Regional Oral History Office University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Maggie Gee Rosie the Riveter World War II American Homefront Oral History Project A Collaborative Project of the Regional Oral History Office, The National Park Service, and the City of Richmond, California Interviews conducted by Leah McGarrigle, Robin Li, and Kathryn Stine in 2003 Copyright © 2007 by The Regents of the University of California Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Maggie Gee. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, Mail Code 6000, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000, and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Rosie the Riveter World War II American Homefront Oral History Project: An Oral History with Maggie Gee conducted by Leah McGarrigle, Robin Li, and Kathryn Stine, 2003, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2007. Oral History Interview with Maggie Gee on April 10, April 29, and May 20, 2003 for The Rosie the Riveter World War II American Homefront National Park Interviewers: Robin Li, Leah McGarrigle, Kathryn Stine Transcriber: Sarah Wheelock audited by Shannon Page, 10-5-04 Discursive Table of Contents Gee, Maggie Final TOC tape#1 00:00:21 Discussion of Cantonese origin and meaning of name -- Grandparents were fishermen from Guangzhou and left because of the Taiping revolution in the 1860’s. Actually emigrated as a couple to Monterey.- Grandmother had thirteen children born in America. Mother was born in 1895 -- Family connections and issues of isolation in the Chinese population of California.--Property issues for Californian Chinese -- The Chinese fishing community in Monterey.-- Moving from Monterey to San Francisco’s China-town. Father was a businessman from Hong Kong. Arranged marriage.--The cable act and losing citizenship in 1922 -- The family moved from San Francisco to Berkeley. The excellent public transportation of the bay area on which her father commuted. 00:15:32 Restrictions on where one could live led to most Chinese people living in Chinatown -- Effects of the earthquake on the Chinese community- many moved across the bay and set up truck farms -- Father’s importation business in rice and soaps. Sidewalk elevators used to load and move food products -- Mother’s life at home with many children.--Keeping connected with the family in China on Mother’s side -- Father’s death. During the depression due to a heart attack. Dependence on gambling and the stock market before the crash. Family managed to keep some property -- Mother’s heavy church involvement in a Chinese church on Acton Street. History of the church -- Chinese school at the church, which served as a general community center -- Importance of speaking Chinese in the Berkeley Cantonese community. Generation differences in the community -- Integration of immigrant communities. Memories of African American circumstances before the Civil Rights movement.(1920’s). 00:32:32 Mother knew many people in the neighborhood, cooked both Chinese and American foods. Life changes after her husband died. Sewing and housekeeping for money until the war came and she could get a better job. Financial help from the family -- Deer hunting during the depression -- Mother was independent in her own way. Very hard working and efficient although uneducated. Dynamics of the busy household.-- Mother’s transition from housework to defense work. Excited about getting a “real job” and being patriotic -- Patriotism during WWII. Some people lumped all Asian people together and after Pearl Harbor this was additional motivation for Chinese patriotism. Chinese and Japanese relations. 00:45:20 Peer reaction to mother getting a job was disapproving -- Mother was a burner at the shipyards which was like light welding.--Memories of Kaiser and the co-op -- Mother’s liberal politics and community activities with orphanages -- Mother’s Kaiser medical benefits. Copyright © 2005 The Regents of the University of California ii TAPE # 2 00:00:17 Kaiser health care continued. Difficulty of mother’s job and commuting details -- Impressions of Richmond during the war. Blue collar community, Standard Oil, Ford company and Pullman company. Also a large swimming pool in Richmond, and the ferry -- Impressions of discrimination in the bay area. The wah-mei club of Chinese and Caucasian women -- More discrimination was apparent in Richmond and in San Leandro -- Many immigration communities in Freemont. 00:14:08 Changes in the racial make-up of blue-collar workers and the population increase in Richmond. Jokes about people sleeping in shifts in poor housing -- Mother worked in the post office after the war -- Excitement of the worker influx of Richmond and the ways it affected entertainment -- The burgeoning Richmond music scene -- Many people moving from the south to the bay area, particularly African Americans -- Standard Oil executives living in Richmond with their families -- Public versus private schools on the west coast and particularly in Berkeley -- Lunch with Adolphe Rosencranz. TAPE # 3 BEGIN INTERVIEW 2 00:00:24 Life in Berkeley after Pearl Harbor. Community meetings to decide action promoted sense of community togetherness. Blackouts preparation. Stamps for supply shortages -- Supply shortages and rationing. Horsemeat was plentiful -- Focus on vegetable gardening. Victory gardens -- The media, newspapers and the radio. “extras” sold special editions of the paper when special events occurred -- Communications from Chinese-American families to family members in China. Packages of supplies were sent from the U.S. to China during the war -- Mother’s job at the shipyards. Working graveyard and transferring to mid- day swing shift -- Remembering her reaction to the news of Pearl Harbor and FDR’s radio address. Anti- Japanese propaganda. Cartoon imagery. Patriotic options and sense of obligation. 00:16:38 Personal impact on young men and women at the beginning of the war -- Asian women’s activities at the beginning of the war. The USO and recreation activities -- Working at the YWCA, the V5 and the V12 programs of education. International house was taken over by the Navy. YWCA programs: recreation and support for local soldiers.--Getting a job as a shipyard draftsman at Mare island. Training program for the position and then working as an engineer assistant -- Few women doing this work -- Housing issues in Berkeley. Living in Parent’s home versus renting. Racism made renting difficult -- Chinese church housing for students. 00:30:19 Personal feelings on discrimination in the Bay Area and local political involvemen -- Effect of Pearl harbor on Chinese-Americans. Proud to be Chinese -- Breaking household items which were made in Japan and tended to be poor quality imports -- Though at the time there was no word for it, there was a discernable difference between Japanese in Japan and Japanese-Americans. Chinese-Americans were particularly angry about the invasion of China and Manchuria. Dating Japanese was taboo because of what it might do to your reputation. Racial hierarchy -- Diversity of Berkeley. Mexican integration -- New perspectives on life after the war -- Chinese fraternity Pi Alpha Phi. Chinese sorority Sigma Omicron Pi. 00:44:53 Perspective on politics in minority communities. Liberal v. conservative views -- Thoughts on the political climate during the depression and WWII. Public works, FDR etc. compared with contemporary political programs -- Security at Mare Island -- Ships at Mare Island. The San Francisco, submarines, Copyright © 2005 The Regents of the University of California iii destroyers, cruises -- Female relationships at Mare Island and impressions of their changing roles -- Wages at Mare Island (equal for