Densho Digital Archive - Sumiko Yamauchi Interview (denshovh-ysumiko

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KL: Do you remember the name of the beauty school in Philadelphia?

SY: Morcella or something like that. You know, Philadelphia is known for Benjamin Franklin standing on that top? Well, the building that I went to school with, you can look out the window and see Benjamin Franklin on top. And I remember that time that we were living there, the pigeons were sitting there, and they were doing their kakas, and they were trying to, they were trying to do something so that... because the pigeon poop was doing something to the statue. It was eating it up, I don't know what... and I remember when we were there, and they were going to put a fan and sort it out. [Laughs] And they tried everything, I don't know what they finally did with it. I couldn't remember. That was the thing, whenever I see it on television, and Benjamin Franklin there, and I see this little fan. It wasn't there, but I remember that was the thing that they were gonna try and do.

KL: The National Park Service administers the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Did you ever visit?

SY: I didn't go see that, no. I should have, I should have.

KL: Do you recall the names of the family that you lived with in Philadelphia and also in New York?

SY: One was Isaacs. That was in Philadelphia. And the other one in New York -- I didn't stay with them too long, so I can't remember. They were both, he was a pathologist and taught at the Columbia University as far as I know. They had two children. And she was a doctor; they were both doctors. And then when I came back here, I also did the same thing, but I didn't stay there too long. But living in homes like that, you always lived in the best place.

KL: Well, it's interesting, too, who was choosing to provide housing and opportunities for Japanese Americans to live in these eastern cities. Were they connected, like that he was connected to Columbia, I think their seminary helped people find housing.

SY: Well, we were in big demand. I mean, all the Japanese, they had a... not a motel, what do you call, hostel. Is that what they call... and if you were in the transition of looking somewhere, you could go to the hostel until you find, you were limited to how long you could stay there. And you can always go there, and you can find a lot of places where you can work for your room and board, just very good. Too bad the kids can't learn to do that now.

KL: Yeah, it's hard.

SY: You know how high rent is, to rent apartment or anything. Any of you married? Well, so much for that.

KL: Do you remember Mr. and Mrs. Isaac's first names?

SY: No, no.