West Side Story
How did it happen that a kid like me would work in a movie? It certainly was a million to one long shot.
I sold newspapers on the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and Hellman Avenue in Monterey Park, California. Picture this, I am standing on the corner yelling at the top of my lungs, “extra, extra read all about it,” to a flood of passing cars. It’s a wonder I never got hit by a car. Come to think of it, I did get hit once by a car.
The newspaper was the Hearld Examiner and it sold for a whole ten cents! It was a fun time. Many times, someone would drive up in their car and would give me a quarter and then say keep the change. They didn’t have time to wait because they had to go when the light turned green.
I did this job for about two years, then I got replaced by a machine! Even back then when I was only twelve, technology was making advances.
While selling these papers on the corner, I never went hungry. It was right next door to an open-air market, and it was a fruit and vegetable stand. They were on the same corner as me and I worked on the sidewalk.
The owner was named Sam and the only other person I remember is Yoshi. They were all of Japanese descent and they all were very kind people to me.
When I was done selling newspapers, I went to work for them, helping out with cleaning the market and getting it ready for the next day. They could never pay me, but I always went home with a load of fruits and vegetables. I’d be riding my bicycle with one hand used for steering and the other hand holding my shopping bag full of fruits and vegetables. This made my Mother very happy. Not only was she happy, but she started telling me which fruits and vegetables to ask for. Good memories.
Each night, I would bring home a copy of the newspaper for my parents to read. One night, my Mom was reading about signing up children to be in the movies. She asked me if I would like to try out to be in the movies. I don’t really remember what I said, but it didn’t matter because I was going.
I remember coming home from school one day to find out that I had an appointment to go and talk to them. Not sure if I was excited but I guess I was.
We had a couple of interviews; they took a bunch of pictures and head shots of me. I had hats and stuff to put on, and they would ask me to look sad, then look happy, then look angry. I came across those photographs and you know what, I look the same in all the pictures.