<Begin Segment 11>

[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

VY: So, Yo, when you were a young woman, or I think maybe even still in high school, you started to work for Wayne Collins. Can you talk a little bit about that? How did you find out about the job, and what was it like to work for him, and what kinds of things did you do while you were working for him?

YY: I was a senior in high school, and a... no, she wasn't a classmate, but we went to the same school. And she was working for Takahashi Trading Company, and they got notice they're looking for some help at the office of Wayne Collins. But she already had a job at Takahashi Trading Company, so she asked me if I could work during this Christmas vacation, so I said sure. And I had no idea what it was, except I knew who he was because he was in the papers a lot a year before with the Tokyo Rose (case) at the courthouse in San Francisco. And so I knew who he was, but I didn't really know what I was going to be doing. So she gave me the address and told me to go over there and just talk to them. And that's how I started. They were just getting some mailings out to the renunciants, and so they were very busy, and they wanted some help. It really wasn't doing much, but just being on the mailing line. And that's how I started. And they kept calling me when they were busy, or asked me if I could work during the summer. So after I graduated, I worked full time (...), and that included not just the renunciants but other clients (as well). Learning how to type (a will) where you (...) erase anything (was a nerve wracking experience, especially) the last page or last line, (...) because you're going to have to type the whole thing again. [Laughs] It was a learning experience. (...)

VY: Did you meet any of his clients while you were there?

YY: What was that?

VY: Did you meet any of his clients while you were there?

YY: Did I meet...

VY: Do you remember any people that you met while you were there?

YY: People that, you mean his clients? Well, a lot of his clients were not in San Francisco, so it was a lot of mailing. But some clients, or some other lawyers who were working with him on cases, they would come in every now and then. It's mostly what he had to have typed up so that... so like Iva.

VY: Toguri?

YY: Now, she used to come from Chicago, when he was preparing her pardon, for instance. Then she would come in to the office with him and help out.

VY: Really?

YY: Yeah, so we got to know her too.

VY: Do you remember anything in particular about her?

YY: Yes, she was very easy to talk to, and friendly. She was like an older sister (to me, and a mother surrogate). Wayne and Margaret, they were six and eight years old when I first (met them, and they had lost their mother a few months before, so Mr. Collins was busy scheduling their after school activities as well as keeping up with his work at the office.). [Narr. note: She was serious, but warm and had  sense of humor. A good typist, too.]

VY: Were those his children?

YY: (Yes. A) few years ago, (the SF community was) honoring (Wayne Merrill Collins, the son), and so I met him (in S.F.) for the first time in years. The last time I saw him, he was a freshman at Cal (and now he was a lawyer preparing to retire).

VY: That was Wayne Collins' son?

YY: This is Wayne Collins' son, yeah. And this time I said, "Oh, gee, I just remember you, you were six years old when I first started taking you to swimming lessons." He said, "I just turned seventy last week." [Laughs] I thought, wow, all those years passed by, I couldn't believe it.

VY: What about, were there any other things you did? Like did you ever translate, did you ever do any interpreting for Mr. Collins, like in-person interpreting in Japanese for him?

YY: You know, I didn't get the first part.

VY: It's a hard word. I'm wondering if you did any translation from English to Japanese or Japanese to English for Mr. Collins for any purpose?

YY: (No. If there was a need for translation, it would have been given to Chiyo. I only went to first and second grade Japanese school classes.)

VY: Did anybody ever visit from Japan?

YY: Oh, yes, (...) Mr. Collins would only speak English. Therefore, when he had a guest from Japan, he (invited me to converse with) them. He would just be driving. [Laughs] As I think I told you, when we went to Sacramento, because he, (the young visitor), wanted to see the capitol.

VY: Yeah, so talk about that. Who was visiting?

YY: You know, I don't know how he was related, but he was related to the emperor, I mean, (related to the) emperor's son. I don't know how that was, how they were related. But he was here just for a visit, and then we had to get back to San Francisco because there was a banquet for him that night and he had to be there. So we just had a few hours to go and come back.

VY: So you and Wayne Collins...

YY: And, oh, a friend of mine (who was helping us at the office). Eiko is her name, and she was a good sport and (joined with us).

VY: So it was the four of you, were in the car, you and Eiko and Mr. Collins and the young man from Japan. And in one day, you drove all the way from San Francisco to Sacramento and back again? That's a long journey.

YY: Right. In time for him to go to his banquet. (...).

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 2021 Densho. All Rights Reserved.