Kano, Sachiko (7/24/2018)

Anna Takada: This is an interview with Sachiko Kano as part of the Japanese American Service Committee and Chicago Japanese American Historical Society Oral History project. The interview is being conducted on July 24th, 2018 at JASC in Chicago. Sachiko Kano is being interviewed by Anna Takada of the Japanese American Service Committee. So, as I mentioned to you earlier, sort of the flow of these conversations is, we like to talk about your experiences pre-war, and a little bit of background information about your family, and then learning more about what happened to your family during the war. And then kind of finishing up and focusing on resettlement in Chicago, so why your family chose to come here, and what it was like when you arrived. So, before we get started, can you just 00:01:00state your full name?

Sachiko Kano: Sachiko Donao. That's my maiden name, Donao, which is very unusual, they tell us. You know. Kano.

Anna Takada: And where and when were you born?

Sachiko Kano: I was born in Sacramento, California, 11/1935.

Anna Takada: And, to start, can you just tell me a little bit about your parents, where they were from and what brought them to--

Sachiko Kano: My grandfather came because, the story goes in the family that he couldn't join the Russian-Japanese war because he was too short. And he was an adventurer anyway. He went to Hawaii in 1905, and he jumped to Sacramento area 00:02:00after, I understand, a year in Hawaii. And, he was married at that time, and I believe my mother was one years old when he came. And, she's the oldest in the family, of the children. And, he came from Chiba, prefecture of Chiba. And the town near they- he was born and lived was in Ōhara.

Anna Takada: And, so does that mean that he met your grandmother in Hawaii?

Sachiko Kano: No, they were married before, in Japan.

Anna Takada: Okay.

Sachiko Kano: My grandfather was unusual man, that he was an adventurer. When he was young, he went up to Manchuria, and you know... Unusual because he was the oldest in the family. And I understand he didn't like school, he used to ditch school all the time. My grandfather was quite a, quite a man, you know? (laughs)

Anna Takada: And, so you said that he spent a year in Hawaii before moving to Sacramento?

Sachiko Kano: Mhm. He moved to Sacramento because there was a family, it could be our relatives, but they always said friends named Sato. And the father, the father named Sato, I don't know his first name anyway, he was in Sacramento 00:04:00area, I think farming. And then he called in his two sons the Satos. And, the father went back to Japan. My grandfather was actually friends of the father. The, these two men were the sons, so they were younger than my grandfather. And they started farming there. And, I guess they were in a area called Oak Park outside of Sacramento. And then the two brothers bought land, 100 acres as I understand, and then they divided among the people that came from Chiba, you 00:05:00know, Ōhara area. They divided land, 20 acres a piece and my grandfather happened to be one of those that bought it. And that area was called Mayhew.

Anna Takada: And so, were these family friends? Is that how he knew the Sato brothers?

Sachiko Kano: They could have been cousins, you never know, you know?

Anna Takada: So you said your mother was already born by the time they went to--

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, one years old. Well, my mother didn't come 'till, I don't know, 1920s? They left her in Japan. My grandmother came in 1912. My grandfather came to America in 1905 and she finally came in 1912, left my mother there in 00:06:00Japan. My mother never wanted to go back to Japan. She never talked about her life in Japan because I think it was too harsh. My father wanted to go visit after the war and she didn't want to. So my father never went back to Japan.

Anna Takada: And how old was your mother when she came to-

Sachiko Kano: 15, as I understand it. My cousin, she's a librarian at, in Edwardsville, Southern Illinois. And her husband is you know, a Caucasian man and he's a big deal at Southern Illinois. He, he's in administration. Last time 00:07:00I heard, he was vice president at Southern Illinois, Edwardsville campus. And she's doing, she was doing the research, and she told me my mother came when she was 15 years old. I knew she came when she was older, but I didn't know the age my mother came.

Anna Takada: And, so she joined your grandparents in Sacramento then?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, because immigration was going to... I think she came around 1920 or whatever, I don't know exactly. All I know is my cousin told me she was 15 years old when she came.

Anna Takada: And how about your father's family?

Sachiko Kano: My father came by himself. He's from Oita-ken.

Anna Takada: And can you tell me more about his background and why he came to the U.S.?

Sachiko Kano: I, I think he was the only child for a long, long time. And I don't know, he just came. He was, he was 15 years older than my mother. He came in 1912 in Seattle. At that time they didn't have a port in San Francisco, so they all had to come in via Seattle. And he came to Sacramento because he had a cousin, a woman cousin that was married to a Buddhist priest. And I guess they were trying to, I don't know, trying to f-find a, a temple you know, in 00:09:00Sacramento area so...

Anna Takada: And what kind of work was he doing, your father?

Sachiko Kano: He, I don't know what he was doing, but he went to Utah to tenant farm for a while. Where was... Ogden! He was in Ogden, near Ogden, Utah tenant farming. And then he decided that it was, he wasn't making any money or doing anything profitable. The only area he knew was Sacramento, California, so he came back there. But by that time, his cousin and the husband had gone back to 00:10:00Japan. He started his own business selling goods to farmers. They would order and he would bring it in. That's how he met my grandfather. And I don't know what happened. I guess my grandfather made a good deal (laughs). My father was a really good man you know? He let my mother run the whole show.

Anna Takada: And what were your parents names?

Sachiko Kano: Saichi Donao, D-O-N-A-O. That's everybody that hears that Donao doesn't think it's Japanese. They're really surprised.

Anna Takada: And your father's name? Oh, that's your father's name. And your mother's name?

Sachiko Kano: Nobu Yamasaki.

Anna Takada: And, so what, what year did they get married?

Sachiko Kano: I don't know. I've got wedding pictures. My father told me after my mother had died that the wedding was, everybody from the countryside came because it was an unusual wedding that they had a Christian wedding, and that was, really unusual in those days. So everybody came to the reception, everybody. I have pictures of that down in the, in the trunk, old trunk I have.

Anna Takada: And can you tell me more about their religion, your parents?

