Densho Digital Repository - Hiroshi Uyehara Interview

Densho Digital Repository
JACL Philadelphia Oral History Collection
Title: Hiroshi Uyehara Interview
Narrator: Hiroshi Uyehara
Interviewer: Herbert J. Horikawa
Location: Medford, New Jersey
Date: October 23, 1994
Densho ID: ddr-phljacl-1-13-7

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HH: Now, throughout this time, you were in Philadelphia, and it really goes back to your times and your days in California. You were, had the beginnings with JACL in California, but you continued here in Philadelphia. What are some of the various things you've been involved with as far as JACL is concerned?

HU: Well, I was, I joined the Nisei Council, and then later on, Mas Sato, the Japanese secretary of JACL in San Francisco, he came to Philadelphia. He wanted to form a chapter, so then I was, I think I was the president at the time, but then I'm the president of the Nisei Council, so I can't do it, so you'll have to see somebody else. So he got a hold of Tetsu Osaki and Jack Ozawa, and they formed the first JACL chapter in Philadelphia. And then when that was formed, then we dissolved our group and we merged with the JACL chapter.

HH: You have done many things with JACL since then.

HU: Well, I was the president in 1959, but my treasurer married the secretary and they left, and I had to struggle in '59 to even run the chapter because of... you know, every year we change the president, you know, and we had a hard time trying to get people to run and keep the chapter going. So right now, I'm the chapter treasurer now.

HH: For many years you were also the historian.

HU: Yeah, I would be the historian, I mean, by default. In fact, I can't even keep track of the stuff everybody gives me. They give me photographs, I'm keeping them separate, and then every year, someone is supposed to make up a historian's book, and I had quite a few volumes of that in the basement here. And I know I made a list once of all the albums, but I know different people have albums in their records someplace, and we've got to get them all together and then decide what we're going to do, and maybe we'll have to give 'em to the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies eventually.

HH: I understand that, if there's any one person who knows about the history of JACL, not only nationally but in particular in the Philadelphia area, it would be you. Would you agree with that?

HU: Well, I don't think I know that much about the history of JACL in Philadelphia because Grayce, she was the one that really helped me when I one of presidents of the Nisei Council before JACL chapter started, because she's been in JACL longer than I have.

HH: A considerable time nonetheless.