Fujishima, Kazuko May (8/10/2017)

[NOTE: This transcript has not undergone a final proofreading and may contain errors. It is being provided in draft form to enhance access to the video recording. As soon as possible, it will be replaced with a final, corrected transcript and will be synced to the video to provide clickable timecodes.]

KazukoFujishima: 00:00 My name is Kazuko May Fujishima.

Anna Takada: 00:04 And can you tell me a little bit about, uh, where you were born and your hometown?

KF: 00:11 Well, when I was born I was actually born in Armona, California. And, um, I'm one of four girls and my mother and father, they worked wherever they could find a job that was back in 1920s.

AT: 00:35 And, and what was the, the town you grew up in and what was that like?

KF: 00:41 No, it was a rural area in central California. And, uh, my father managed a 40 acre orchard, growing peaches, apricots and plums. And, uh, of course, hay, for the courses that have plowed the field because they didn't have tractors at that time, I guess, or it was too expensive. But, uh, he managed that for a woman who lived in near Los Angeles.

AT: 01:19 And where, where were you in the birth order of your family with your siblings?

KF: 01:27 What do you mean?

AT: 01:27 Were you the youngest or the oldest?

KF: 01:28 No, I'm the, uh, third, third child. I have an older sister who is her mother, Maxine's mother. And um, I had another sister that lived in Seattle and she was a nurse. She went to nurses training school, the government sponsored and uh, then came me. And then I have my sister Takaio. Now she is an actress. She lives in Hollywood.

AT: 02:08 Like, like before the war. Um, did you

KF: 02:15 What was life like, before the war?

AT: 02:18 You went to school?

KF: 02:18 Well, it was normal, you know, we had ah Caucasian friends and we also had Japanese friends. There were a lot of the Japanese. So, uh, we went to Japanese school too because I have parents wanted us to be able to converse with them. And uh, so we went to Japanese school.

AT: 02:45 And uh, do you remember when Pearl Harbor was attacked?

KF: 02:51 Yes, I do.

AT: 02:56 Or how old were you?

KF: 02:56 I mean, they made it, uh, very, I don't know what to say, but, uh, they wanted us to know that we were not the enemy. It was the people in Japan, not the Japanese in the United States. So they wanted to make sure that we were more American. Although ah, we did Japanese things like eating Japanese food, growing our own vegetables, which were, you know, the things that Japanese eat, but uh.

AT: 03:53 When you, when you say they, who are you referring to? You said they wanted you to know that you're more American than Japanese.

KF: 04:05 Yes, right.

AT: 04:05 Who, who is they or who is that?

KF: 04:08 My parents.

AT: 04:10 Your parents. Okay. And uh, how, how old were you at the time?

KF: 04:17 I was 14, so I was at that age where, you know, you do know that you're American and that you want to be American, although we look different.

AT: 04:42 And, and do you remember when the Evacuation Orders went out?

KF: 04:49 Yes. Yes. Um, my father bought ah three trunks to store his, uh, the valuables that he thought like, uh, the Japanese clothing and the good dishes and the blankets. You know, whatever he thought was, was important for him to keep. And he left it with a trusted friend and many of the so called trusted friends ended up not being trusted, but ours was a very trusted friend. And we did get our trunks back intact because we heard of people who didn't get their valuables back. They were taken from them, just lost. So we were lucky.

AT: 06:08 Do you remember how you felt about the situation at the time at age 14?

KF: 06:19 Kind of. And I have my, uh, I was a sophomore in high school and I had my annual, my high school annual and uh, people had written things and know my friends and one was uh my uh, my shorthand teacher. And he said, keep your chin up, things will get better. And I keep reading things that, you know, my so called friends wrote and uh, it's amazing, you know, some were real friends and some were not. So in a way I guess, you know, that's why we didn't go back to California. We stayed in Chicago and, uh, that jobs were plentiful for the Japanese Americans and even my father. So, you know, it was a good thing that we were in Chicago.

AT: 07:50 And where, where was the first place that you were relocated to?

KF: 07:58 Where?

AT: 07:58 Did you go to an Assembly Center?

KF: 08:02 We, we lived on the South Side.

AT: 08:07 Oh, I mean from your hometown and going to camp?

KF: 08:10 Oh from my hometown to camp?

AT: 08:14 Mhm

KF: 08:14 Okay. From my home time we went to Fresno Assembly Center and then from Fresno it was a five day train trip to Arkansas. It was, uh, an older train and sometimes, you know, they had to get a special, I don't know, it would stop and not not go, you know. So it was an old train that, uh, I was prone to motion sickness, so I was sick most of the way.

AT: 09:06 How long were you in Fresno?

KF: 09:08 In Fresno? I think it was a matter of months because we didn't go to school when we were in Fresno.

AT: 09:24 Do you remember what you would do then?

KF: 09:27 What?

New Speaker: 09:27 Do you remember what you would do to pass the time or?