Sachiko Kano: My mother, m-- I guess my father was Buddhist or Shinto whatever. 00:12:00And my mother was Christian here, became a Christian. My grandmother converted to Christianity first here and then I guess passed it onto my mother when she came. In fact there was, from you know Chiba, there was a man that became a pastor in Sacramento. I can't even think of the name of the man because I used to play with the daughter, you know. I remember her name, Ruth, but I don't remember the last name.

Anna Takada: And with, what kind of Christian church was it?

Sachiko Kano: Baptist. We, in fact, my parents followed them you know in camp to 00:13:00where the groupies you know, went to. Like we went Tule Lake, the group went to Tule Lake, and the group went to Arkansas, Denson, and to Heart Mountain. But a lot of 'em came to Chicago too. In fact they were, majority were members of Reverend Oyama's church that's on Devon Avenue, that church. But when I knew it, it was in the middle of the highway. You know, they got the money to help build the, that Devon Church.

Anna Takada: And before, before we get into the Devon Church, so your, your father was Buddhist and your mom was Baptist?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, you know when they came to...

Anna Takada: And so when you were raised--

Sachiko Kano: We were raised Protestant, Baptist, so I still go to the church.

Anna Takada: Mhm, and do you have any siblings or did you have any siblings?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, I have two of 'em. Two older ones.

Anna Takada: And do you know what years they were born?

Sachiko Kano: The oldest was born 1928, October, I think one of the holidays in October. We don't celebrate anymore. (laughs)

Anna Takada: And what is their name?

Sachiko Kano: Chizuko. But they always called Chiz. But I always called her Nee-san, and I used to get so mad because people used to call her other names. I used to get mad and say, "Her name is Nee-san!"

Anna Takada: And how about the middle sibling?

Sachiko Kano: Yuri

Anna Takada: And w--

Sachiko Kano: Irani.

Anna Takada: And what year was she born?

Sachiko Kano: '30, on Valentine's Day.

Anna Takada: And then you were born five years later in '35?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Anna Takada: And can you, so you would've been young when your family entered camp?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. I remember some parts, but not-- Like crazy things I remember. Like... the FBI going house to house, I still remember that. I don't 00:16:00know why. And rumors were going around, and you know people were getting scared. And I used to listen to all kinds of Japanese records. I don't know if you know Naniwabushi?

Anna Takada: Mhmm.

Sachiko Kano: I used to listen to that and like it. Well, they, they broke every Japanese records and everything. You know, people were afraid that they, whatever they had, maybe the FBI would think that they were subversive or something, so...

Anna Takada: Who was breaking the records? Or who--

Sachiko Kano: We were. You know, the parents were. Anything Japanese they would try to get rid of you know. Rumors were going around that you know, "This was 00:17:00bad and that was bad." So people would destroy everything.

Anna Takada: And do you have, so do you ha-- you remember this as a, experiencing it as a child?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. See, things like that, I remember, some things you know?

Anna Takada: How about the December 7th, 1941? Do you remember?

Sachiko Kano: Well we were at a movie theater. My mother ran a business and my father had his own business. So this man, he was a friend of my parents and he used to help them out by taking us places like on Sunday. And we were at a movie. We didn't know what happened, anything happened. Just came home from the 00:18:00movies as usual you know? He took the three of us you know to the movies so my father and mother could have some rest.

Anna Takada: And, you mentioned your, your mother had a business, what business was that?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, she ran a rooming house and we lived there too. She took care of these single Japanese men. You know, they were farm workers. And when the harvest season would, would end, then they would come and stay at the hotel. She had Mexican helpers. And then my father had his own business. He had a liquor store, he bottled, he bought wine in barrels and then he bottled his own 00:19:00wine and he put his own label on the wine. They were surprised at how little the store was, but he sold so much they thought it was a way, way bigger operation, but he did everything himself.

Anna Takada: So at some point, your father switched businesses--

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: --from selling farm supplies.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. Actually my mother was a good business woman. She looked so meek and you know, but she was the power in the family really. She always used to say, Papa was, but no, it was her. She ran the whole family.

Anna Takada: And so financially, with your family, it sounds like-

Sachiko Kano: We were pretty well off you know? My father revealed later that you know, they took the money out of the bank and my mother hid the money in corset. She sewed, sewed pockets in the inside of the corset and that's where they hid the money on her.

Anna Takada: So was that after the evacuation orders, they withdrew?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, yeah, yeah because didn't know what was going to happen. My grandparents were in an area called Mayhew, and that was country, inaka in those days. So they went to different camp than we did. They stayed in one camp until 00:21:00we called them into, you know...

Anna Takada: Which camp were they-

Sachiko Kano: Poston, Arizona.

Anna Takada: So, unless you have any other memories of kind of those pre-evacuation orders, I'd love to--

Sachiko Kano: I remember us being taken to, I don't know, maybe a Japanese, the Japanese Buddhist temple or anything to get shots. That's what I remember. And then I remember going, you know to the first assembly camp in Sacramento. I remember my mother and father bought us these small purses that looked like 00:22:00footballs you know, and we were dressed in our, I guess practically best clothes you know, waiting for, I guess a bus or something to take us to the first camp.

Anna Takada: Do you know why your mom dressed you up?

Sachiko Kano: Well, I don't know! (laughs) But we were all dressed up though, and you know. I guess we didn't want to look like bums or something. Most Japanese dressed to go, you know, to camp.

Anna Takada: So, can you tell me more about, so you were sent to an assembly center?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. Then we went to Tule Lake.

Anna Takada: And do you have any sense or idea of how, about how long you were in each location?

Sachiko Kano: We were in Tule Lake until they decided that the dissidents would come to the camp. And the ones that signed the loyalty oath "No", then they shoved us to Denson. Yeah I r-- in Tule Lake, when we first got there, I, I got really sick, you know? I had kidney disease and they didn't know what to do, you know? So I was incapacitated for one or two years in Tule Lake.

Anna Takada: Was there a medical facility there?

