<Begin Segment 14>

AI: So what kinds of thinking do you and Iwao have as far as trying to leave camp?

MH: Well, of course, that was taken out (of our hands) when the (national) YMCA made it possible for us, so we didn't have quite the struggle that other people had. Fortunately for us, we had a contact on the outside world.

AI: Tell me more about that. About the contacts.

MH: The fact that I could go back to this Chicago family that I lived with, and friends that I made back there. So I had lots of contacts, you see, and who was rooting for us. But a lot of people had absolutely no contact with the outside world, and that's where the Quaker group, American Friends Field Service stepped in and helped make the contact, make a person-to-person contact. Have a family invite the family into their homes to help them lodge or to help the young people get established in these colleges. (...) The area of the national Student Relocation Program is another chapter. The Big Ten would not accept any (new students) except the University of Nebraska. At that meeting, Mother Rodeheaver, with whom I stayed with in Chicago, was a member (...) of this committee (of) outstanding educators. (They) got together to analyze this (situation). They called upon all the small colleges, denominational colleges like Albion (and) Illinois, Wesleyan. You know, small colleges that were started by various denominations (...) and accepted several students, which helped (greatly). (...) The man (who) was selected to be the chairman of this committee was the president of Swarthmore College (...). And Mother Rodeheaver was part of this committee. So about five or six thousand students got out of camp and, to attend, continue their (education), some of them on scholarships, some of them on various circumstances. And that was a tremendous help and a boost. So young people kept applying, and it was very fascinating at that time. (...)

AI: Well, tell me now about how you and Iwao did end up making your contacts and deciding where to go and how you were able to get permission to get out of camp.

MH: Well, as I say, the Y created the job (for) him (...) at the national headquarters. At that time they were just starting the United Fundraising, so he got in on the ground floor of that national program in Chicago, and then I did my work with the American Friends Field Service as a social worker at the Laird Community House, which is on the north side of Chicago, working in the middle of the Polish district. (It) was (...) a Polish community there. You didn't even have to speak English. You could get along with all the tradespeople, (...) speaking Polish, but it was a wonderful experience. (...) Iwao was called by Mr. Mattox (of) Madison, through a mutual friend, Bill Mimbu, the lawyer, and had told him that Mr. Mattox needed a experienced accountant. And his accountants were being picked up by the army and whatnot. So Bill told him, "There's one down in Chicago," so he gave him a call. Iwao came up for the interview and got the job right away with the (Mr.) Ronald Mattox and Associates, and he (has been) with them all these years. And several years later he became one of the partners and (...) it was a wonderful experience, highly professional accounting firm that dealt with large firms. Iwao would have never had that kind of experience in Seattle working with companies like Rayovac and Ohio Chemical and (others). (...)

AI: Well, so you and Iwao stayed in Chicago only a short time, then.

MH: Yes, very short.

AI: From about March of 1943?

MH: He didn't stay more than a month. (...) We came out, I think, in March (...). I stayed on 'til September and got through the summer program for the community house, because that was very important.

AI: Tell me a little bit more about that summer program when you worked there.

MH: Well, you know what social workers are in the middle of an ethnic minority group. We had camp experiences, day outings, and all kinds of classes. And we lived up in the upper floor and so it was a wonderful experience. We got to know the Polish community. We could go to the butcher shop and the man would say how meat was rationed. But knowing that we were connected with the (community) they would offer us things that were not -- [laughs] -- easily available. I mean, that kind of treatment. And in fact, they observed all the Polish holidays with parades and celebration, street dancing and all that. So it was an interesting experience for me.

AI: I was... I was wondering if some of the Polish immigrants had a strange reaction to you, because here you were, you were the social worker with the American Friends, and you were an American citizen, of course, but with a Japanese face.

MH: Yes.

AI: I was wondering what kind of reactions you got.

MH: I can't remember... as I say, I've had very, very little discriminatory experiences. I really can't remember.

AI: Well, would you say --

MH: And then for me to take a group of kids, about twenty kids, and they were all tagged, and here I come up with an oriental face. They'll look at me, but... [laughs]

AI: So people may have been surprised at first, but --

MH: They may have been, but I guess once they know who I was and what I was doing, I guess they accepted me. (...) I just can't recall any experiences of that kind. (...) I feel real fortunate.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.