TBT: Why My Grandparents’ Arranged Marriage Worked

Eighty two years ago, my Tatsui grandparents married here in the US.  Their uncles arranged the marriage, a common practice back then, and their marriage was one of the most successful I’ve seen. 

Maybe it was because they made a commitment to one another and worked through any difficulties they encountered.  Divorce was never an option.

They loved and respected one another – and it showed in their daily communication and the way they kept the family together. They survived incarceration for 3 years during WWII when Japanese Americans were interned. 

As soon as they returned from Manzanar after the war, my grandfather worked as a gardener and my grandmother ran a business of housing Japanese immigrants.  They worked hard and saved money to buy the Rose Hotel and apartment buildings in Santa Monica. 

My grandfather was like a father to me and I enjoyed discussing his legacy at our family reunion last weekend. Although both of my grandparents have passed away, their memories will live on in our family.