<Begin Segment 74>

JA: And you've also been involved with the Bellevue Historical Society?

MH: Yes. I'm very happy to help them when I can. They came up and asked me, "Mitzie, please come in and help us." I said, "What happened, Virginia?" She says, "I need help with the Japanese section of the book and everything else," and I said, "Well, I guess I can handle that maybe in my busy schedule." So I've been very fortunate that I got the health that I can help them, and I have a board meeting once a month with them. And I volunteer at the Winters House once a month I do that, and so I go down there and help them every time they need me. And I'm their membership chairman now so we're going full speed ahead with them. And I hope to help Alice Ito with their legacy, too. I volunteered with her yesterday so we'll start working on that now, too, yes.

JA: Yes. And both of these organizations are predominantly non-Nikkei, correct?

MH: Yes, that's right.

JA: But you've continued to get out into the broader community.

MH: As much as I can.

JA: And you've also been involved with the Overlake Hospital.

MH: Yes, (Childrens) Orthopedic Hospital, yes. I've been a member of that hosp-, that organization for about twenty-five years now, as a Japanese group in Seattle. Aiku Guild, they call it. I have been a member of that and I used to help them when we used to have... we had to make money to keep it going and things like that, so during those days we all went and worked hard, but now we don't have to. Now we do the easy way. Just pay our membership due and anything else we can do that way and sell calendars and those are easier projects that we got now. But I enjoy helping them, too.

JA: And you've continued your membership in the Japanese American Citizens League.

MH: Yes, both of them.

JA: Seattle and Lake Washington chapters.

MH: Yes. I would like to support both of them, because they both mean an awful lot to me. Yes, they do. And I want them all to survive.

JA: And now to further that, you've been a, often a volunteer at their events.

MH: Yes.

JA: I'm sure they're very grateful.

MH: Hope I can, yes, as much as I can.

JA: In general, you've been a very active community volunteer.

MH: I'm fortunate my health is holding up so I can do that. Yes, I love to do it, too.

JA: So in recognition of this, in 1997, the Best of Bellevue awarded you the Community Bridge Builder Award.

MH: Yes, that's right.

JA: Because you've been, played an active role in bridging cultures together.

MH: That's what they claim. [Laughs]

JA: I think your history of actions bears that out.

MH: Thank you.

<End Segment 74> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.