KF: 09:31 Well, we would only play with each other and, um, I love sports. So we played basketball, baseball, and uh, we'd make up different teams and we'd play against each other.

AT: 09:52 Do you remember your first impressions of, uh, when you went to Fresno?

KF: 09:58 Fresno, yes. Well, they were mostly of people we knew. So, uh, it was, uh, not too bad, but the thing is it was hard for our parents. And, uh, let's see, my father and he was in Fresno. He had to have some kind of job and so he worked as a policeman and your mother worked in the mess hall. So that's about the only kind of jobs, you know, women can have working in the mess hall either as a cook or serving the food. So we were at my age, it was all fun.

AT: 11:09 And then, where did you go from Fresno and that it was a five day trip

KF: 11:22 To Arkansas. It was to Jerome.

AT: 11:27 And, and what was, what was Jerome like

KF: 11:30 What?

AT: 11:30 What was Jerome like? Did you go to school there?

KF: 11:34 Yes, yes. All the land to go to school and take a, I was in high school and I was pushing in a business course. So I took my, uh, regular and like history and science and English and, uh, for my, uh, alternative classes, I took shorthand and, uh, are there around business course. So at least, you know, we were able to, uh, get our education. It wasn't the best because the teachers were, were not the best, but at least we got through high school.

AT: 12:29 And there you lived with your family?

KF: 12:32 Yes. And then we went to Jerome, I graduated high school and so then they wanted us, you know, us to leave camp. So my father and went to a sod farm. I went out as a housekeeper, domestic work. I was a babysitter for ah young boys. And I only lasted six months I think. And then I decided to, uh, take an office job and I started working for the [H?] Old Store Company. The office manager was a Jewish woman and so she, uh, took us under her wings and treated us real good. I think because of they, the Jewish people were discriminated against. And then

AT: 13:52 Sorry, this was in Chicago?

KF: 13:55 Yes.

AT: 14:00 And so how did that work? Did your dad get a job first and then you joined him?

KF: 14:07 What?

AT: 14:07 Do you remember how that process works? Did your dad find a job in Chicago? First and then you joined him.

KF: 14:17 Yes, yes. Right.

AT: 14:18 And what about the rest of your family?

KF: 14:21 Okay. My father went to a sod farm, you know, they grow grass or lawn. And then, uh, he worked there until he was quite old. And my mother of course, didn't have any, didn't have any, you know, work related things. So she, uh, my father decided to buy a house and it had, uh, lots of bedrooms. So he rented it out to ah two, two fellas who were going to college and he rented it out and my mother made meals for them and made their lunch for them. So that helped pay for the house.

AT: 15:25 And where was the house located?

KF: 15:28 4453 South Ellis Avenue. Yeah. And um, I think it's still a pretty nice neighborhood, but that's why we're, many of the Japanese congregated bought homes or rented.

AT: 15:54 Did you know anyone that also moved to Chicago?

KF: 15:58 What?

AT: 15:58 Did you know anyone else who also moved to Chicago from camp?

KF: 16:03 No, except that, uh, the first job I had was in Evanston, at hous, the housekeeping. And then, uh, I had a relative who lived on Fullerton and, uh, she said, if you're tired of the, you know, housekeeping job, you can stay here and look for a office job. And so that's what I did after six months or so. And then I worked for this [Mal?] Richard, like I said, and she's Jewish. And so they were discriminated against so she was good to the Japanese and I worked for that company until I was 72 years.

Another Speaker: 17:09 You knew a lot of people from camp who came here and they were part of the Midwest Buddhist Temple.

Another Speak 2: 17:23 Right. I mean they had Reverend Kono was here.

KF: 17:25 Right.

Another Speaker: 17:26 So that's what she's asking.

KF: 17:28 Oh

Another Speaker: 17:29 Did you know other people from camp, you knew a lot of people who moved here.

KF: 17:37 As a matter of fact, Ben and Tosh, were the ones that bought the land, that was, um, a special deal, wasn't it? Yeah. Uh, oh, I think they found out that it wasn't a tax free area. And because um, the temple is tax free. I went to city hall and got the, uh, tax, free papers. And so that's how we were able to buy, buy the land.

AT: 18:24 And I'm sorry, that was the land for Midwest Buddhist Temple? So, um, and that, that property was purchased for the, for the temple to create the temple?

KF: 18:43 Yes. So every so many years we go to city hall and renew that, that we are still tax free.

AT: 18:58 So can you tell me more about, um, the, the folks who are involved in and founding the temple?

KF: 19:07 The what?

AT: 19:07 Who were involved in founding MBT?

KF: 19:13 Yes. Our minister and the two fellows, Ben and Tosh. Okay. They were ah, Tosh worked for an engineering firm and, um, Ben was, uh, optometrist and so they were able to delve into things and, uh, got more information about the tax free information and so did I. So I went to city hall.

