<Begin Segment 22>

TI: So after you graduated from Garfield, what happened next?

TW: Then I went to UW and got my BS in nursing. And then I worked for half a year at Harborview Hospital on the medical floor, and then Pan American.

TI: Okay, so let's slow down, let's talk about your University of Washington time. During that time period, there were Japanese American clubs, like there was SYNKOA House, for instance. And I think there were some Japanese American women's clubs, too. Were you part of any of those, did you join those?

TW: I had no time. I was working. Did I show you my...

TI: Yes, I was going to talk about that.

TW: That's UW.

TI: So this is the homecoming, picture of the homecoming finalists, May 18, 1954.

TW: '54, long ago.

TI: So explain how you become a homecoming queen finalist.

TW: Well, I was at Harborview Hospital in the living quarters there for the nurses, and they had selected me to run as homecoming...

TI: So these were student nurses? I mean, you were, at that point, a UW student?

TW: I was a student there at Harborview, and I represented the Harborview nursing school.

TI: So I noticed, when I looked at the picture, you were the only nonwhite contestant. At that point, was that unusual for a Japanese American to be considered for homecoming queen at University of Washington?

TW: Well, I wasn't aware of it at that time, just felt like one of the girls. But I was surprised that I was selected. I thought, "What am I doing here being selected for that?"

And I didn't especially think it was such a big thing.

BY: So you said that you were really busy when you were a college student. Is that because while you were going to school, you were also working at the same time?

TW: Yes. I worked for, in the Magnolia Bluff, there was a Chinese man, Tim Chin, that had a restaurant there. And so I was working there as a waitress. All the time I had, I would be there. And while I was working there, Tim thought I was going to medical school. And when I told him, no, I'm in nursing school, he was very disappointed. He thought I was going to be a doctor like your dad. [Laughs]

TI: And so you were juggling a lot. You were working...

TW: I was working and...

TI: Going to school.

TW: ...trying to make tuition to go to school.

TI: Also running for homecoming queen. [Laughs] And so I'm curious, during this social scene, did you have time to date? Were you dating in college?

TW: Well, I had a boyfriend in high school. I'm trying to remember... no, not really.

TI: But in high school, you were dating? But in college, you...

TW: No.

TI: Okay. So any other memories from your college days you want to share? Because you surprised me when you brought me that homecoming, you're so modest, you said, "Oh, by the way, look at this." I mean, is there anything else we should know about?

TW: Well, I found this, and I thought, well, maybe you'd be interested in it.

TI: Yeah. So we were very interested in those little pieces, little stories or anything that you can remember from college.

TW: No. You know, Tom, I really had to work a lot to make my tuition. And so I spent a lot of time working on my spare time, working at Tim Chin's restaurant, or afterward, I got a job working in the hospital. So most of my time was spent working trying to make my tuition for school.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2022 Densho. All Rights Reserved.