Licensing

Roy Sakamoto

My first name, Roy, and why I was given it has always been a mystery to me.  Why my Issei parents would choose a name they could not pronounce was the first mystery – during my primary school days, my teachers thought my name was “Loy” at first.  My uncle also assumed the name “Roy” when he came to America – were we more closely related than my mother let on?

Like many Nisei, I was never called Roy growing up.  At home, I was Yoshio.  At school, I was called “Sack” until college – my brothers were also called “Sack”.  My father was usually called “Baka”.  Only teachers called me Roy.  Today I am still called Roy plus variations of “Baka” at home.