Mae (Kanazawa) Hara spent three years (1932-1935) in Chicago to attend college and study music. During the summer of 1933, Chicago hosted the World's Fair. Hara and her cousin, Rae Yoshioka, worked at the Japanese Pavilion. During the opening ceremonies both girls wore kimonos and served as ushers. Hara also sang in a 5,000 voice choir …

In fall 1947, women of Japanese ancestry started a new student group called Valeda ("wise women" in Greek). Like the Fuyokai, Valeda supported Japanese American women students and encouraged them to join other organizations on campus. Valeda participated in numerous projects on campus and in the community until it disbanded in 1965. Left to right: Setsuko …