<Begin Segment 12>

MR: So as a stay at home mom and you volunteered, what kind of volunteer work did you involve yourself in?

MY: Well, I helped out at the school office for a while. I was also a Blue Bird and Camp Fire leader for our girls, and I was also a softball coach for the girls' team too in their after school program. Then we worked with the Folk Fest of Portland. And oh, I worked for a while for pay with the JACL district office when it was in Portland, Oregon.

MR: Besides working for pay at the JACL, were you active in the organization as a member?

MY: Yes, I was. I believe I started in 1969 and worked in the office in 1972 to '74, I believe. But it was fun because the Nikkeijinkai and the JACL office were together in downtown, Old Town, and it was a stopping place where all these people who would come into town or a stopping place for them to rest between buses, and so we saw a lot of Issei in those days and a lot of Nikkei, in general.

MR: What was the paid work that you did for the JACL?

MY: I was the secretary to the director.

MR: What motivated you to join in the first place?

MY: JACL? Well, you know, that was really funny because this woman used to call me to tell me about all the different activities they were going to have and they sounded like fun, so I said, "Okay, I'll go," and I would. And every time I'd go there, that person was not there, and I said, "Well, how come you tried to recruit me to be a member and you're never at any of the meetings," and she apologized. She said, well, you know, she always she was always busy or she had some excuse. But we became good friends after that because she knew that I had joined because of her persuasion, and then I complained to her because I had never seen her. But I did enjoy the activities that they had. And in those days like today probably, if you show an interest, you're saddled with a job to do, and so I was, we... I was involved in the early picnics that they had and, oh, different things. Between Homer and I believe we served in almost every position that they have on the JACL board.

MR: What did you see as the purpose of the JACL?

MY: Well for one thing, it was a good way to get to know the community. We thought the goals were worthwhile, and it was something we enjoyed doing and getting our kids involved too.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2003 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.