AT: 19:59 And so was that just, um, that was like a, uh, volunteered effort?

KF: 20:09 Yes, right.

AT: 20:09 So can you, can you tell me about some of the early days of MBT?

KF: 20:15 About what?

AT: 20:15 The early days of MBT and getting that started?

KF: 20:20 Oh, yes. Uh, it happened that there were many Buddhists, uh, that we're, we're from California and elsewhere, like Tosh was from ah Seattle area, I think. Ben was from LA area and you know, we were all from different parts of California, but, uh, there were many Buddhists, so, uh, and they congregated from, uh, from the temple and uh, you know, we just gave voluntarily, what ever we could.

AT: 21:17 Uh, where, where did you congregate before, um, MBT? Was there a certain location?

KF: 21:25 No. Um, I think Moody Bible used to allow us to use the room because they are nonsectarian. Right? And uh, I think that's how we started. And I think ah, Mich Ichikawa had something to do with that.

Another Speaker: 22:04 I know there were some temporary places but I don't know any names

Another Speak 2: 22:08 How did you know Reverend Kono?

KF: 22:11 What?

Another Speak 2: 22:11 How did you know Reverend Kono?

KF: 22:13 Where?

Another Speak 2: 22:17 Did you, did you meet him in camp or was he in California?

KF: 22:23 Who?

Another Speak 2: 22:23 Reverend Kono.

KF: 22:24 Reverend Kono, he was in California at the Hanford Buddhist Church.

Another Speaker: 22:32 Wasn't he in camp?

KF: 22:34 Yes. But he was well known in California. He would go speak and at all the different Buddhist churches, he was a good speaker.

Another Speaker: 22:47 Was he in your camp too?

KF: 22:49 Yes, yes.

Another Speaker: 22:54 Did he have Buddhist services there too?

KF: 22:54 Yes, yes. But they tried, you know, they didn't want too many people at one time so they would, you know, congregate. And then later on they accepted. So we were able to use their home for services. But when we came to Chicago then that was another story again. He had a service on the South Side and had a service on the North Side before we built the temple. And Reverend Kubose was a popular speaker too. So he was mostly on the South Side.

AT: 24:03 How many people would you say were, were involved like in those early days of the temple, how many members or, or people would come?

KF: 24:19 It started out with maybe 25. They didn't want too many people at one time. So 25 to 50. And then it got, larger as it got well known.

AT: 24:43 And um, were there any other activities that you were involved with? Um, besides those uh, at the temple, in Chicago?

KF: 24:56 In Chicago, no, I guess I was so involved with the temple that I didn't have the time for the things. But, uh, when we were getting the, oh, what's the artifacts for the altar? I was in charge of that because, uh, I was an exporter. And, uh, so we were able to get him the altar pieces from Japan. And because I was in export, I was able to, uh, get special deals.

Another Speaker: 25:54 She was also the first female president, of the Buddhist temple as part of the Buddhist churches in America.

AT: 26:03 This is why I'm glad you're here. Wow. And so, um, so have you been involved in the temple since?

KF: 26:21 Yes, but I'm more or less retired, but I still help out wherever I can.

AT: 26:33 And, uh, so you, you had a family here in Chicago. Um, did you all, you raised your kids Buddhist and was that, that was the temple?

KF: 26:47 Yeah, because, uh, we had our scouting program at our temple, which kept our son involved at our temple. But he's, uh, he married a Caucasian girl, so, and has two children, so he's not quite as involved anymore, but we still keep in touch. He has twin girls.

AT: 27:32 And how, how would you say that, um, how has the, the Japanese American community of Chicago, um, changed from the time that you first came here after the war?

KF: 27:53 I think we may managed to coexist, you know, mingled with more Caucasians. As a matter of fact, uh, there's quite a few Caucasians that come to our temple and we try, try to be more a, you know, nonexclusive.

AT: 28:38 Well, as we wrap up here, um, just a few more questions and please jump in if you have anything else. Um, if, uh, if you could leave your, your children and grandchildren, um, with any kind of legacy or message, what, what might that be?

KF: 29:13 What would you say Joy?

Another Speak 2: 29:28 I would say do the best you can at everything. And always be mindful.

KF: 29:41 Yeah. And I always said when we had our building on the South Side, you know, don't, don't try to, to do things to, uh, make things shameful for the Japanese. We should uh, we should coexist. That's, that's my main, main thing. And you know, don't be too Japanese, but be polite. And I think that's what I learned from this Jewish friend. You know, my, uh, my boss and I, I'm still friends with the owner or the company Mrs. Elsdorf. Yeah, she came to my 90th birthday party. You don't remember?

Another Speaker: 31:02 No, she wasn't there.

KF: 31:02 She was there.

AT: 31:12 Well, thank you so much for recording with us. Is there anything that you might want to add or that I might've missed in this conversation?

KF: 31:27 No.

AT: 31:27 Well, thank you again.

KF: 31:31 Thank you.