<Begin Segment 19>

MN: So after you graduated from high school, what did you do?

YY: I went to a beauty school. I went to school.

MN: Was this in the Royal Oak High School area?

YY: No, it was downtown Detroit. I took a bus.

MN: Were you the only Japanese American?

YY: Yes.

MN: Were you able to make friends in Detroit?

YY: Just the classroom, 'cause I didn't see anybody outside of class.

MN: Did you live in Detroit away from the Takahashis?

YY: No, I was with the Royal Oak, because I couldn't afford to get my own place, just got out of high school.

MN: Why did you choose to go to beauty school?

YY: I don't know. I thought that was the easiest thing to do. I used to like to fuss with hair, so I thought, well, I'll try that.

MN: How many months did...

YY: Probably a year, I think. And then you graduate, and then you start looking for a job in a beauty shop.

MN: So once you graduated from beauty school, where did you work?

YY: Oh, well, some beauty shop, get hired and do permanents. They had manicuring, too, so I was good at that. So this man used to come, a man's shop, and he wanted to hire me because he wanted me to manicure for the men. They'll probably give you more tips, too. I said no. So I worked there about a year and then I came back to California. Then I would have to make up six hundred hours more, so I decided not to do that anymore, and went into other things.

MN: That's the six hundred hours more of the, to get a California license?

YY: Right.

MN: Now, you know, when you were working in the beauty shop, this is, temporarily they called you Judy, right?

YY: Yeah.

MN: Where did you get the name Judy?

YY: They just adopted, they just called me Judy. I don't know why. They were all mostly Jewish people, not very generous with their tips. [Laughs] That's why I thought I should have worked in the men's place because they tip you big. But I didn't like the idea of holding their hand and doing their nails, so I said no.

MN: And I guess you didn't stick with the name Judy.

YY: No, no, they just called me at the shop. I guess it was easier for them to call me Judy.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.