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Emery, Louise (audio interview #3 of 4)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - Recorded in her living quarters at Pilgrim's Place, the audio quality of this interview is good. 3/1/1977
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- 2021-02-23
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- SUBJECT BIO - Louise Emery spent most of her adult career engaged in social programs, initially at the First Congregational Church in Los Angeles and then at the YWCA, first in Hawaii and then in Pasadena. After graduating from Mt. Holyoke, Emery worked at publishing companies and advertising agencies in Boston until moving to Los Angeles with her parents. Although her job at the First Congregational Church launched her career in social welfare, it was her work as the executive director of the YWCA in Hawaii that first brought her into contact with various ethnic communities. Emery arrived in Hawaii just a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Afterwards, she developed programs and services at the YWCA both to provide support to servicemen and their wives and the members of the Japanese community. After the war, in 1946, she returned to Los Angeles and became the Executive Director of the Pasadena YWCA. During her seventeeen years there, until her retirement in 1963, Emery started many programs for minorities and fought reform battles with the male-dominated community. TOPICS - work with First Congregational Church; YWCA - Hawaii; attack on Pearl Harbor; YWCA activities during WWII;mother's illness; WWII; YWCA -Hawaii; ethnic relations; return to Pasadena; development of YWCA Black youth and Big Sister programs; position as executive director of YWCA; and conflict with AMA over health insurance;
- *** File: reflemery5.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-5:41)... <No tape introduction> Emery was not well paid for her work with the First Congregational Church, earning only $2,400 a year by 1940. Although there were churches in the community that offered educational courses, there was nothing similar to the program at the First Congregational Church. [She digresses regarding her attendance at an adult education conference at Mills College.] Towards the end of her career at the First Congregational Church, the Board of Trustees became more conservative, and she was surprised that she was able to carry on such a broad program. In 1941, she was offered a position with the YWCA in Honolulu, Hawaii. (5:41-10:10)... Emery discusses her attitudes toward religion and the YWCA's initial prejudice towards the Unitarian Church. Although she is not a pious woman, most of her work has been through church organizations. Her experiences with the YWCA were rewarding because she was able to reach out to people and solve problems practically, not through prayer. She goes back to her discussion of the First Congregational Church and discusses the formation of the Business and Professional Women's Club there. (10:10-15:35)... Emery traveled to Hawaii by boat . She recounts meeting the former executive of the YWCA, who familiarized her with the status of the organization on the island. After settling in, she acquainted herself with the membership committee and the adult education committee. She describes her relationship with the Japanese, Chinese, and Hawaiian natives. Initially, there were communication problems with the Japanese members because of differences in business practices. (15:35-26:31)... Emery describes her experiences during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. The next morning she went to the YWCA to coordinate the meal service for the Home Guard. She recalls that many of the Japanese people on the island destroyed their sacred altars and ancestral heirlooms to avoid being targeted as enemies. The YWCA organized several classes in the days following the attack, including courses in first aid and Japanese and Chinese language lessons so that servicemen could learn a few of words and be able to communicate. The YWCA had a shelter equipped with gas masks and people were assigned specific responsibilities in case of another attack on the island. (26:31-31:07)... She recalls the noticeable fear and anticipation of another attack on the island. American soldiers were taken to the YWCA for rest and recreation and YWCA volunteers were instructed on how to talk to then, e.g. they were told that a solider could talk about his experiences more than once. Courses were taught in the YWCA cafeteria for the servicemen and their wives. The women's USO was housed in a large room in the YWCA compound. She explains that the YWCA was very busy because of the large influx of soldiers, civil defense people, and volunteers. Emery's official title was Director of the Adult Education Program. She also handled the publicity for the YWCA and its membership. end of tape *** File: reflemery6.mp3 (0:00-1:48)... Emery recounts meeting a woman on the Red Car (the Los Angeles streetcar) who consoled her about her mother's illness. [She becomes emotional as she describes this conversation.] (1:48-7:33)... In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the YWCA reached out to many people. Classes were organized for people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds; she recalls that the spirit was very cooperative. She particularly admired the treatment of servicemen's wives during the war crisis. There were many cases when servicemen came to the YWCA in mental anguish over their experiences. The atmosphere was both cooperative and tense in anticipation of an air raid. She recalls taking measures to prepare for another possible attack. (7:33-10:43)... During the war, Emery started painting and she recalls the juxtaposition of the Hawaiian landscape and barbed wire. (10:43-14:29)... The English classes taught by the YWCA largely targeted older, Japanese women who were divided from the rest of society and their own families by language barriers. The English classes were very successful and changed many of these women's lives. Emery recalls that the Japanese population in Hawaii viewed another attack on the island as a threat to their security; they feared victimization by either White servicemen or Japanese invaders. (14:29-17:51)... Other classes that the YWCA offered during the war included arts and crafts, painting, and pottery. They were offered an emotional release for people. The YWCA also dedicated a large room to the Red Cross to make bandages and supplies. She believes that there was a social revolution occurring in Hawaii, as evidenced in the many interracial marriages. (17:51-22:07)... Emery loved Hawaii and reveled in the experience of working with Oriental [sic] cultures. When she organized a roundtable on the study of the Pacific Islands, she had many talented speakers from which to choose. Professors at the University of Hawaii were also very active with the YWCA. Although she does not know whether her knowledge of Hawaii made a difference in any of her work, the experience there expanded her horizons a great deal. (22:07-28:53)... Emery returned to California and accepted the position as executive director position of the Pasadena YWCA. She describes her responsibilities in this capacity; at one time she managed a staff of thirty-five people. The YWCA reached out to the Black population in the Pasadena area because many were suffering from alcohol abuse, were single mothers, and were dropping out of school. She solicited the services of a social worker and psychiatrist to draw Black girls into the YWCA's youth programs. She discusses the formation of Black youth groups and the YWCA's mediation in gang disputes. (28:53-31:11)... Through meetings and classes under the direction of the YWCA, a group of disruptive students were brought under control. She recalls inviting the mothers of these children to a party at the YWCA at Christmas; they were very grateful for the assistance with their unruly children. (31:11-35:31)... Emery describes the development of a Big Sister program in coordination with the schools, probation offices, and law enforcement agencies. There was a tough screening process for those wanting to become Big Sisters. The YWCA also communicated with the parents; the Big Sisters program tried to foster better relationships between the parents and the children. (35:31-42:51)... One of the controversies in which the YWCA became embroiled was over health insurance. While the YWCA supported Medicare, medical professionals were adamantly opposed to the idea. The AMA in Pasadena appealed to the Community Chest to deny funds to the YWCA or they threatened not to contribute as long as the YWCA was a member. When the YWCA invited the AMA to a conference on the matter, neither group would yield their position. This experience taught her that men can be very hard and have no sympathy for the welfare of families and children. end of tape
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