Other
JK, alias (audio interview #2 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the second of three interviews with JK (who chose to remain anonymous) in her apartment in South Gate. Because of arthritis and other medical problems, she became uncomfortable during the interview. Nevertheless, she remained a willing participant and was often quite candid in her responses. 4/14/1980
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- 2021-06-07
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- *** File: rrrjk4.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-4:42)... JK returned to working for the woman in Beverly Hills while her newborn son was still in the hospital. In March 1942, she learned about opportunities in the defense industry and applied for a position at Lockheed in Burbank. All of the applicants were women; however, she does not remember how many Black women were there. She was required to take an examination and was told she would receive training in sheet metal. She trained in Burbank for three months and then was transferred to Sacramento where she worked and lived for two months. The women she trained and worked with were racially mixed. She earned $75 a month while working in the defense industry. (4:42-9:14)... Note: there is an interruption in this segment when Knot answers the telephone. Although she trained at a facility in Burbank near the Lockheed plant, she did not work for Lockheed. In training she learned how to rivet and how to read blue prints. Her mother cared for her son while she was in training; however, when she was responsible for her son when she got home from training, which did not allow her to get very much sleep. She was transferred to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento to complete her training and await an assignment to a defense plant in California. Her pay increased from $75 to $125 a month. She eventually tired of this training and left before she was assigned to work in a defense plant. (9:14-11:55)... Traveling to Sacramento was a new experience for JK. She had not been out of Los Angeles since she moved there at the age of six. She went by train and shared a room with another trainee at a boarding house. JK did not have an active social life during this period. She went to the movies on one occasion and also visited a dance hall, but was denied entrance because of her race. This was her first experience with prejudice while living in California. (11:55-14:13)... She trained in Sacramento for about two months and then returned to Los Angeles in August of 1942. Although the training she received in Sacramento was on an advanced level, much of it was repetitious. The training facility in Burbank offered different classes and there were both men and women at the facility. JK does not recall experiencing or hearing any negative attitudes expressed towards women by the male trainees. The atmosphere was friendly and people enjoyed working together. (14:13-21:57)... When she returned to Los Angeles from Sacramento, she answered an advertisement in the L.A. Times for a drill press operator at a lumber machine shop. She applied for the position and was hired because of her training experience. She was the only woman who worked in production and the only Black employee at the shop. She earned $125 a month and worked there for three months. She was fired because she accepted a ride from a male co-worker. She digresses and talks about her work attire at this shop and when she worked at North American. (21:57-25:09)... JK describes her responsibilities as a drill press operator at the lumber shop. She worked the swing shift and her mother took care of her son while she was at work. She liked the swing shift because it allowed her to sleep in the morning and go out at night after work. There were separate restroom facilities for the men and the women at the lumber shop. There were women who worked in the office during the day and she believes that women also worked in the shop during the day. She does not recall if she received any breaks throughout the day. *** File: rrrjk5.mp3 (0:00-4:01)... After JK lost her job at the lumber machine shop, she applied for a position at North American. She learned about North American hiring women through word of mouth. She went to the plant located on Imperial and filled out an application. She was interviewed and received a physical the same day. There were several other women of varying ages and races interviewing for positions. JK was one of about six women hired on the same day they applied for the position. All of the women who had previously given birth were diagnosed with umbilical hernia and required to purchase a truss. JK was fitted for a truss but she never wore it to work. (4:01-9:33)... JK was hired at North American in the fall of 1942. She was assigned to the sheet metal department, which employed only one other Black woman. The leadman often assigned the good work to the White women and the "dirty work" to the Black women. (9:33-12:05)... She describes her average day of work at North American. The first priority of the day was to get a stool so that she could sit and work rather than stand. She was meticulous about her appearance and wanted to set herself apart from her co-workers by trying to stay clean throughout the day. She remembers that there were matrons who patrolled the restrooms so that women would not waste time socializing in the bathrooms. (12:05-17:41)... JK was paid once a week. She gave $10 to her mother each week. Although she does not recall how much she earned at the time, she was able to purchase whatever she needed. She thought about getting married but her mother was very particular about the men she dated. JK socialized and/or dated a lot of servicemen, which did not please her mother. It was difficult for her to bring friends and dates home because her mother liked to interrogate them. Her sisters were pests and constantly vied for the attention of her dates. JK disliked the parental