What is papas family background and how does it contrast with mama's?

Papa's name is Wakatsuki Ko. He was born in Hiroshima-ken, on the island of Honshu. He attended a military school for four years but left it because marching drove him crazy. Papa was considered the black sheep of the family. He also had so many kids; he could not recall all their names. Mama was born in Hawaii to a sugar cane worker from Japan. She moved to Spokane Washington. When she was seventeen, she was promised to a wealthy farmer. She met Papa by a vegetable truck and eloped with his despite her family's protests.