Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Kay Aiko Abe Interview
Narrator: Kay Aiko Abe
Interviewer: Shin Yu Pai, Tom Ikeda
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: December 2, 2008
Densho ID: denshovh-akay-01-0018

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TI: So Kay, for all this work, you were awarded the Jeffersonian Award.

KA: Too many awards. I got the mayor's, I got the JACL, I said, "I don't want any." Because the Bible says if I get it here, I won't get it up in heaven. [Laughs] I had no choice. And Evening Magazine.

TI: Well, so let me ask you, so you get a lot of awards, what, of all the things that you've received, what's the most meaningful to you?

KA: Meaningful?

TI: Meaningful. Whether it's an award or maybe someone, maybe somebody said something to you?

KA: Yes.

SP: Or a thank you letter?

KA: Oh, (yes). I brought the letters from the homeless.

TI: So describe, so letters from the people you served.

KA: Yes. One fellow sent (a) card with a picture of a cat, he said he's been eating at our table for a couple years or something, and he said now he's able to feed himself. And he says he can't believe that I've been doing it for, he thought it was just for a couple of years, but he found out it was for thirteen years or something at that time. And he said, "I am enclosing five dollars for your next spending spree." [Laughs] I thought, "Oh, that's like a million dollars coming from a former homeless." And I remember one Jewish man who came to eat, he was staying at the Y with his teenage son. And he told me, he says, "You know, I'm a Jew," but he says, "What you're doing means more by your action," or something, and he wanted a plate for his son. He said, "My son is too embarrassed to come, and so if you could make a plate for me." And he finally got a job working at a newspaper. 'Cause he came back to thank me, just to thank me. He said "I got a job, and I can take care of my family now." And I thought, "Oh, thank the Lord." These stories really blessed me and make it all worthwhile. And there's one fellow who wrote, it was really something. He said, "Thank you all, not only for food and drink, but for love," he said something like, "When you look us in the eye while others look away," it makes him feel like a person. And oh, another one was, "There's three of us," and it's written like a real big, you know, like a childish hand, "there's three of us who wants to thank you for feeding us," or something, and they signed their first names. And I thought that was so precious. But they're so appreciative and so thankful, that I always tell them, "I want you to thank the Lord because He's the one that enables us to be here." Truly, that's true. In my old age. [Laughs] I was so shocked when I was reading the Bible one night, right before my eightieth birthday, and it said, in 2nd Samuel 19, King David was asking this fellow by the name of Brazilia to go with him. And it said he just turned eighty, a very old man. I thought, "Oh, God, you're saying I'm a very old lady." [Laughs] And he says, "I'm sorry, but you give your favor to somebody else because I'm an old man, and I have to prepare to die to be buried in my parents', where they're buried." And I thought, "Oh, Lord, I'm not ready yet." So God has been truly faithful. And I don't think I've missed hardly a night, regardless of weather. But anyway, I just feel so privileged to be able to do this for the Lord, because He's done so much for us.

SP: Well, we're so grateful for all your stories.

KA: Hmm?

SP: We're so grateful for all your stories, and I just want to thank you so much for coming and talking to us today.

KA: Oh, thank you.

SP: Is there anything else we didn't talk about that you'd like to share?

KA: No. I think I've received a lot of blessing from having had those four foster children. To this day, they write to me the most beautiful letters and cards, and they're now in their sixties. [Laughs] Can you believe that? Sixty-two, sixty-one, you know. And they were gonna -- in fact, Sally, the second daughter's son was the New York Times, one of the bestsellers. The Rule of Four, and he made millions, and he came to visit us, too. And he had a reading (at) Lake Forest Park or someplace, and they were invited. Sally and Ann were going to come -- they live in Boston and Virginia, but their mother is very ill now, and she said Ann, the oldest one, is looking after the mother. And Sally used to be the head of the military high school curriculum, and her husband was, she married a man in the embassy, they were stationed in Spain, but he's retired now. And after his retirement, she took a job with the Peace Corps administrating something to do with education. So it's been such a blessing, you know, that God has been so good to us, and they love us so much. In fact, Sally said now that she has lost her own father, she's never had much to do, but he died, she said, "Art has become our father now." [Laughs] So it's been a real blessing that we've been able to... but anyway, thank you so much.

SP: Thank you.

TI: Thank you.

<End Segment 18> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.