ɔːlðˈoʊ hɜː fˈɑːðɚ wʌzɐ sˈɛkənd dʒˌɛnɚɹˈeɪʃən dʒˌæpənˈiːz ɐmˈɛɹɪkən, sˈɜːvd ɪnðə fˈeɪmd fˈoːɹhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi sˈɛkənd ɹˌɛdʒɪmˈɛntəl kˈɑːmbæt tˈiːm ʌvðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. ˈɑːɹmi, ðɪ ˈɔːldʒˌæpənˈiːz ɐmˈɛɹɪkən jˈuːnɪt ðæt fˈɔːt ɪn jˈʊɹɹəp dˈʊɹɹɪŋ wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː, ænd ɐn ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹ æt bˈoʊɪŋ, ɹˈeɪʃəl kˈʌvɛnənts ɪn siːˈæɾəl ʌvðə tˈaɪm pɹɪvˈɛntᵻd hˌɪm fɹʌm bˈaɪɪŋ ɐ hˈaʊs fɔːɹ hɪz fˈæmɪli.
Although her father was a second generation Japanese American, served in the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the U.S. Army, the all-Japanese American unit that fought in Europe during World War II, and an engineer at Boeing, racial covenants in Seattle of the time prevented him from buying a house for his family.