<Begin Segment 17>

RP: And then from there, you traveled to Chicago?

FY: To Chicago, yes.

RP: And can you tell us a little bit about that trip? Do you remember anything about that?

FY: Well, it was wonderful to be free again. [Laughs]

RP: Were there --

FY: And then there was a hostel there. But I think that was established by the Friends.

RP: American Friends Service Committee?

FY: Yes, uh-huh, and they were very kind to us.

RP: How long did you stay in the hostel?

FY: And then when I went to the hostel, I met a Sacramento friend there, and she said to me, "Fusa, let's rent out an apartment together," and so we did.

RP: And you, well, you came from a city life environment in Sacramento, but Chicago is a huge city.

FY: Oh, I loved it. Suddenly, you know, you were able to go to concerts with the top stars there and all that, and I loved the theater, so it was great.

RP: And this was during the war.

FY: Yes, uh-huh.

RP: So your world really opened up.

FY: Yes, I should say it certainly did open up my view of a lot of things.

RP: The other element of Chicago that appealed to many Niseis coming out of camp was that there seemed to be a lot less prejudice than where they grew up.

FY: Oh, yes. Oh, that's so true, I was amazed.

RP: So you worked for this dentist.

FY: Yes. And then my brother-in-law, who was a dentist, came out, and then he established a dental office. So he said, "Why don't you come and work for me?" so I did. And then my husband happened to have a toothache or something, so he came to the office, so I met him. [Laughs]

RP: That's how you met him?

FY: Yes. Well, another person who came from -- oh, who was going to Ohio State, my husband was going to Ohio State, told me that, this friend of mine who is at the University of Chicago now, and, "I want you to meet him." So that was how I met my husband.

RP: And how did he end up in Chicago?

FY: Oh, he never did go to camp. He went from Ohio, he was stationed in Ohio.

RP: In the military?

FY: Yes, uh-huh. Yes, he was in the military. And then he decided he wanted to become an M.D., so he went to University of Chicago.

RP: And did you marry in Chicago?

FY: Yes, we did. And did you sort of reorient yourself to a Christian church and a religious life there?

FY: Yes, uh-huh.

RP: And what was the community, the sense of community like in Chicago. Did you feel part of a community?

FY: Yes. Yes, and then he was, he was very ambitious, he said that he wants to become an internist. And so we, he wanted to go for training at the state University of Iowa for his residency, so we went there. Met some wonderful people there.

RP: So you basically supported him through his work there?

FY: Yes, I helped him a lot. He was on the GI Bill of Rights, so he was able to get his medical degree there. And that it was just wonderful. I guess the soldiers today, do they have the same provision? I think they do, don't they?

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.