Densho Digital Archive - Margaret Stanicci Interview (denshovh-smargaret-01-0012)

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RP: Then your older sister Florence --

MS: Oh, yeah, she got --

RP: -- moved to New York?

MS: -- she got married and went to New York, uh-huh. And that was a kind of an arranged marriage. It was... somebody must have approached my parents and, because there was a gentleman in New York that had made inquiries or something. And so they set up a meeting and they went out, I guess, on a few dates or something. And, and he was, he was fairly good-looking and personable, spoke English and all. But he was, but he was an Issei, and, but my sister, even though she had dated a few other people... yes, some, I remember some were young doctors in training at Loma Linda, that was the Seventh Day Adventist. She decided to marry him and so they did get married and she left for New York.

RP: What did he do?

MS: Oh, he was a wonderful chef. [Laughs] Yeah, that might have been the attraction. But he was very good. And so he worked in various families. At one time he, I think they both worked as an au pair for, who's that lady singer who had a loud voice? Ethel Merman? Ethel Merman? I think so, yes. And, so they worked for some prominent families. And I know that he was very good because when I visited, when I got to New York and we would visit then we would eat, you know, some of the leftovers and they were very good. [Laughs]

RP: What were your feelings about arranged marriages? Did you have a strong feeling one way or another about...

MS: Well, not for anyone else. For myself I...

RP: How about for yourself?

MS: Oh, myself, I would never, yes, do that. I mean...

RP: That was still going on, even in the '30s.

MS: But rarely. It was only for older. Now...

RP: He was an Issei too, so...

MS: Yes, and although, although he was young. I mean he was, hmm... there were not too many, I think, of the older Nisei. There was a smaller population maybe. And then I don't think they had as many opportunities to meet as the younger ones. So...

RP: Was there a large age differential between your sister and this...

MS: Oh, what, seven years? And as you're growing up, even a few years makes a difference. So, uh-huh.

RP: Well, there was a, another restrictive law governing the marriage between a, a Nisei and an Issei. And I don't know when it, when it was rescinded, but I think it was called the Cable Act.

KP: It was '35 I think it was.

RP: It was '35, was it?

KP: Yeah, so it wouldn't have applied.

RP: So it didn't apply but, any, any Nisei woman who married a, an Issei would lose her citizenship.

MS: Oh really?

RP: Uh-huh.

MS: I didn't know that.

RP: Yeah.

MS: But, when was that? In...

RP: I believe it was from 1915 to 1935. I don't know.

MS: Oh. Oh my. Then it must have just expired.

RP: I think she, yeah, she just...

MS: Oh, well, maybe that's why he applied, or inquired.

RP: Uh-huh.

MS: Yeah, because there would be no Isseis, you know, very few Isseis that he would be able to marry then, if that's the case. And he would have... oh.

RP: Right.

MS: Interesting.

RP: At this point in time, in your life, were you formulating any grand plans for, for what you wanted to do with the rest of your life? Or were you just experiencing whatever came along?

MS: I think I was just mostly experiencing, although I did have a feeling that I would be going into some sort of social, social work of some kind, maybe. But I had no strong feelings one way or the other. And you have to remember too that things were limited at that time, for women. And you had no expectation of even looking for anything else. So it would be secretarial or nursing or teaching.

RP: How did your parents respond to your, you know, intentions, you know, to do something other than just be a housewife? Were they supportive?

MS: Oh, I don't think I even mentioned it or even... partly because it was... no, it, I would have mentioned it if I had a strong desire and needed to leave to go to a school. So, but, just as my sister when she was going into nursing and wanted to go to San Diego, that would be... but otherwise, uh-huh.