Sachiko Kano: Makeshift in the beginning. Oh, I had nephritis. That's a kidney disease. And there was no medicine or anything you just had to-- At that time, you know, there was no medicine, and at that time as I recall if I walked, I would blow up, you know? So, they couldn't do anything. But my grandmother in Arizona, she had heard that watermelon was good, so she would cook it and send 00:25:00it to the, you know, our family, you know in Tule Lake. They stayed at Poston through the whole you know, whole... My uncles were, one uncle was drafted before the war, so he was in the army already. And he was stationed most of the time in Australia. He was trained, I guess, in Minnesota in the, what, Translation Department or whatever... So he was stationed in, in Australia. My other uncle went to camp. But he would go in and out of camp. He would go work 00:26:00you know, and then when he felt that the draft letter... I shouldn't say, (laughs) but the draft letter would be coming to where he was working, he would quit or you know, it would be off season. So he would come back to camp and live there for a while. And then when he felt that the draft letter would come, he would go find another job outside of camp. (laughs)

Anna Takada: Do you know the ages of your uncles at that time?

Sachiko Kano: Nope.

Anna Takada: At least of draft age.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: Mhmm. Do you, what are some of your memories of Tule Lake?

Sachiko Kano: I remember one memory that they said a young kid drowned in the 00:27:00river around there. So everybody from camp went out there to look for the young man. I guess he died drowning in the... I don't remember too much about camp life. Maybe I just put it out of my mind. But, you know, there were things that you didn't realize was going on in camp, you know?

Anna Takada: But you realized later, or?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. Yeah. Like the No-No boys, you know?

Anna Takada: Not realizing...

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. We knew that troublemakers or dissidents were coming to the 00:28:00camp, that's why we had to move, but... And then there was quite a ruckus about the you know whether you, you're loyal to the United States, or you're loyal to Japan. Yeah, there were quite a bit of discussion, we knew. And one of my father's friends, he was single, his wife was back in Japan. She never came to the United States. But, he was here to work. And he was a single man. He was a really good friend of my father's. In fact, he used to be the one to take care of us, you know, so my mother and father could have rest. And he said to my father, "I'm surprised, you, you know, you didn't sign "No" you know for the..." 00:29:00Because he signed, "Yes", he was going to go back to Japan. Well, he had no family here, so he said, "No", he's not dis-- he's disloyal. And, actually a lot of them didn't understand, you know? A lot of the Isseis I think, and a lot of them were single men too, so... Oh, I know, I forgot their name, but they had a business right next to my father's, and I was a lonely kid. There wasn't kids my age around. So, I used to go running into their barber shop every day and sit there, and they would pretend to cut my hair. And they were really good friends. 00:30:00They were like you know, my grandparents.

Anna Takada: Where was that?

Sachiko Kano: In Sacramento. And they, they sent their sons back to Japan. I guess because, I don't know, they didn't have time to help raise them you know? The, the parents were barbers, both of them, in the shop. So, they sent their sons back to Japan and they knew that the sons were in the military army in Japan. So they decided this is the way to go back to Japan after the war. So they signed, you know, Non-loyal. So they stayed in Tule Lake. And that single 00:31:00man I was talking about, he stayed in Tule Lake. We moved on with the church group to Denson, Arkansas.

Anna Takada: And before we get into that move, you mentioned that you were ill in camp.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: Were you, what were you doing at the time as a, as a young kid? Were you going to school or...

Sachiko Kano: No, just going to start school.

Anna Takada: And um--

Sachiko Kano: Well, at that time, they were just setting up the camp health, healthcare you know. Funny things I remember though, people are really resourceful because in, they had a huge laundry room with all these big tubs and 00:32:00everything. Someone was making tofu and selling tofu.

Anna Takada: In camp?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: And, so it sounds like there was still a, a church presence in the camp.

Sachiko Kano: Oh, yeah.

Anna Takada: Can you tell me more about that?

Sachiko Kano: Oh, I remember the name of the ma-- of the minister. Igarashi, Igarashi. He, as I understand, came from the area of you know, Chiba, Ōhara area I think, you know the area. And he completely changed he was, as they said 00:33:00later, that he was a big drunk. And I don't know, he came here and converted to Christianity, and he went to seminary and he became a minister.

Anna Takada: But he was in Tule Lake?

Sachiko Kano: And he led the church, you know, in camp.

Anna Takada: So was there like an actual church building in Tule Lake?

Sachiko Kano: I don't remember. I think they borrowed, you know one of the camp, and converted to a church. There was a huge, I think this was Easter in Tule Lake, Easter Sunday. It was a huge Christian gathering. And I think that's where 00:34:00my mother and father were baptized, as I recall. I was just a kid. So that's a memory I have.

Anna Takada: In Tule Lake?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: And so it sounds like there was a sizable congregation there in camp.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, yeah.

Anna Takada: And so then, you said that, kind of with members of the congregation you moved to...

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, we moved as a group you know, to these places.

Anna Takada: So where, where did you go next?

Sachiko Kano: Denson, Arkansas. That's where my mother and father met up with Reverend Oyama. He, he was the pastor of you know, the Devon Church. He was the 00:35:00original pastor of Devon Church. He ministered to two camps, Denson and, I can't remember the twin camp. It was close by.

Anna Takada: And, so was this, was this Rohwer?

Sachiko Kano: Pardon?

Anna Takada: Was the camp Rohwer?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. Yeah. It was Rohwer. Yeah.

Anna Takada: And so I'm thinking, if your family left Tule Lake around the time that they converted it to a maximum security--

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, yeah.

Anna Takada: So I believe that was in '43.

Sachiko Kano: I guess.

Anna Takada: And then, so at that point you would've been eight years old, you think?

Sachiko Kano: Maybe, I don't remember.

Anna Takada: Or, no I'm s-- yeah. Eight years old. So you were still pretty young when you were moving around.

Sachiko Kano: Oh yeah.

Anna Takada: --in camp.

Sachiko Kano: I remember when they moved us, to camp, to camp. I remember I don't, maybe we were going to Arkansas, I don't remember. Maybe we were going to Heart Mountain. Every time we came near a town, they would stop the trains and make us close all the shades and everything, and we would go you know. I remember that. I thought, "Strange, they make us pull the shades" you know?

