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TI: So going back to Nebraska, so what were your degrees at Nebraska? What did you graduate with?f

EK: I graduated with a BS in pharmacy, and a master's in pharmaceutical chemistry.

TI: And so what did you do after you graduated?

EK: Went to the University of Chicago, I was accepted at the University of Chicago.

TI: And so this was into their doctorate program?

EK: Yes.

TI: And so what, what area was this in?

EK: Pharmacology.

TI: Okay, so how long were you in Chicago?

EK: Oh, I'd say about three or four years. Possibly a little bit longer, yeah, about three and a half to four years.

TI: So about the time that you were in Chicago, Chicago was a major resettlement area for Japanese Americans coming from the camps or coming from the coast. Were you aware of very many Japanese in Chicago and were you in contact with them?

EK: Well, was I aware of the Japanese, yes, I was aware there were a lot of Nihonjins, yes. But I didn't contact them, nor did they contact us. What shall I say, the Japanese groups did not contact us. I assume you mean the groups, did they contact us?

TI: Well, or whether or not you socialized, whether or not there was other Niseis that you saw, and maybe you...

EK: Just local Niseis.

TI: Local Niseis to Chicago?

EK: In the area.

TI: In the area, okay.

EK: Most of my friends were from, Caucasians. That's what sort of sets me apart a little bit from the typical Nisei because I'd always been amongst Caucasian communities. Even today, we're in our senior retirement home, and we're the only Japanese.

<End Segment 24> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.