1942 10 18 Letter from Kay to Tom
Dublin Core
Title
1942 10 18 Letter from Kay to Tom
Description
Page 1: October 18, 1942: Life is now worse than at Tanforan at this stage. "We're all busy nite and day- life with no "otsutsuki" and much filled with gripes." Food was good the first week but now there is a shortage of supplies. October 23, 1942: Rev. Goto gave sermon at packed church service. Japanese volunteer workmen from her block installed inner walls for insulation of heat and noise. Earl Hunter visited by car, brough Chiz' wicker furniture, 2 trunks and groceries. Came back next day with T-bone steaks and butter. Ed got to leave for 5-days with Earl to Salt Lake City to look for farm jobs for men in Topaz. Permanent leave is "red-tape." "I am in the belief that in the future as time goes on and man power is increasingly needed they will just tell us to walk out." Asa Fujie is apple-picking in Provo (permitted leave for temporary work), plans to enter Brigham Young Univ.
Page 2: Food consists of boiled turnips and potatoes with rice. Occasional egg omelet with cheese. Temperature as low as 28. Some without double walls. Coal only available at night. "Mad scramble" for showers. Kay waited two and a half hours in shower line. Assistant Director looks for coal in Salt Lake. Shortage in coal workers. "the Utahns are hollering" for 20 J-A men to mine coal. Community Welfare Dept cannot provide enough stoves for every family. Mr. Blaisdell of I House (Berkeley alum) works for WRA survey. They had a Cal Party. There are no large venues for parties/ pep rallies, only for small meetings. Camp began showing movies and propaganda shorts, in attempt to convince J-A men to work picking beets for 70 cents a day after food and shelter costs. Some go work for the freedom. Kay bemoans inequality between menial jobs JA's are forced to take (bus-boys, janitors, bell-hops) and the higher-paying defense jobs offered the average American. JA community is told it is their "patriotic duty to save the crops for America's fight for victory." She wonders if JA men should take "these lowly jobs," believing the enterprises (ingenuity) in the Centers are "going underdeveloped (unutilized)."
Page 3: Kay worries that the Japanese American is "just replacing the Negro" in the American social order, with only sub-standard jobs available. She speculates that the Centers should be developed if the post-war period is "really tough". National Secretary of the FOR visited. Caleb Foote will come Nov. 8th. Kay mentions how Quakers are only vouchers for JA's. Kay admires Mr. Neudstadt of the Social Security Board (Regional Director) for being the only govt serviceman to fight the evacuation. She's sending material on the evacuation to Tommy. Mrs. Duveneck was kept all important new item regarding evacuation.
Page 4: John has not yet received his permit to leave for Seminary. He has been building inner walls for Chiz and Kay. He's writing chapters of a book. Kay asks Tommy to meet with Miss Frances Drake. (I believe Kay is trying to arrange a job with Miss Drake). John plans to buy unfinished furniture for family. Chiz bought Mom (Tomi) a breakfast tray. Kay is working for Student Relocation. Mr. Lafabregue put her in full charge. She tracts the NSRC communication with the students, makes a file for each student and arranged transportation. List of students relocating to college. Page 5: Kay sent a WRA request for "Neich" (Kimi) to come to Topaz from Arkansas. Kay has got snow pants. Hers are blue, Iy's are green. "baggy but warm." She asks Tommy if he has received his check from Tanforan.
Page 2: Food consists of boiled turnips and potatoes with rice. Occasional egg omelet with cheese. Temperature as low as 28. Some without double walls. Coal only available at night. "Mad scramble" for showers. Kay waited two and a half hours in shower line. Assistant Director looks for coal in Salt Lake. Shortage in coal workers. "the Utahns are hollering" for 20 J-A men to mine coal. Community Welfare Dept cannot provide enough stoves for every family. Mr. Blaisdell of I House (Berkeley alum) works for WRA survey. They had a Cal Party. There are no large venues for parties/ pep rallies, only for small meetings. Camp began showing movies and propaganda shorts, in attempt to convince J-A men to work picking beets for 70 cents a day after food and shelter costs. Some go work for the freedom. Kay bemoans inequality between menial jobs JA's are forced to take (bus-boys, janitors, bell-hops) and the higher-paying defense jobs offered the average American. JA community is told it is their "patriotic duty to save the crops for America's fight for victory." She wonders if JA men should take "these lowly jobs," believing the enterprises (ingenuity) in the Centers are "going underdeveloped (unutilized)."
Page 3: Kay worries that the Japanese American is "just replacing the Negro" in the American social order, with only sub-standard jobs available. She speculates that the Centers should be developed if the post-war period is "really tough". National Secretary of the FOR visited. Caleb Foote will come Nov. 8th. Kay mentions how Quakers are only vouchers for JA's. Kay admires Mr. Neudstadt of the Social Security Board (Regional Director) for being the only govt serviceman to fight the evacuation. She's sending material on the evacuation to Tommy. Mrs. Duveneck was kept all important new item regarding evacuation.
Page 4: John has not yet received his permit to leave for Seminary. He has been building inner walls for Chiz and Kay. He's writing chapters of a book. Kay asks Tommy to meet with Miss Frances Drake. (I believe Kay is trying to arrange a job with Miss Drake). John plans to buy unfinished furniture for family. Chiz bought Mom (Tomi) a breakfast tray. Kay is working for Student Relocation. Mr. Lafabregue put her in full charge. She tracts the NSRC communication with the students, makes a file for each student and arranged transportation. List of students relocating to college. Page 5: Kay sent a WRA request for "Neich" (Kimi) to come to Topaz from Arkansas. Kay has got snow pants. Hers are blue, Iy's are green. "baggy but warm." She asks Tommy if he has received his check from Tanforan.
Creator
Kay Yamashita
Files
Collection
Citation
Kay Yamashita, “1942 10 18 Letter from Kay to Tom,” Yamashita Family Archives, accessed May 2, 2024, https://yamashitaarchives.ucsc.edu/items/show/1981.
Comments