Letter from Kay Yamashita to Elizabeth B. and Joseph R. Goodman, January 9, 1943

January 9, 1943

Dearest Betty and Joe,

Hi | Hof A HAPPY NEW YEAR To YOU BOTH!

Saturday afternoons are about the only days I have a little time to myself

and I've been spending it here in the office --~ the Students got wind of it

and are now coming in even on Saturdays --

I do wish to thank you very much for the blue mittens - nope I guess they're

gioves. Hiwdid you know my fingers were coming through the ones I had!

Thanks for being so thoughtful -- Christmas, was much toQnice - and you were

one who made it so.

It was the most unusual Christmas I've ever had, but more meaningfud than

any other since the death of my father. Grace Nichohks had sent me a huge

red candle to light on Christmas Eve - with lovely pine greens et all --

it was iit and we sat gabbing until late and at 12:30 - our old Church choir

came around carolling just like they used to at home - t'was lovely.

The cooks here tried terribly hard to make New Year's day as many of the

olders wanted with the usual Japanese feasting - they made "o-mochi" a4

white patty made from pounded and steamed rice - dunked in chicken soup.

New Year's Eve -- found us having two huge parties going on - one for the

older Nissei and the Caucasian Administrative Staff, and the other for the

young high school bunch. I managed to go the the "older -- snop party"

( it was being called wither - "are you going to the snob party or the mob

party") I can't imagine where all the liquor came from but most of the

Caucasian staif came well lit (one being bounced out by Mr. Ernst himself)

and too the evacuee group didn't do so bad either - which was badl and I

thought Utah was a dry state with the Mormons taking nothing stroer than

hot broth. The party was a huge success - with a floor show with both the

Staff and evacuee group taking part -- imagine having hot coffee, turkey and

open face sandwiches of all kinds, salad and all being served - I just bet

no one on the outside did better. Ail in all it was a surprise to me.

The Administrative staff came en masse - what was disappointing to me and

every one else was the fact it ended at 1:00 - much too early. - so we found

everyone going to small parties after leaging.

We had to work on New Year's day - you can imagine what a farce it was -- the

Caucasian staff just couldn't and didn't show up - which was alright with us.

With the new year - there id a definite stirring and worrying going on - with

those planning to stay here desperately trying to settle down to some normal

living - and those trying to get out, getting terribly anxious waiting for their

tlearances, finding themselves up in the air and upsetting the equilibrium of

those around them. I'm constantly with the students and certainly can feel

the pulse of this group, which is either depression, can't go ; got to get out

and earn some money With a constant hounding at the Employment division;

or gosh l'm going, on pins and neddles always pestering me kind.

We are wondering, certainly, what 1943 holds for us.

On Tuesday, we had a round-table with the twenty odd students for whom we've

received From X'es, to talk over the usual "you are an ambassador-of--good-will

etc." stuff - in the past 1've been going thru the whole thing with each student,

a Se

We had three heurs of real discussion - and many came in later asking for more

material to read. If you remember I had collected quite a bit of material

before and after going to Tanforan - but unfortuantely I sent them to a student

at Univ. of Nebraska, who is writing his thesis on the evacuation. If you

hpppen to have around anything you think ought to be read by these students

I'd appreciate it, if you'd send them to us - I shall promise they shall be used

plenty.

We're having tonite a Intercollegiate Association meeting in one of the Dining

Halls - with speakers, games, folk dancing, and eats. The need for such an

association has been felt ever since we stegped foot in this "heze desert" but

with none of the rec. halls open to our use we were stumped. The steering

committee is made up of recent graduates of the junior, state colleges headed

by Cal students and grads. -- we've opened it to everyone interested and

eventmally hope to invite the seniors in high school in for orientation etc.

The steering committee put in a sum of money and two of the committee members

were permitted to shop in Delta for refreshments - we expect a good crowd ,

I'll teil you all about it.

As you probably know, Dr. Carlisle is not with us anymore -- though he would

like nothing better than to come back and gosh we,sure wish he would. I

was able to see him several times before he left - he told me he had already

written to Washington you - having exchanged a number of "wird. Here's

sincerely hoping something comes of it.. Do you know the Harry Q. Johnson's

foremerly of the Bay Area? Mr. Johnson is the new Senior Counselor for the

Welfare Department - he's a swell fellow, but at present not knowing the

ropes he's a terrible pottle-neck - everyone likes him and I think he'll start

things rolling soon.

Yippee! A fellow just came to tell me fA got his release to go to a

NYA training school - offering, room and board in a dormitory and training

in welding or machinist plus $10.80 a month - we received this wonderful

ietter from the personnel counselor there offering this opportunity to

one ol our fellows - but our Leave Officer is swell but an awful sticker

for regulations and wouldn't consider sending him out on 4 temporary permit

inspite of knowing that the NYA is on its way out and if he wasn't permitted

to take advantage of it now he may never be given the chance - they have

almost assured us of placement for the two fellows that are out there now

and this other fellow - I went to beg for his release and was told it couldn't

be done -- somebody finally went to talk to Mr. Ernst - and lo and behold hets

leaving tomorrow. Mr. Ernst has never failed us - if the request has at all

been reasonable he's granted it. We have a case of a fellow going up to

Tule Lake without an escort -- he just had to go before the death of his fahter

and only because Mr. krnst was willing to break regulations for him was he

able to get there in time. These are the little things that are being done.

that keep us working our heads off. - really heart and soul.

I see Betty, youre working for Mrs. Duveneck again - I can imagine the flood.

of work that's yours now since they've begun helping in Employment. I do

sincerely hope I can help in it too. I went to observe for three days in

employment and came running back here - for I found I could be really nelping

somebody if I stayed with Student Relocation - our Employment service is

just plain NG - ali in it are confused, many of the applications received two

months ago haven't even been touched - and Washington and the stub offices

are probably swamped and running around in circles s I've sent stuff to them

about students going out on employment and haven't been able to get a peep

out of them. The bottle-neck system is running counter to the whole idea of

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