Domestic service

Before World War II, many newly arrived young Issei (Japanese immigrant) men and, later, Issei women worked as domestics. Wages were low -- about $1.50 per week in 1900 -- but room and board were provided, and living with an American family provided a means of quickly learning the English language and American customs. After the war, for want of better jobs, dispossessed older Issei and college-age Nisei (their American-born children) again took employment as domestics for well-to-do families.

Industry and employment (481)
Domestic service (26)

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26 items

doc Hiroshi Kusakai interview (ddr-csujad-6-16)

Oral history interview with Hiroshi Kusakai. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: SCRC_KUSAKAI_HIROSHI

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-6-16/

doc Sei Morita (ddr-csujad-8-43)

Oral history interview with Sei Morita. Information on the oral history project is found in: csuf_stp_0012A; Glossary in: csuf_stp_0014. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: FCPL Morita, Sei

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-8-43/

doc Mrs. Akiko Suda (ddr-csujad-8-66)

Oral history interview with Mrs. Akiko Suda. Information on the oral history project is found in: csuf_stp_0012A; Glossary in: csuf_stp_0014. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: FCPL Suda, Mrs Akiko

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-8-66/

doc Judge Mikio Uchiyama (ddr-csujad-8-78)

Oral history interview with Judge Mikio Uchiyama. Information on the oral history project is found in: csuf_stp_0012A; Glossary in: csuf_stp_0014. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: FCPL Uchiyama, Judge Miko

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-8-78/

img Issei woman (ddr-densho-113-52)

Yuki Takashina worked as a babysitter for the Uyeda family. In this photo she is standing in front of her home in Seattle.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-113-52/

doc Tamijiro Mori (ddr-csujad-8-93)

Oral history interview with Tamijiro Mori. Information on the oral history project is found in: csuf_stp_0012A; Glossary in: csuf_stp_0014. See this object in the California State Universities Japanese American Digitization project site: FCPL Mori, Tamajiro

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-csujad-8-93/

doc Page of Hisa Nimura Horiuchi Scrapbook (ddr-densho-325-40)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-40/

img Nisei woman (ddr-densho-325-367)

Written on front of photograph "To Hisa: Love, Clara" and on the back of the photograph "This is the front of the house I worked in. Taken Jan. 8, 1948 Hood River, Oregon"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-367/

doc Page of Hisa Nimura Horiuchi Scrapbook (ddr-densho-325-39)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-39/

doc Letter of recommendation (ddr-densho-335-26)

Mrs. Frederick Coykendall of 1 West 72nd Street writes a letter of recommendation for Agnes Rockrise. Mrs. Coykendall praises Agnes Rockrise work as her mother's companion for over a year.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-335-26/

img Caucasian woman (ddr-densho-325-331)

Mrs. Lumsden, one of Hisa's employers, poses in the snow. Written on back of photograph "Dec '47 Wrightwood Mrs. Lumsden"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-325-331/

img Portrait of a woman and children (ddr-densho-353-30)

Captioned: "A Japanese female domestic and her charges."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-353-30/

img Masa Ogawa and Sandy Sandridge (ddr-densho-420-3)

Masa Ogawa nannied for Sandy Sandridge whose mother was Gladys Sandridge, a teacher living on site at Manzanar concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-3/

img Sandy Sandridge (ddr-densho-420-2)

Masa Ogawa nannied for Sandy Sandridge whose mother was Gladys Sandridge, a teacher living on site at Manzanar concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-2/

img Masa Ogawa and Sandy Sandridge (ddr-densho-420-1)

Masa Ogawa nannied for Sandy Sandridge whose mother was Gladys Sandridge, a teacher living on site at Manzanar concentration camp.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-420-1/

doc Memoir: "The Ishikawa Family Who Came to America" (ddr-densho-468-96)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-468-96/

vh Kazue Yamamoto Interview Segment 13 (ddr-densho-1000-197-13)

Working for a family doing housework; learning rules of etiquette

This interview was conducted as part of a project to capture stories of the Japanese American community of Spokane, Washington. Densho worked in collaboration with the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-197-13/

vh Takashi Matsui Interview Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1000-45-12)

Attending the University of Washington while working as a houseboy

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-45-12/

vh Joe Yasutake Interview Segment 5 (ddr-densho-1000-136-5)

Parents' experiences as domestic help; "I was ashamed of the fact that my parents were servants."

Joseph Yasutake was interviewed together with his sister Mitsuye (Yasutake) Yamada and surviving brother, William Toshio Yasutake, in group sessions on October 8-9, 2002. He was also interviewed individually on October 9, 2002.

Before being contacted by Densho, the Yasutake …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-136-5/

vh Chizuko Norton Segment 31 (ddr-densho-1000-73-31)

Resettlement period, working as a "domestic"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-73-31/

vh Yasu Koyamatsu Momii Interview Segment 20 (ddr-densho-1000-374-20)

Leaving camp to work as a domestic

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-374-20/