Valley Voice Published by Valley Heights Senior Rental Community for all our friends and family October 2014  Valley Voices  Name: Faye Hashitani Age: 94 I was the eldest child born to an immigrant Japanese family. My parents had four daughters before having three sons. My father desperately wanted a son so when David (my first brother) was born, he decorated the crib so much that we could hardly see the baby. In my father’s day, Japanese immigrants were prohibited from owning property. My father worked as a farmer on agriculture fields all through the San Luis Obispo area. Our home was furnished with the barest essentials. We had no electricity so we used kerosene lamps for lights in each room. Water came from a well that was pumped into a large water tank by windmill power. We used an outhouse since there was no indoor toilet, where lime was used to control the odor. Our outdoor bath house was also not too far away in a wooden shed. We did have a crank telephone in our home that was placed high on the wall where the children needed to stand on a box to reach the mouthpiece to talk. Our mother would carry the youngest child on her back until they were able to walk. She did her daily chores this way. One of her chores was washing clothes by hand in our bath house on a wash board with bar soap. Our summer job was harvesting fallen walnuts, shelling them, and filling gunny sacks with them for sale. My fingers got stained by this work and I tried to hide my hands when school began each August. The school we attended taught 1st through 8th grades. We also attended Japanese Language School on Saturdays from 8 am – 5pm. I graduated San Luis Obispo High in 1938. My parents arranged for me to marry a local farmer whom I did not know. I objected and said I wanted to attend college. Since my parents could not afford to send me, I got a school girl job for a dentist and his family. The arrangement was babysitting and housework in exchange for my room and board. After receiving my AA in accounting from San Luis Obispo Junior College in 1940 I went on to Armstrong College in Berkeley to become a secretary. I also worked as a school girl to earn room, board, and some transportation money. I took the Civil Service exam when I was 20. I was hired as an administrative secretary at Camp Roberts. Six days later war was declared. I had visited my family over that weekend, but late that evening I returned to Camp Roberts on a Greyhound bus. When I went into the office on Monday, December 8, I was greeted by stares. They made me feel as though I was responsible for the war. I worked there for three months as the war raged on. In March 1942, I was served a letter from the commanding officer of Camp Roberts stating I was to leave the premises immediately. The US Army terminated my job “for the safety of the military and civilians on site.” It was a shocking and painful experience. My boss was kind enough to allow a driver to escort me to pick up my belongings and drive me to Arroyo Grande to be with my parents. A month later the evacuation order came. My father sold everything he had for whatever price someone would buy it for. We were allowed to take only things we could carry since we were transported by bus. We were sent for two months to a temporary camp in Tulare, until the permanent internment camp at Gila River, Arizona was completed. Acres of desert land covered the camp, which Continued on page 2 Continued from page 1 was surrounded by a wire fence and guards standing in towers with guns. Our family of 9 took residency in barracks that were meant for no greater than four people. Life in camp was full of sacrifices. I took a job as secretary for $12 a month at the camp, then a position as a camouflage weaver that paid $10 per day. I had a severe allergic reaction to dye, so I left the lucrative position. As I got well from the allergic reaction, news came that those who wanted to leave camp could, but only to the eastern part of the US. My father did not want me to leave with a friend to Chicago because he throught Japan was going to win the war, but I used my persuasive skills and in the late fall of 1943 I was on the train heading east. After much discrimination traveling to Chicago and to find housing, I found a room to share with three other girls in a college dormitory. In the workforce, I was also discriminated against because of my heritage. I took a civil service job with the US Army’s specialized training program at the University of Chicago. A few years passed and family began joining me in Chicago. Finding housing became easier as time went on, too, since the discrimination became less intense. A