Anna Takada: And do you have any specific memories about Rohwer?

Sachiko Kano: You mean Denson.

Anna Takada: Denson?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. Rohwer was the twin, you know, next door.

Anna Takada: So the camp was Denson?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: Okay.

Sachiko Kano: Rohwer was the next one over. I mentioned that because Reverend Oyama used to take care of the two camps.

Anna Takada: Oh, okay. So Denson, that was also called Jerome?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, Jerome. Yeah. I guess that's the official name, huh? Jerome?

Anna Takada: I think that's more commonly known. But...

Sachiko Kano: I couldn't think of Jerome. Now I know that's Jerome. Yeah.

Anna Takada: And were you, so at that point, were you going to school?

Sachiko Kano: I don't even remember. Yeah, I think I was. But I don't remember school at all in the camps. I went, I know. But...

Anna Takada: What are some of the memories that stick out to you about Arkansas? It must have been different.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. All I remember is hot. And we used to play out all the time. I used to play with this minister's daughter. She was a lot older than me, but we didn't have other people to play with, so. Her name was Ruth. I remember her first name, Ruth.

Anna Takada: And do you know how long you were there?

Sachiko Kano: I don't know, maybe about a year or so. Then we went to Heart 00:39:00Mountain. The contrast was really something else, because it was so cold in Heart Mountain. That's all I remember about Heart Mountain, was it was really, really cold.

Anna Takada: Must have been a shock, especially living in Sacramento--

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, hot, really.

Anna Takada: And then from the swamps.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: So, do you know what the reason was for that move to Heart Mountain?

Sachiko Kano: They were closing Jerome.

Anna Takada: So, okay. And was that another move that you did with the Baptist church?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. Yeah. And the group.

Anna Takada: And was this the same people that came from Tule Lake as well?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: So a number of...

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, came from Sacramento. Majority of the people that my mother and father joined, you know, they were from Sacramento.

Anna Takada: Do you know if there were other members that were kind of picked up along the way who joined? So maybe-

Sachiko Kano: No.

Anna Takada: Okay. So this was mostly Sacramento...

Sachiko Kano: People.

Anna Takada: And then, do you know how long you were in Heart Mountain?

Sachiko Kano: Till practically the end of the war. Because my father was pretty old at that time. And he felt that he couldn't handle things, until they, oh until our friends from Sacramento, they came out real early. They had two sons. 00:41:00Actually four sons. Two sons became ministers in the Presbyterian church. And they were prominent in the Japanese area, not in Sacramento area, but in the Los Angeles area. Their name was Toriumi. And they came to Chicago, so... They urged us to come. Finally, my father said, "Well, yeah." We had to get out. So we came to Chicago because of them, you know urging us. And we couldn't go back to California anyway.

Anna Takada: Why, why was that?

Sachiko Kano: The war was still going on, and they still restricted you know 00:42:00people, Japanese people from going back to the West Coast. So we came because of the Toriumi family. They had four sons. Two were, one was younger than my middle sister, and they had three other, other older sons. There was a son named Den Toriumi. He was, actually took care of the, you know parents. He was in Chicago here.

Anna Takada: He, he was in Chicago?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. The parents died in Chicago. They were prominent in that Presbyterian church by Wrigley Field.

Anna Takada: And do you know why the Toriumi family chose to come to Chicago? As opposed to somewhere else?

Sachiko Kano: Like Seabrook? A lot of them went to Seabrook. I don't know, maybe because there were jobs here. She was a sewing, she was my mother's sewing teacher in California, in Sacramento. So that's how you know, my mother and father came to know this Toriumi family. Yeah, we stayed with them, maybe, I don't know, when we first came to Chicago we, we stayed with them on Jackson Boulevard. On the West Side.

Anna Takada: Um, do you, would you happen to know the cross street--

Sachiko Kano: No.

Anna Takada: Or how far west?

Sachiko Kano: I know the son, the youngest son, he was still school age. So he went to Skinner at that time. I understand there's two Skinners, but at that time there was one Skinner.

Anna Takada: And would you happen to remember taking the trip from Heart Mountain to Chicago?

Sachiko Kano: No.

Anna Takada: That's a, that's a long trip.

Sachiko Kano: No. Just trains, I know.

Anna Takada: And how about when you first arrived to Chicago? Do you remember having any first impressions, or...

Sachiko Kano: I don't know, it was big. And my father and mother were trying to get housing. At that time in Chicago, it was hard to get housing. So, I think, 00:45:00as I recall, we lived couple of weeks on the... We couldn't stay with that family you know long time. So, they desperately found housing on the South Side. I think we stayed couple of weeks on the South Side of Chicago, and don't ask me where, you know. And then we moved to the... Somehow my parents found housing on the West Side, Italian neighborhood of Chicago. We lived on Flournoy Street. The building is not there, but we were next to Notre Dame Church. On I think Harrison Street, it is. Yeah. It's still there. Notre Dame Church is still 00:46:00there. The building that we lived in was torn down shortly after we moved to the North, North Side. And my grandparents, they finally came out of camp. And it was only my aunts, my two aunts and my grandfather and my grandmother. And they found housing across, maybe a block across from us in the Italian neighborhood. They lived in a small, two story building owned by a Italian family, you know.

Anna Takada: And so was that your mom's family?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: And remind me which camp they were in.

Sachiko Kano: Poston. But I don't know which number. I don't remember that. Poston. That whole family's gone now. My aunt just died couple of years ago, you know. She was never married.

Anna Takada: And when you, so you mentioned that your parents had a lot of difficulty in finding housing.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. In those days it was really hard to find housing. So we moved to the West Side there, you know.

Anna Takada: And do you know why it was such a challenge?

Sachiko Kano: Well, they weren't building, you know. It was just difficult at that time. Housing wasn't being built because of the war, and you know.

Anna Takada: And, do you have any memories of what these different apartments that you were staying in were like?

