<Begin Segment 14>

MN: Now, you mentioned your work, and there was one instance you shared about, that you felt prejudice for the first time.

SH: (...) The first job I had was (at) the Board of Education, (...) a summer job (...) from L.A. Business College(...) for a month or two. Then after that they placed me (at Western Carloading 960 E. 3rd St.) The supervisor that I was gonna work (for) put me to the side and told me, "You know, we don't have any Japanese working here. We do have one and she works upstairs so nobody sees her, but you'll be the only one downstairs. (...) People do come by and you'll be exposed. (...) What does that have to do with my work," (I thought). He just wanted to let me know. (...) He had a little bit of prejudice against me. (...) I started working for him and nine months passed by. (...) He says, "Do you have any friends (...) you'd know that (may want to work here). By then I knew the ropes. (...) So I said, "I don't have any friends, I don't have any relatives, and I don't think they would like to (...) work here, anyway." And that was the end of it. He never approached me again. But everybody else treated (...) me real good. It was just my immediate supervisor. He had something in for the Japanese. (...)

MN: I wanted to ask a little bit about your husband's work, your late husband, Harri. And he spells his name H-A-R-R-I also.

SH: (...) We're an odd couple. [Laughs] Sande with an E and Harri with an I.

MN: He worked at a very well-known company in Little Tokyo. Can you share a little bit about that work and that company?

SH: Well, I think it's probably one of the oldest companies (located on) First and Alameda, and it was called California Hardware Company. And like Anzen Supply (they ordered) supplies from California Hardware. (...) He worked (at) other places (...), but worked at California Hardware for thirty-two years, (...) and that's where he retired from.

MN: So he was one of the last ones to be there and --

SH: He was, when they closed the door he was one of the last ones. In fact, one of his supervisors gave him a brick from California Hardware. He says, "This is for you to have," 'cause he was one (...) to have worked there (for thirty-two years). So I still have it at home, on the shelf (...) as a reminder of the old times at California Hardware. [Laughs]

MN: You know, I was looking over my notes with Archie Miyatake, and he mentioned that it was the salesman from California Hardware, because they had a contract with Manzanar, and this salesman smuggled in the film and the photo papers and chemicals to Mr. Miyatake.

SH: Really? I didn't know that. Had I known that earlier, I would've had my husband ask about it. (...)

MN: I'm gonna skip a little and go to the Rafu Shimpo's ninetieth anniversary, and there's this very special photo, I've seen it everywhere. Can you share, who's in this photo that -- you know what I'm talking about?

SH: Yes, you're talking about my mother and her friend, Mrs. Seki, (they were both) in their nineties and Rafu Shimpo was having the special edition of their ninetieth anniversary. (...) And at that time she was at the Keiro on Boyle Avenue, and they took this picture (...).

MN: It's been blown up everywhere, I think, in Little Tokyo. I've seen it.

[Interruption]

MN: Your mother and her had a very special relationship.

SH: From way back. I think they used to work together (at Spice Island, a spice company).

MN: McCormick?

SH: (...) (They met at Spice Island) and ever since then they have been friends. And so when my mother was at Keiro (...) Mrs. (Seki) found out about it, (...) moved in too. (...) They took the pictures (...) because they saw them together all the time. They were like buddies. (...) Somebody that observed them said, "I never (saw) two Issei women that were so close." They were just together all the time holding hands, and they (...) comfort each other, (and that) was an appropriate picture (...).

<End Segment 14> - Copyright &copy; 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.