Interview
LISTEN DownloadKam Wah Chung Museum Tour
LISTEN Download[00:00:00] Carolyn: I am Carolyn Meisenheimer. I’m the curator of the Kam Wah Chung Museum. Actually I have worked here 25 years as of this year I tell people the story that goes with the building. And then answer questions and just generally give them what. Let them look around and see what’s in the building. This is my 25th year of working with it.
[00:00:00] Sokhom: I am Sokhom Tauch and I’m executive director of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization in Portland Oregon.
[00:00:09] Dmae: And would you tell me a little bit what it means to be a refugee?
[00:00:14] Sokhom: I I was a refugee in 1975, came into Portland back then something August in 1975 and the tough thing is the change in culture but a shock in culture and also the language barrier that we had back in the ’75 and the job is to come up with different language skills. So we had hard time really get a real job other than picking strawberry, dishwashing at a restuarant or busboy at a restaurant. But that what my experience is and we didn’t even know how to take the bus at that time because no such thing like this organization back then.
:15 My name is Yuri Kochiyama, but when I was young, I just used Mary and my maiden name was Nakahara.
:34 I was born in San Pedro, California. I just want to say that my mother told me that every single Japanese child that was born in the harbor area. That one Japanese issei woman brought us all into the world because no Blacks, Mexicans, or Asians could have a baby in a hospital. I mean there was a lot of racism that we didn’t even know about.
RACISM. DESCRIBE LIFE BEFORE THE WAR. DID YOU FEEL AMERICAN
2:04 I think I did back then. They didn’t have the words Asian American. But our town was very much an immigrant town. Majority were Slavonian and Italian. Everybody was very nice and friendly to everyone. Helpful. I just went to a reunion and the people were still as warm and kind. I think I was lucky to grow up in San Pedro.