Sachiko Kano: What do you mean?

Anna Takada: Like, can you describe the, the buildings? Your first homes in Chicago?

Sachiko Kano: All I remember is it was a stone building on Jackson Street. Jackson Boulevard, I guess, not Street. And then it was just a flat where we lived you know, I think, maybe '45 to-, maybe five years we lived there. It was a building full of Mexicans. And I happened to... We thought I was to go to the school a block away called McLaren. I don't think it's there anymore. But I was 00:49:00out of district so I had to walk all the way to Jackson.

Anna Takada: Was it much farther?

Sachiko Kano: Jackson Element... Oh yeah, way further. So, and we, yeah, I went to elementary school there and then I went to Lakeview High School up north, you know.

Anna Takada: Can you tell me more about what your school was like?

Sachiko Kano: You mean Jackson?

Anna Takada: Mm-hmm. Because that was the first school you went to in Chicago.

Sachiko Kano: It was-- Yeah. It was, majority were... We were right in the heart of... It was on Carpenter Street, South Carpenter Street. I guess it's still there. But majority was Italian kids and a sprinkling of Mexican people, kids 00:50:00you know. I grew up and my best friend, as I recall, was a Jewish girl. She lived, I don't re--, a very Orthodox Jewish girl, Jewish family. And I was, one of the memories I remember was I went to her house and her mother was throwing all the meat that they were going to eat in buckets of water, washing it. I never saw that before! Yeah they were really kosher, because I would invite her 00:51:00to my house and she wouldn't eat anything because we weren't kosher. But I remember eighth grade when we were you know, we used to be able to go to, I don't know how old would I have been? 12, 13? 12, 13, 14, somewhere around there. Anyway, we would go downtown Grant Park and we'd come home around 11 o'clock by ourselves you know. Yeah, the parents, our parents would let us go out that late and come home from downtown. Yeah. We didn't have cars or anything, so I remember that.

Anna Takada: So how were you getting around?

Sachiko Kano: Public transportation, we were getting around. Yeah.

Anna Takada: And when you came to Chicago, did you have an okay time making new friends at school and...

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, I guess so, but I was unusual, I guess. But they didn't think too much of it, you know. But they never included me in, you know, really participating in groups or, you know, I was a outside man.

Anna Takada: And was that, do you think that was because--

Sachiko Kano: But they always threw me in, when there were activities, group activities, they always threw me in with the Mexicans, the Spanish group, not the Italian group, but always the Spanish group.

Anna Takada: And was that because of your identity, that...

Sachiko Kano: I don't, I have no idea. Probably, you know the Italian group were so intermeshed together that you know...

Anna Takada: And it sounds like that they were the majority.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, yeah.

Anna Takada: Did you ever experience any kind of prejudice or discrimination as a kid?

Sachiko Kano: Maybe I did, but I didn't realize it. You know, probably discrimination would be because I would always be grouped with the Mexican people, not with the Italian people.

Anna Takada: And did you participate in any activities outside of school or, or was--

Sachiko Kano: We just went to... I used to walk all the way to Ashland Boulevard, and I don't remember, maybe it was Harrison. Anyway, I used to have to walk to Sunday school myself. My mother made me go to Sunday school. It was a Methodist church, St. Paul Methodist. It's not there anymore. My uncle, they got married at that church. They're lifelong Methodists, anyway. I don't know why, but my uncle was a Methodist. That part, I don't know why they were Methodist, but they were.

Anna Takada: Were you going there only for Sunday school or was your family attending a different church?

Sachiko Kano: Sunday school only. My, you know, uncles, they were active at Saint, and my aunts, they were active at St. Paul.

Anna Takada: And how about your parents?

Sachiko Kano: At that time, the Japanese churches were so far away, they didn't really go. Or if they did, they went to Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown where they had a Japanese group going.

Anna Takada: Do you know anything else about Fourth Presbyterian?

Sachiko Kano: No.

Anna Takada: Or anything about--

Sachiko Kano: No, that they, they were kind enough to, you know let the Japanese come and have service there, you know.

Anna Takada: And how about the other, the Japanese churches that were too far, 00:56:00which churches were those?

Sachiko Kano: Reverend Oyama's Church. They were in the middle of, what is that highway, now? The Kennedy, I think? Yeah, they were in the middle there. They were bought out by, you know, so they could build the highway, and they moved to Devon, which was considered oh, so far away, you know, at that time. And, later, we knew that Reverend Kuzuhara, they had a church there. We only found out because we, we lived around the corner from where that Lakeside Church was, then 00:57:00we joined them.

Anna Takada: And where was that located?

Sachiko Kano: On Sheffield and Wellington.

Anna Takada: So that was around, you must have moved-- (intercom speaker in background)

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, go ahead.

Anna Takada: So you must have moved, then, if that was around the corner?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: If that was by. So--

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, yeah, that's not... My building's not, my father's building is not there. In fact, they closed up Wilton at that area. The Illinois Masonic took over part of Wilton Street. But take your phone call or whatever.

Anna Takada: Oh, that's okay. That wasn't for me.

Sachiko Kano: Oh, okay.

Anna Takada: That was just, we were just interrupted, that's all. And, so what was, so you mentioned the building on Wilton. So I guess we can talk about what your parents did when they arrived to Chicago, for work?

Sachiko Kano: My father, I don't know what he did for work in the beginning. I don't know if he worked. I think he worked part of the time, you know, Curtiss Candy Company. So many Japanese worked at Curtiss Can-- Candy Company. And they had a farm, too, out maybe, in Arlington Heights. We thought it was country, that a lot of the Japanese lived there and worked there and processed chickens 00:59:00and things like that. You know why I know? My uncle's wife's family were there. They lived, it was practically all Japanese in this one building. And, and they were processing poultry, I think, in the, on the grounds. They lived on the grounds and they were processing, you know?

Anna Takada: Outside of Chicago?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, that's suburban area, now, you would consider. But we thought it was out in the really boondocks, you know!

Anna Takada: And--

Sachiko Kano: A lot of them worked there. (Intercom speaker in background).

