<Begin Segment 37>

DG: Now, talking some more about the YWCA groups, there was a conference and there's a list of participants in various sections of this conference, and one of the areas that had nothing but Japanese. Now, most of the areas had both hakujin names and Japanese names, but this one area of business was business and industry, had just Japanese names. Was that about?

NS: Was that in camp or cam -- Filer?

DG: That YWCA conference. There was a sew-ed group that was a college-age group, and then there was this business and industry group.

NS: Industry group. And that was in...

DG: The interesting part to me was that all the members who attended that were all nothing but Japanese.

NS: Oh, in the business and industrial group?

DG: Uh-huh.

NS: I think most of them -- the girls were secretaries or interested in -- a good many of the girls at that time were interested in secretarial work and felt that that was the best that they could do in the outside world, and that there was very little outside besides, perhaps, teaching or something like that. But secretarial work was always open for them.

DG: Well, there were twenty or thirty names, and so, obviously then they went to that session to find out more about...

NS: That's right. What might be available should they apply for relocation and work at that time.

DG: Now, another interesting part of your report was, is that there was a lot of housework available.

NS: Yes.

DG: And you comment about that.

NS: Yes. Well, a good many people at that time were looking for housekeepers or girls to help around the house. Those were a lot more available than office work.

DG: But you suggested that you didn't want to fill those jobs.

NS: No. [Laughs]

DG: Why?

NS: Well, it seemed to me that there were other places where girls could avail their talent, work on their talents a little more.

DG: And that was kind of demeaning.

NS: Well, that there were other places where they could use their energies to more helpful means than doing just housework.

DG: Now, one of the things that you did is you went to places like Boise and Denver and Salt Lake.

NS: (Yes). And I talked with the different groups that they had there. And talked to them about the need for relocation and to see if there were any places or places where they could use girls or people to work, because the camps were full of capable people looking for places to go.

DG: Now, doing all these things, what happened to your children?

NS: My mother took care of them.

DG: And then tell me what your mother told you at these times.

NS: Well, my mother always said, "Well, you can do those things and I'm..." and she was capable of taking care of the children and so she said, "Well, for the good of the community and the people that you're helping, you might as well do those things, and I will take care of the children." And she was very good about that and she always did. And she was good with children too, so that was fine with me. [Laughs]

<End Segment 37> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.