1942 6 22 Letter from Kay to Folks

1942 6 22 Letter from Kay to Folks

Kay writes from being in San Francisco. She is trying to get a job with the Social Security Administration in D.C. through a contact Mr. Neudstadt. Her friend Mrs. Duveneck, who is very kind to her, invited her to stay for a day or so at her ranch in Los Altos. She mentions that she is of the New York Whitney family. Mrs. Duveneck has collected articles and documents related to the evacuation which Kay looked over. Mrs. Duveneck is coming to visit Chiz in Tanforan. She is staying in San Francisco with the Conrads, who are involved in Student Relocation Council in the East Coast office and in Los Angeles.

Kay Yamashita

June 22, 1942

English

Letter

June 22, 1942

Dear Folks:

Don't fall over -- I'm still around here in S. F. waiting for more definite word from Washington Social Security. Mr. Neudstadt (Regional director of S.S. and a very interested and understanding person in this situation) has been wiring Wash. for a definite assurance of a job in his department -- Wash keeps wiring back that there are positions and for me to come, but does not directly say that there is one particular job for me. It keeps blowing Mr. Neudstadt up for he says it just shows how little Wash. knows about whats going on here on the Pacific coast and the status of a Japanese (such as restrictions on travel just don't seem to enter into their minds so, they merrily wire me back with such -- of course one can hardly blame them for not comitting themselves for really they don’t know me and don't want -to say before seeing me -- Mr. N. says it discusts [sic] them because they seem to have no sense of time -- and I've been trying to fight time until Sat. and then gave up, because no -- its really too late for me to get to the Durhan Convention in time -- so the next best thing is to try and meet Mary Coxhead somewhere in the Middle-West before going on East. Mr. N. says when he gets the right answer he’ll wire back and say when I'll arrive there – giving me plenty of time to do other things before reporting -- a technicality that's all. Both Mr. Neudstadt and a Mr. Bryant (who was the man who was at the head of the WCCA offices in the U.SES, and whose influence helped institute the way in which help and advise [sic] was given as well as assistance etc.) are just hundred percent for my going and they do know the reasons for my wanting to return since Mr. Inglis went with me the other day too and they’re doing every-

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thing possible within their power to help me -- and so I know if they can't work something out nobody can. Mrs. Duveneck called me Friday nite late, and invited me to go down to her ranch in Los Altos for the week-end if I wasn't able to l eave – Mr. N. received 2 wires from Wash. Sat. morning but didn’t suffice for the army boys - even though he telephone [sic] to ask- in fact the army says to take my time and can't understand why I'm in such a hurry to get back East. So, she sent a messenger to get me Sat. aft. and took me down to her ranch to "fatten me up" as she says, to get me ready for this trip --I was able to get loads of rest and too- carefully go thru 3 portfolios of Mrs. D. on the Japanese evacuation and question that she has collected – now I feel I know a little of whats [sic] beein [sic] done and what has been done by the gov’t and those on the outside as well as the chronological events of the evacuation as it took place, also some of the causal factors and much communication between officials and others upon this question. (I’m glad I was able t o do this for it will help me a lot) Of course everyone was grand to me and it was paradise from a insecure and rotten outside world for a few days, I really hated so to have to come back this morning. Mrs. D. is al most like a mother to me -- and continuously worries about my welfare – tele-phoning long distance to find out my latest plans. She was ready to take me back to the ranch today again if I were [sic] sure I wasn't
going to 1eave for another few days -- but I have things to do to-morrow so she left me. (incidentally Mrs. Josephine Duveneck is a Boston Whitney -- she has many of the Whitney herilooms in her home) -- amazing how different some people are -- just plain humanit-arian and gets her fingers in all things she feels must be righted.

I do hope each of you are alright -- I do miss you all so much. Hope Mother is rested up and now able to go around seeing her friends. I couldn't go to see Dad yesterday but I shall go -- and when I do

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I'll promise to give him all your love.

I'm still living here with the Conards (Joe has gone to L.A. with a Dr. Robbins Barstow, Pres. of Hartford Theological Seminary and now head of the Student Relocation Committee in the East out here to confer with Joe and others -- gee he's a swell fellow –gosh am I lucky to live under the same roof with all these distinguished people -- but you see it”s [sic] amazing how many "big” people are wrapped up in this business. Tommy, Joe will probably not be around for awile [sic] Tom Bodine is now holding fort -- I hope you get to meet him - he's one good guy. All is not roses with me - but I’m getting my appetite back and there's nothing to worry about -- I'm trying to get educated in the meantime and helping ~ Mrs. Conard in household tasks.

Chizu, please remember to be at the Reception Room at 10:00 on Wednesday to meet Mrs. Duveneck -- also please thank her for all the kindnesses -- she is very interested about everything in the Camp -- in fact it was her husband who took his truck to haul all the pianos etc. that Tanforan has besides a million other things.
(Mr. D. is a research prof at Stanford - but he doesn’t like it to be known) you can ask her about the things that are being done by hundreds of people like her -- she's just a well of information you should just see her correspondence:

I'm returning :As I Remember Him” thru her - finally finished it out at Hidden Villa this last week-end. Tell Tommy to read it if he has anytime at all -- it'll be valuable to him if he does go to school, I think. Got a short card from Ted telling me he
got my letter,

I 'll keep you folks informed of my doings.

Love to all
Kay

Iy dear, I do think of you often hoping and praying for so many things for you
Please keep your spirits up -- with loads of ove and kisses.