Anna Takada: I'm sorry. Actually, just one moment. I'm going to...

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, take it. I'm in no hurry.

Anna Takada: Okay, so we were talking about work.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: In, in the city.

Sachiko Kano: That's where a lot of, not a lot, but Japanese were there processing chickens and then, the women and... you know. My grandfather used to work for, I don't remember the name of the company or anything, they used to 01:01:00separate magazine pages, put them together for magazines, like Look and, you know, Life Magazine. A lot of the old Japanese worked there. I guess they were good with their hands, you know fast, so they used to work. My grandfather would, this was the first time he had ever worked in a factory or anything. He was always on the farm being independent. I have to laugh because he worked there long enough to get some social security, and my grandmother got some, too. She didn't work, but you know, she got his part of his money, I guess, until she died.

Anna Takada: And you mentioned your father working at Curtiss Candy Company?

Sachiko Kano: I think he did.

Anna Takada: Do you know what kind of, what some of the jobs were, there?

Sachiko Kano: No, I just, a lot of Japanese worked at Curtiss Candy because of Harry Maeda.

Anna Takada: Who was that?

Sachiko Kano: Harry Maeda was from Sacramento and, I don't know if he was a lawyer or something, but he worked for Curtiss, recruiting, you know Japanese people from camp, and you know, a lot of the older ones, to work at Curtiss Candy Company. That was a popular place for Japanese to work. Another popular place was called McClurg, they used to, these companies, I guess you're not familiar with, huh? McClurg, Japanese worked there, quite a few. They, they were 01:03:00like, you know, they would pack things up and you know, sell dishes and all kinds of things, knick knacks, everything. And the Japanese workers, I guess, would pack them and fill the orders and everything. And the ladies, you know, the ones that sold, like my mother, they worked at this, I don't know the company's name, everybody referred to them as Sherman Sherman, and they would make children's clothes. The ones that wanted--, as I got the impression, the ones that wanted to work as sewers, they started at Sherman's, you know.

Anna Takada: And it sounds like your mother found work, as well?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, she worked at Sherman's. A lot of the Japanese ladies worked there. My aunt, one of my aunts, she worked there, I think, as a finisher, you know. Not doing sewing like my mother, but you know, I guess inspecting and I don't know, cut off threads and things like that.

Anna Takada: And you mentioned, in an earlier conversation we've had, that your father bought some property?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, they bought property, you know the Wilton house they did, three story apartment building.

Anna Takada: And which neighborhood is that in?

Sachiko Kano: Lakeview. And Lakeside Church was right around the corner from us. Lakeside Church was Sheffield and Wellington. Sheffield and Wellington.

Anna Takada: And do you know why your father chose to buy a property up there?

Sachiko Kano: Well, Japanese were moving up there and it was a good neighborhood, Lakeview area.

Anna Takada: Do you know why, why Japanese Americans were moving to that area, in particular, or why moving, in general?

Sachiko Kano: I think it was convenient, too, you know. From, for work and everything, close to downtown. I know once Japanese used to work for, women used 01:06:00to work for RCA. They were near Tribune Tower or something, at one time. My mother's good friend from Sacramento worked there, Mrs. Mendel. Yeah, she w- she was a widow and she had to, her husband died early in Sacramento, and she had, I think, three kids she had, she had to support. And I think at that time, she worked at a cannery in California. She was here, she came here and I know she worked for RCA, you know?

Anna Takada: Were there other families that you knew from Sacramento that also 01:07:00came to Chicago?

Sachiko Kano: Oh yeah. They were all by Reverend Oyama's church. I don't know why the majority went to Reverend Oyama's church up in, I don't know. But now, you know, I hear, the Japanese congregation is not there anymore.

Anna Takada: You mean members or Japanese American members are no longer...

Sachiko Kano: Japanese American, they still do English, you know worship. In fact, American man is leading that group, but it's really a mixture, now, you know.

Anna Takada: Mhmm, and just going back to your family's move to Lakeview, you 01:08:00had mentioned that was also, you started attending Lakeview High School?

Sachiko Kano: Mhmm. I was just outside of the Waller, at that time. Lincoln Park was called Waller High School.

Anna Takada: Can you tell me more about your personal experiences, you know as a young teenager moving to a different part of the city, going to a new school?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, it was, that population, in, at Lakeview, was mostly, at one time there was Swedish, they had, when we first moved to that area, there were quite a few Swedish businesses on Belmont near where we lived. And then later, 01:09:00I, I guess it changed into a German neighborhood. And then, while I was living there, there used to be quite a few Spanish businesses, but no Spanish living in that area, but they had businesses on Belmont Avenue.

Anna Takada: And how about the Japanese American population? You mentioned that--

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, but at Lakeview, I only knew one girl. Her name was... I remember her last name, but I can't remember her first name. Morioka. But if there were Japanese, there were only about, I don't know, I think a lot of the 01:10:00Japanese might have gone to Waller High School, you know, south of us. But at Lakeview, we didn't have hardly any Japanese people there. In fact, not even Oriental people.

Anna Takada: And did you, did you know other Japanese Americans your age, maybe, outside of?

Sachiko Kano: No, no.

Anna Takada: No?

Sachiko Kano: No, because there wasn't. Well, our age group, I guess there wasn't a population of kids, you know? Especially in the Japanese group. Like, you know when my sisters grew up, they had clubs and everything going, you know? But not in my generation, no.

Anna Takada: So your sisters, were they a part of any Girls clubs?

Sachiko Kano: Oh, not Girls Scout, just plain girls group, you know

Anna Takada: Were they involved in any of those groups?

Sachiko Kano: I gu-- Yeah, I guess they participated quite a bit. I don't know. They, they were older than me, so they had their own group going. I know there was a big bunch of Japanese, you know kids growing up. In fact, my two sisters graduated from, what is that school? McKinley High School. It's famous for having Walt Disney graduate from there. But that was the high school they went to, was McKinley High School. They both graduated from there.

