grandfather and grandmother had passed away, but my Uncle Jimmy and 19 and anti lowly lived on the ranch, and it operated as a chicken ran. We eventually bought it,

and that's where we raised our Children. Um, and my parents also had chickens and so being brought. When we were young, we had chores and chicken ranching. And, um, when are junior high? There was an earthquake back in this sixties, Um, and our junior high was

was give break, but we could no longer go there. So we went to Ken Awards. But which was good if you were if your parents were chicken ranchers because you went from one in the afternoon, have six at night. So then you could do chickens in

the morning, which was not that great for us. But I have. I have one brother, Stephen, who also who went pill in the high, and my sister Sandy, that was older than me that went to Petaluma hide. My sister passed away with cancer. She was very,

she was very physically fit, and he had just finished the marathon and learned that he had colon cancer not too long after that. And she passed away about seven years ago. My brother Steven, who was very active in high school in junior high, uh, still has

Petaluma friends, and he is a golf coach and a biology and chemistry teacher in, uh, this San Jose area Los Altos School. But we're still close. They still come down to Petaluma, and so we're actually still really close. My dad always said, You treat your family

like your best friends, and so he kind of always instilled that. So the Miano family, it's very close. I mean, we kind of are best friends in some way because we really do have strong relationships. And my brother and I and my sister in law and

my husband and my nephews air like would like my Children. My husband, Mark, is from San Lorenza. We met in college. He was a couple years older than me. And to tell you the truth, he was maybe like, second happened to be the second Japanese American

person I dated. Um, I don't know why. I just I never knew any before. Maybe I did date a couple of one under, but, uh we met in college, and we became really kind of like best friends. We locked a lot. My roommates happened to be

from. Two of them were from Petaluma, and so they got along well with him until we all kind of had been together. I did graduate school at ST Mary's and, um, went to a bit of law school down south and then undergraduates. That sounds a university,

and that's why I met more. Okay, my husband, Mark, really knew my sister first, and he really liked her a lot, and he always thought a pendulum look kind of like not a hick town, but a small town. But he was a good sport, and he

knew that it meant more to me to live in Petaluma We when we got married, we lived in San Francisco, and I had gone on to graduate school at San Jose at that time, and then we moved to Mill Valley than Southern California. He works for

Chevron Oil Company, and Mark was spectacular because everything was still married after 38 years is that he worked all night, 12 at night till eight in the morning and worked his way through school, and then when he graduated from college, he went into the drove truck

for Chevron. Then he went into 25 Bush in San Francisco and stayed there for 40 seven years. You retired. They've been good to us. Penley's change. We can take our horse down Kentucky Street anymore. We used to be a ble to have the at sharing. Even

when my Children went to school, they were able to bring large animals to school and and the cows usedto walk into our classroom at Wilson School. So I think that came a lot. Uh, my dad used to say paella had changed in that we used to

be able to go downtown and know everybody and be able to say Load everybody. I think it's still similar to that. It's just gotten larger. One of the things that I think is maybe not for the best, but a lot of the hometown stores I have

closed up, and I think Meridor's was one of the original. His Dennis's mom and I worked together when I was in high school. I'm afraid it's Mom, but we don't have it. Seems like we still have Rexall Rex hardware, but we don't seem to have as

many hometown stores as before. And you know, you can't stop. Uh, you can. You can't stop. Change. It's a good thing, you know, And our mayor, uh, I help teach a little bit. And her dad and I grew up together, so I think Panelists changing. But

it's always for good. You can't stop it. Something like a dinosaur. See? Only good. Dad, I have two boys or we have two boys. They had gone to Wilson School where my dad went. Where I went, my boys went, I went on the school board, and

it was, and they were very active in school. Indian school activities in a SP and in sport. And they originally I think there's a pell omitting where you want the For those of you who want to say you're gonna leave as far, Congar. Oh, they both

went away to college. Uh, when went as far as he could from California pellet. Imo, which was in San Diego, went to college, and the other one, the younger one, went to Boulder, Colorado, where my mom and dad, you know, had worked, and then Hawaii and

then Doctor Dr Auriol in Indiana. But I think when it came down to it, they wanted to come back when my dad became ill with cancer. Um, my our oldest son, Matthew, moved in with him first to help take care of him. And then our youngest

son came back. So it was very good, and I think that part of it was they wanted to come back to be with the family. But also, you know, I we had four three deaths in a kind of in a fast time. Mike sister passed away

with cancer. We lost my nephew, my brother Stevens, send when he was 21 today of its graduation. He was killed in a car accident. And then my mom passed away with ls about four years ago. So we had a lot of things happen. And I think

for us as more things happen more the Children, you know, I wanted to come back to be with the family, and we love that they're back. I mean, you know, our our thing was always Paloma gives you a good sense of security and developed your values

and your integrity. And then you feel safe to go out anywhere in the world. And both boys have traveled extensively. Um, the younger was it in South America for a couple years in Australia? But I think that's because of the upbringing, that safe nous of having

a family that supports you and a town in a community that you feel safe and you develop friends. And, you know, you could go places all, though, when they started getting sort of thinking they were bigger than the bridges are bigger than what their head really

should've thought. Paloma was also good, because if you get in trouble in Petaluma, someone finds out and they always told their parents, so that was always great. And the other great thing about Pelham Awas, because we lived out in the country, I when we were growing

up, we had We used to have to always pull grass because if we ever said we were bored because we could never watch TV during the day. My kids, I think for them I always made them go out into the field and a shovel. Sheep, extreme

INTs she do, and it always brought him back to their senses, and I think that's another really great thing about, so that was good