<Begin Segment 37>

TI: During the break, you mentioned that you left Granada to go to Chicago. So I wanted to ask you, so why did you leave Granada?

LW: Because everybody was leaving camp, and sooner or later, we have to go. So my friend, besides that, a friend of mine said, "Why don't you come over to Chicago to work?" So only thing I didn't like Chicago was that, you ever heard of bedbugs? That's the only thing. Man, I tell you, that was enough for me. We had no choice. We don't have the money, you can't be particular with apartment, right? There are four of us sleeping in one, one room. And the bedbugs was loaded, so I said, "Oh, this is not for me." I worked there about six months, and I got out. I was making those albums, you know, for this company then, photo album.

TI: And do you recall the part of Chicago, the neighborhood in Chicago that...

LW: Well, we were on the north side, and funny part of it, we take that, what do call that train?

TI: The El?

LW: El train, yeah. And funny part of it, everybody, they dressed up, they wore a suit or hat to go to work, and you changed your clothes when you get there. Because that time, everybody had to wear a hat. I noticed that everybody that left camp, they had to buy a hat. You know those dress hat, you don't see 'em anymore, but that time was pretty popular. 'Cause you're going to the big city, you're not out in the country, so everybody had to dress, a suit with a hat on. That's how I remember them.

TI: So for you, you actually would wear a hat and suit just to take the El.

LW: Right.

TI: And then you would change...

LW: Change your clothes.

TI: And then coming back, you would change back into the...

LW: Yeah, right.

TI: And you said pretty much everyone did that?

LW: Well, so far, the one that's working there. And on the trolley, you got to hang on, because so many people were working the same time, so there's no place to sit down. 'Cause you're just hanging on the side.

TI: And at the place you worked, were there lots of other Japanese workers?

LW: No. Well, Chicago's so big, that the only time I ran into, when we get together to go dancing or something like that, on a date, blind date or something like that. And that time was pretty good because, we had a lot of fun because we used to go out after midnight. You know, Chicago was pretty safe then, not like now. No crime or nothing like that, it was pretty safe. We used to go at midnight and go. And there were a lot of places to go after midnight.

TI: And so describe one that you liked to go to. What was that like, where would you go, what would you do?

LW: Well, it's more like a camp dance, because all the people that, we used to go on dates or blind date with the Japanese from other camps.

TI: Do you remember the name of the place or one of the places?

LW: No.

TI: But you would see, maybe, like, twenty, thirty, forty, how many people would be there?

LW: You mean at dance?

TI: At these dances.

LW: Well, no, it's a small one. Something like you go to a nightclub or something like that. Because on a blind date, you maybe, two, three couples goes like that.

JS: Is that how you met your wife?

LW: No, no. Wife got nothing to do -- that's way back.

JS: That's later?

LW: I had three more girlfriends besides that. [Laughs]

TI: So I'm thinking, for you, you grew up in a small town, Walnut Grove, and then you go to a place like Chicago, which is a major city, and you're taking things like the El. How did that feel for you? Was it like culture shock for you to be in such a large place?

LW: Well, only thing I was thinking about, getting a job and settle down. Other than that, it didn't impress me, anything at all.

TI: Did you think about wanting, after seeing a big city, wanting to maybe live in the city versus more of a farming community, did you think about that?

LW: No. Mainly, I was interested in a job. So at least you get a steady job that you like. So from there, friend of mine called and said, "Why don't you come to Kansas City?" Because my second brother was working there in Kansas City making cornstarch. You know Argo cornstarch company? So I went there from Chicago, and I stayed there for one year, and I didn't like that job.

TI: And before we move, so, in Kansas City, were there very many other Japanese?

LW: Well, there's Japanese families that run in the rooming house, and we know that, people there.

TI: And what neighborhood, or what part of town of Kansas City?

LW: It was not a good area. I guess kind of an average area, because certain part of it was slum area. So only transportation we got was take the trolley, I mean, the bus. No car. That's another thing, Kansas City, same thing, too. You dress up and you go there and change your clothes to work clothes, and you take a shower there and put back your suits on and come home.

<End Segment 37> - Copyright (c) 2009 Densho and Preserving California's Japantowns. All Rights Reserved.