Anna Takada: So you, they, you're saying that they were, there were a lot more--

Sachiko Kano: Oh, there were quite a few, yeah.

Anna Takada: Japanese Americans their age.

Sachiko Kano: Mhmm. I had brought a picture along. The thing is, we never identified anything, but you know there are groups, group pictures, I thought, maybe, you'd like to see.

Anna Takada: Oh yeah, thank you for bringing those.

Sachiko Kano: If I can find it in my purse, I have all kinds of junk in there. (laughs)

Anna Takada: So what year did you graduate from Lakeview High School?

Sachiko Kano: '54 or '5-? No, '55. '55.

Anna Takada: And did you participate in any activities outside of school?

Sachiko Kano: No, they... Well, they were exclusive, you know what I mean? We 01:13:00weren't the kind of people they wanted.

Anna Takada: Why is that?

Sachiko Kano: I don't know. Because we were rare species or whatever, you know?

Anna Takada: And, but you were still going to church. Was that your only outside of school activity?

Sachiko Kano: No, I used to, we used go out, you know groups of friends and everything. But the only contact I had with--

Anna Takada: (Sneeze) Excuse me.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, only contact I had with Japanese is church. That's the only contact I ever had with a group. You know, no Japanese around.

Anna Takada: And I meant to ask you earlier--

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: But growing up, were you speaking Japanese with your parents?

Sachiko Kano: I spoke Japanese until I went to preschool or kindergarten in Sacramento.

Anna Takada: And, when you, by the time you moved to Chicago, were you still speaking Japanese?

Sachiko Kano: We would speak English, and my mother and father would speak Japanese interspersed with English, you know how it goes.

Anna Takada: And, in these, these early days of moving to Chicago, you've mentioned there was you know, a Japanese American community here. There were people working at Curtiss Candy Company and all of these different places, and, and some of the churches you've mentioned. Were there, do you remember any, any 01:15:00other areas where there were maybe a number of Japanese American families living? Or, you know where there--

Sachiko Kano: They started coming, I guess, from the South side. They, there was a sizable Japanese community. In fact, they had a Christian church, you know, all Japanese, on the South side. I don't remember the name of the church. And then that broke up when the minister went back to California. But I don't know, we've always been scattered around. You know, pockets here, pockets there, you know?

Anna Takada: Do you remember any other of these pockets, like you say, in the other areas in the city?

Sachiko Kano: Well eventually, I don't know, a lot of them migrated into the Lakeview area, and then after that some went to Uptown like my aunts when they, like my aunt when she first got married, they moved in fact near Aragon? What was the street? Lawrence and... up the street from Aragon. I don't remember--

Anna Takada: Bryn Mawr?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. Something like that. There were Japanese there before people went into Edgewater. I think the Japanese from Lakeview moved into the Edgewater 01:17:00area, you know, where there's that North Shore, North Shore Church where I belonged to.

Anna Takada: And in these areas, were there businesses or restaurants, or anything like that, that you remember? Grocery stores?

Sachiko Kano: All I remember is that you know, in the Lakeview, edge of Lakeview, I would call it edge, but near Wrigley Field, you know that, I can't think of the name of the place.

Anna Takada: Toguri?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah Toguri, but no, just a plain grocery store. It was so popular. I can't think of the name.

Anna Takada: Star Market?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, Star Market. Yeah. We used to go there all the time and my 01:18:00father used to know the young men that you know, ran the place, owned the place. They were from Sacramento.

Anna Takada: Do you recall their name?

Sachiko Kano: I think one of them was Hatanaga?

Anna Takada: And-

Sachiko Kano: You know why I know that name? Because I guess they lived in Evanston because my son went to high school with the Hatanaga boy.

Anna Takada: Do you-- And so did your family go there often for groceries?

Sachiko Kano: Oh yeah. When we lived in that area, yeah.

Anna Takada: What, what was, what did they sell? Or, or can you describe the--

Sachiko Kano: Everything. Anything Japanese. I mean, grocery wise, they were the 01:19:00most popular, you know. There was York, that's a good friend of my, you know, grandfather's family, York. And I don't remember the other ones, but York was in business for a long time.

Anna Takada: That was another...

Sachiko Kano: Japanese store.

Anna Takada: And do you remember where that was located?

Sachiko Kano: Originally it was around Division Street, you know, around Clark and Division. Somewhere around there. It was run by a sister and brother. And then everybody was happy that we had Star Market, you know? That, that was really popular.

Anna Takada: Could you-- This is kind of a strange question, but would you be able to describe what Star Market looked like? Or was it a large grocery store?

Sachiko Kano: No, it wasn't that large, but they had everything Japanese you know you would want. When we, we, when you wanted to, like my mother always used to cook you know, New Year's everything, you know, traditional. They went to Star Market you know? Or else, before Star Market, they used to have York deliver stuff, you know.

Anna Takada: And so how long was your family in Lakeview?

Sachiko Kano: My, '6-, 196-... My mother died in 1965, so maybe 6-- I think '66 01:21:00or '68 or something like that.

Anna Takada: And where did you move to?

Sachiko Kano: Oh, we were the first ones to move to Evanston. I was married by then and I had three kids by then. So...

Anna Takada: Well, where in Evanston?

Sachiko Kano: Still where I live, Northwest Evanston.

Anna Takada: And so what year were you married?

Sachiko Kano: '5-- Let's see, '5-, '58, yeah.

Anna Takada: Where did you meet your husband?

Sachiko Kano: In school.

Anna Takada: College, or...?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, college, mhmm.

Anna Takada: And where did you go to college?

Sachiko Kano: Elmhurst, that's the, as far as I could get from out of the house. My mother wouldn't let me go further than that. She said that's too far away.

Anna Takada: And--

Sachiko Kano: He's from the old country. He was a student there.

Anna Takada: In Elmhurst?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: And what did you study?

Sachiko Kano: Sociology.

Anna Takada: Was there anything in particular that made you interested in sociology or how did you...

