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TI: And so during this time, Chicago became a place where many Japanese Americans, a lot of Niseis started going from probably almost all the camps. Did you have an awareness or sense that Niseis were coming to Chicago?

KY: Yes, I became active with the Chicago Resettlers, which was an organization that worked with the people who were settling in Chicago, and there was activities for youth and I was very active in the Resettlers youth group.

TI: So tell me more about the Chicago Resettlers group. I mean, what kind of organization was it and what was its purpose?

KY: Well, the Chicago Resettlers was established when many of the people started to come out of camp they provided... it's an organization that looked for housing, employment, they had classes in English, ways in which to help the people from camp resettle in this city. And to this day it's been renamed but it's now the Japanese American Service Committee.

TI: Okay, so that was the precursor to the JSC.

KY: Right, exactly.

TI: Got it. Back then when it was called the Resettlers, besides housing and employment, did they do other things like social activities?

KY: Yes, I think so. If I would had known I would have brushed up a little bit more on it. But they had a number of activities but it was the organization that did a number... did quite a bit of work with the Resettlers to try to meet their needs and provide service.

TI: So I'm thinking that about what it must have been like. Here you must have been getting a wide cross section of the Japanese American community from all over, from the different camps and prior to that, from different parts of the country. What were your impressions of the Japanese Americans and the Japanese who were coming through Chicago at this time? Were they... what were your impressions?

KY: Well, I think... well, I met a lot of people and made some friends. I can't say that I had any really impacting impressions. It was just interesting but I didn't feel anything special.

TI: Was there a sense that the people who were coming through were going to stay in Chicago? Or was it a sense that Chicago was always just going to be this transition or temporary place for them?

KY: Well, at the time I think there were some people who I think felt this might be permanent but you also sensed there were groups of people who were here temporarily, they were eventually returning to the West Coast. And many of the people did return. I don't think that some people there were who felt that way.

TI: And in terms of housing, did the Resettlers Committee, did they recommend certain areas for where Japanese should go live?

KY: Well, as you are aware, the WRA told us that we were not to develop ethnic communities. So there were people who lived on the south side, there was an area on the south side where many of the Japanese lived. And then there were many who lived on the north side but there was not a large community of Japanese. They were all over, particularly on the north side.

TI: And so the WRA had this policy of not again I guess creating sort of a I think the term they might use is ghetto or place.

KY: Right, exactly.

TI: So what was the relationship of the WRA and the Resettlers, the Chicago Resettlers? Was there a direct connection in terms of either funding or personnel between the two organizations?

KY: You know, I don't know. I really don't know about that. But one of the things I know is that Chicago was a very welcoming city for many of the resettlers. There were many businesses and there were organizations in the city that... and the Chicago Resettlers had connections with that helped in the settlement of the Japanese here in Chicago.

TI: And what would be examples of other organizations that they were connected with that would help?

KY: Well, like they called it... I wish I had done some research on this because there were religious, social organizations, religious organizations that helped I think in enabling the resettlers to assimilate and integrate into the community and made places available.

TI: Okay, good. How about some of the other established Japanese American organizations like the JACL, were they playing an active role during this time period?

KY: I think so but see, I'm not an active JACL member. So I am sure they did but I can't state in what way.

TI: Okay, and I'm curious did very many of the, I guess, soldiers returning from Europe primarily, were they coming through Chicago also, the 442 guys and things like that?

KY: I'm sure. I have friends who were in the service and have made their homes here.

TI: There's one other Chicago organization that I've seen and I was curious about, the Nisei Vue, do you know anything about the Nisei Vue, it's sort of glossy magazine?

KY: Oh, yes, they did have one. Well, there were a number of publications, the Chicago Scene is another one I think. There were a number of publications here in the city but I can't tell you, name them for you.

TI: Yeah, I was just curious because that seemed to be kind of a Chicago thing in terms of these glossy magazines and I was just curious about that.

KY: As a community, I think Chicago has developed, they did a number of things.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.