year after the war ended I took another civil service test. I passed and was sent to Japan. I was the only female at Sugamo Prison, and I worked as a secretary to the commanding officer. This was the prison that Tokyo Rose was incarcerated. My roommate there introduced me to a male friend she had known in Washington, D.C. We soon became friends and he had me transferred to General MacArthur’s headquarters in downtown Tokyo. The office faced the Emperor’s palace moat and had a beautiful view. My male friend, Raymond Hashitani, proposed in 1947 and we were married on April 10, 1948 in Tokyo. Our reception was held at the residence of Prince Takamatsu. Our daughter, Carol, arrived in March 1951. The only bill for the birth was for the food during our eight day stay in the hospital. All else was covered, as was our home and a maid, courtesy of the US Army. We returned state side when Ray returned to his work as an economist. Our second daughter, Joanne, was born in August 1953, when we lived in Washington, DC. My career became caring for our daughters while Ray earned a wage. In 1955 Ray’s office had a work force reduction, so we moved to his family farm in Ontario, Oregon. Two months later Ray was killed in an auto accident. Since Carol was 4 and Joanne was 2, we relocated to Watsonville to live with my mother. That same year my father had died. Two years later I enrolled my girls at nursery school and took a part time job with Dr. Katsumi Takemoto, general practitioner, as his receptionist. I worked for his group from then until 1985, when I retired to do volunteer work. I have traveled extensively- Australia, Africa, New Zealand, China, Japan, Ireland, Great Britain, France, Rio de Janeiro, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Machu Picchu, Canada, Alaska, Italy, Mexico, and most of the United States. If I could find someone to join me, I would love to continue to travel. My daughter, Joanne, graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA, received her Master of Fine Arts at Mills College. My daughter, Carol, was working on her Ph. D. in Sociology when she took a summer vacation to the east coast and was killed in an automobile accident in 1980. In my retirement, I volunteered at Ann Soldo School teaching third graders to read, and at the Mello Performing Arts Center. I have lived at Valley Heights for some time and have enjoyed getting to know people whom I have met. “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They ’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” -Dan Gable HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES TO: VIRGINIA KOTECK I OCTOBER M A R Y PO R T I L L O OCTOBER EARL HASSLER OCTOBER E M I L Y TA K E M O T O OCTOBER TE R E S A R O B E R T S O N OCTOBER 06 08 10 16 17 Valley Heights would like to welcome our newest residents: Janet & Earl Hessler “If you recognize the things in life That make your life worthwhile And you think about them everyday You’ll have joy and always smile.” - Ray Gardner October Highlights Everyone is welcome to attend our events. Please call 722-4884 for times and details. 10/1 Lunch at Golden China 10/3 Food Committee Social Hour with Richard Stauff 10/17 Social Hour with Juan Montero 10/4 Food, Fun & BINGO! 10/20 Casino Night 10/6 Casino Night 10/21 Social Hour with Chris Ring 10/7 Social Hour with Next Step (Senior Performance Group) 10/24 Men’s Lunch Social Hour with David Field 10/8 Welcome Lunch 10/28 Social Hour with Danceland 10/15 MVC Middle School Choir Performs Resident Council Meeting 10/10 Social Hour with Liz Fisher 10/29 Ladies Luncheon 10/14 Podiatrist Visits (Dr. Hyland) Social Hour with Young at Heart 10/31 Halloween Costume Parade and Contest at Social Hour Casino Night is held on the first and third Monday of each month. Join the Valley Heights dealer for some fun games of BlackJack during our Casino Night on Monday, October 6, and Monday, October 20, at 7:30 PM! Sign ups will be available in the binder at the front desk. MVC Middle School Choir Wednesday, October 15 at 9:30 AM Valley Heights Living Room Gayleen Myers is bringing the Monte Vista Christian Middle School Choir to perform on Wednesday, October 15 at 9:30 AM in the Living Room. Join us for a morning dose of music and fun. Invite your neighbors and friends! HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 Our annual Costume Contest will take place on Friday, October 31 at Social Hour (3:30 PM) in the Living Room. Come see some spooktacular costumes that showcase frightening Halloween Spirit. Following the contest enjoy a spooktacular dinner in our festive Valley Heights Dining Room. Don’t miss out on the treats!