Sachiko Kano: Well, there was a professor that really, you know, was really 01:23:00good. In fact, he was, he was at the college for years and years and years. And he would tell us stories about when they accepted Japanese students at Elmhurst, they were afraid that something would happen to the Japanese students. So since he was Dean of the college at that time, he would accompany the Japanese students to go into downtown Elmhurst so nothing would happen to them.

Anna Takada: So it sounds like he had an, an impact on you and what you wanted to study.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. Yeah. Sociology and Religion.

Anna Takada: And another thing I wanted to ask about was, you mentioned that a, a number of people in Chicago, or, or some people moved back to California or the West Coast.

Sachiko Kano: A wholesale bunch. At one time we had, they say over 20,000 in population. And when it was permissible for Japanese to go back to California, a lot of them went back. In fact, my sister married a man and he went back to California. They lived in Gardena area. My oldest sister, they lived in the Gardena area because his family went back to California. They moved back.

Anna Takada: Do you know why your family chose to stay in Chicago?

Sachiko Kano: Because my uncles didn't-- My mother, I know she was, she looked meek and everything, but she was really the strong person in the family and she decided we're gonna stay here because my uncles didn't want to go back to California. They didn't want to do any more farm work. 'Cause it was hard work and besides my grandfather, he always went, disappeared, went fishing or just did something else, you know, so they would be responsible for the work. So they didn't want to go back to Sacramento area. My grandfather was the only one that 01:26:00abandoned land. I mean the land that he had, you know? The others all went back you know? In fact, one of the Sato-- Original ones that bought the land, he donated his land, most of his land to create a Baptist church in Sacramento. It's now Sacramento town, it's not country anymore. So yeah, the Sato family had nine children a piece.

Anna Takada: Wow. So we have a few minutes left. One thing I would want, I want to ask is, when you think about the Japanese American community from those early 01:27:00resettlement days and, and you think about it now, what do you think are some of the... what has changed or how would you describe them? How would you compare them, I guess?

Sachiko Kano: What do you mean?

Anna Takada: Like um...

Sachiko Kano: The Isseis to present, right?

Anna Takada: No, I guess I mean more like the population of Japanese Americans in Chicago kind of in the '40s, you know, how did that look compared to today?

Sachiko Kano: There is no Japanese community now. When people ask "What are you?" I get mad so I say, "I'm made in the USA." But then later I'll say I'm 01:28:00Japanese and they're so surprised. "Japanese?" Or like I don't know antiquity or something. People used to think of Japanese, but now they don't. We've, we're a disappearing, you know, ethnic group. People don't think about Japanese anymore. Like, you know you say-- the thing that really comes right into their minds when they ask you what you are. They say, "Are you Chinese? Are you Korean?" You know?

Anna Takada: Do you think that's--

Sachiko Kano: But, never comes into their mind, that Japanese.

Anna Takada: But you think, so it sounds like you're saying that visibility 01:29:00maybe is a little bit different, like back then people--

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, yeah. They would mention Japanese, but now not a word, you know? And they're so surprised when you say Japanese. Why are they so-- I know in my family, the only one married to a nihonjin, Japanese, is my niece in California. All the rest, my cousins and my children are all married to, you know, white people, mostly English and German.

Anna Takada: And what is the ethnicity of your husband?

Sachiko Kano: Japanese. Well, he's, he was the only one here so... Of his family, so...

Anna Takada: And was he in camp as well or...?

Sachiko Kano: No, no.

Anna Takada: He was here before the war?

Sachiko Kano: Yeah. No, after the war, way after. He came here for schooling.

Anna Takada: From where?

Sachiko Kano: Japan.

Anna Takada: Okay.

Sachiko Kano: So we are a disappearing group. So my son said, "You should, you should tell your story!" His wife is, I think, English and German. And I've talked to her aunt and they said they were part of Amish group. She, the family, 01:31:00her mother's side is based in Iowa, you know, or the Amish area. And the father's side is Illinois.

Anna Takada: And--

Sachiko Kano: She was, until last year, she was a one star general in the Air Force. She's a nurse, you know?

Anna Takada: Well we have time for... Well we should be wrapping up.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah.

Anna Takada: I...

Sachiko Kano: Time for what? (laughs)

Anna Takada: (laughs) Before we wrap up our conversation, do you think that 01:32:00there's, there are any ways that your childhood experience of the war and going to camp and then moving to Chicago, in what ways, if any, has that kind of shaped who you are as a person or, or impacted your life?

Sachiko Kano: The only world I always knew was white world, not Japanese world, you know? Once in a while it would come when you have festivals or something like that, but not, you know, we've always lived in the white world. Always my friends and my close friends are all white people. So, I don't-- maybe if we 01:33:00stayed in Sacramento area, we would have more of a impact of, you know, oriental culture or Japanese culture. But here, you know, that has been wiped out. The only group was this service committee. My father always supported the service committee, but you know, there aren't many groups to join. I, I joined the Baptist church group at you know, North Shore because my husband wanted to join the Japanese speaking group and I just went along with him to make sure that this was the group that he would like to stay with, you know? And they adopted 01:34:00me. Reverend Nambu said, after I attended a year, "I think you should join our church." I said, "Okay."

Anna Takada: And one thing I like to ask before closing with people is if you could leave any kind of message or legacy behind for your kids and maybe grandkids, what kind of thing would you want to leave with them or help them know?

Sachiko Kano: I would like to ask that they explore more of the Japanese heritage that they have. My granddaughter, the 18 year old, she's very interested, you know? But we live in an area that's so remote from you know, 01:35:00Japanese culture mostly up where they live. They live in Wilmette and the high school that she went to is New Trier. There's hardly any Japanese there. And she's been in contact with, lot of Taiwanese kids and mostly Taiwanese kids, you know.

Anna Takada: Yeah. And is there anything else that you would like to add or that I might have missed in this conversation?

Sachiko Kano: No. I don't know if I gave you information or not, but, thanks.

Anna Takada: Well thank you so much again for coming in and taking the time to speak with me.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah, I hope it does some good, you know.

Anna Takada: Thank you.

Sachiko Kano: Yeah b--