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TI: Well, so I was going to ask, so when the World's Fair opened, I'm guessing that the opening days, they were more reserved for like the VIPs, and I was just curious, so describe that. What were you doing in those early days?

CH: Well, they made us wear kimonos. And I happened to have a kimono that my mother... in those days, the Isseis still have that feeling like they have to have a kimono for, I mean, for occasional... when my cousin got married, she wanted us to wear kimonos. I was an attendant, and I had a picture of that. It was the first time I'd ever worn a kimono, they tighten it so hard I could hardly breathe. And then my mother also had a small children's, and she was born and it was too big for her at that time, but still it was a kimono for a child to have. It's just something to keep in your trunk, really. [Laughs]

TI: So you were wearing your mother's kimono?

CH: It's my own, but my mother gave it to me. And it was one of the formal kind that had the longer sleeve, not the short one. In Japanese, that's what I understand, was long sleeves was very formal.

TI: But this was something special to wear on the opening?

CH: Yeah. And so on opening day I wore it, and it just blend in. I have a picture of the opening day, opening with some of the bosses.

TI: And then talk about the audience, or the people who came through the pavilion? Who were they?

CH: All kinds of people. People from all classes. I never asked them what they do or anything, so I have no idea. But I was there just to explain what was going on. So when it came to a question and answer period, mostly they asked questions about what was going on. "What are the girls doing?" "How did they get the cocoons?" "Where do they come from?" It's the same questions over and over, so from that, I made a little speech, and that's what I was explaining, that this machine is... they first want to know where the cocoons, how do the cocoons get there? Well, all right, the tree has, the bugs, they eat the leaves, and they're spinning a web for their, to live in. But they eventually die in there, so that's... well, when they do get out, that means they cut the thread, and that cocoon is not very good, they don't use those. But cocoons that are, where the worm is dead inside, well, that's what they use for our silk thread. And to get that thread out to make it, they have to put it in water first, the hot water, and then they put it all into this machine. The machine, you have to get to the thread first, and this is what the girls are doing, trying to get the thread onto the reel, and the reel suspends and takes the...

TI: Unwinds the...

CH: Unwinds the thread, and it just continues on.

TI: Now, when you explain this to the people who come through the pavilion, were they ever surprised or confused with your English? I mean, here you are...

CH: Well, that's another thing. There are some that will say, "Well, are you from Japan?" And I said, "No. I've been born and raised in America." And then they wanted to know, well, they wanted to know what college I graduated or something like that. But other than that, I just tell them, no, I was born in this country.

TI: And did you ever, did people... what do you think? How did they perceive Japanese Americans? If a white --

CH: I couldn't tell. I guess I just never think of that way. I just think like I'm good as they are. Unless you're real ignorant, they probably will ask you, "Where'd you learn your English?" [Laughs] They'd ask me that, but I just told them I was born in this country and raised just like you and I. Went to high school and no college. I didn't go to -- I went to business college, but I didn't go to any university or anything.

TI: And so while you were doing this job, any kind of interesting stories or anything interesting happen while you were at the World's Fair? Like a person you met that stands out, or anything?

CH: Well, I saw a lot of movie stars that came through. I talked to... and those movie stars are beyond, before your time, so you probably don't know. But Johnny Weissmuller was a swimmer, and his partner was Esther Williams, and they were coming through because I guess they were doing some kind of exhibit somewhere. So they were there, I mean, they happened to be, come by and ask questions and things, and I talked to them. And there was Irene Whelan, she was another actress. And there were a few others that I saw that I didn't talk to 'em. But anyway, that's... I can't remember. [Laughs]

TI: Was there any movie star or celebrity that came that you felt intimidated or sort of nervous about?

CH: No. Those that I have, some of 'em that I have seen, I mean, I just saw them go through, I didn't talk to them or anything.

TI: How about members of the Japanese American community? Did a lot of them come through the pavilion, people sort of your age, Niseis?

CH: I'm sure they did, but I don't know.

TI: So you didn't see very many that attended your talk?

CH: I don't remember. I talked to a lot of people, but I can't tell if they were just Americans or from Japan or where they were. If they ask a question, I just answered it.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 2015 Densho. All Rights Reserved.