guidance she was subjected to and aimed to lead an independent life. However, her mother objected to her leaving for fear that no one would be able to care of her ill son. (17:41-18:39)... She was not aware if there were company services available at North American. She did not have time to inquire or take advantage of these services. She does not remember if the plant was unionized. There was some money deducted from her check, but she does not know how that money was allocated. (18:39-20:53)... JK and a friend distanced themselves from their co-workers. Occasionally, "looks" were exchanged if the two of them reserved stools before the other employees and vice versa. JK describes the physical altercation between herself and a White female employee that resulted in their termination from North American. End of tape *** File: rrrjk6.mp3 (0:00-2:47)... The plant was equipped with adequate heating and lighting and she remembers that the working conditions were comfortable. Employees were required to follow safety guidelines, such as tying their hair up. Most of the women wore some type of hat to keep their hair back. However, JK and her friend refused to wear these because they were not very fashionable. They generally wore their hair up in a bow. Although the employees were supposed to purchase their own tools, she only purchased one tool while employed at North American. She checked out the rest her tools from the tool bin. (2:47-5:18)... JK purchased war bonds to contribute to the war effort. She did not attend any performances sponsored by North American during the war period. Her main priority during the war was to earn a living. She does not recall any efforts by the Black community to deal with discrimination in the defense industry. In terms of her employment, she believes that her work was satisfactory and had she not been involved in a physical altercation with another employee, she would have remained at North American for many more months. (5:18-6:02)... JK had to work to support her child and earn enough money so that she could eventually move out of her parents' home. She did not intend to work her entire life. She planned on quitting once she found a husband who could support her. (6:02-7:46)... Although JK was satisfied with her job, she did not enjoy working with mechanical tools. In particular, she did not like filing because it damaged her long, painted nails. She did not have any real plans regarding her career. The war years were a time of prosperity for her family. She digresses regarding her decision to stop attending church and her mother's embarrassment over her pregnancy. (7:46-13:43)... JK was not upset that she was fired from North American because of fighting with another employee. She was proud that she "whipped" the woman and felt good about herself. She had not saved very much money while working North American because she spent a lot of money on clothing and shoes. After leaving North American, she stayed home for a few months and then applied for a position with the County Civil Service in September 1943. She was required to take an aptitude and typing test during the application process. She was hired to work at the General Hospital and stayed there until the fall of 1946. She then applied for a position with the Civil Service Commission and worked there until she was sent to the police department in December 1946. (13:43-14:54)... She worked the day shift the entire eight months she worked at North American. She worked five days a week and was off on the weekends. (14:54-17:54)... JK's parents rarely allowed her to go out. As a result, she snuck out of the house on the weekends and went to dance clubs with her friends. She enjoyed dancing and knew all of the latest dances moves. She and her friends often visited a dance hall located on a naval base in Long Beach. During the war, she met a lot of nice soldiers. However, she was not interested in pursuing sexual relationships with random men because she thought that sex should be meaningful. (17:54-19:45)... There was some apprehension during the war years regarding a home invasion. She remembers that ships patrolled the harbor in Long Beach and there was a black out in anticipation of an invasion. However, she did not talk about her fears with her friends. The overall mood in her social circles was gay and focused on having a good time. (19:45-20:43)... JK was not familiar with the Negro Victory Committee. She attended an independent church located on 18th near Washington and Central for choir recitals and other activities. During the war period, she did not belong to any clubs. Her interests were working and having a good time. (20:43-22:04)... During the war, she promised two servicemen that she would marry them when the war ended. After the war, however, she lost contact with one and the other one married a woman he impregnated. She feared that all of the eligible men would be killed and lessen her changes for marriage. (22:04-27:46)... When the war ended, she was employed at General Hospital. Her parents purchased a home from the owner of the service station where her father worked when he first moved to Los Angeles. In addition to using their own money as a down payment on the home, her parents used JK's savings. Yet, they often asked her to leave their home. Her parents did not allow her to live an independent life and she had no control over how her son was reared. Her son called her by her first name and his grandmother by "mother." JK did not move out of her parent's home until she was twenty-six years old. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - JK was working as a live-in domestic before she went to work at North American Aviation. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, the first of six children, JK came to Los Angeles with her family when she was seven years old. She was attending Los Angeles City College, and had aspirations to go to UCLA, when she became pregnant at the age of nineteen. She lived at home and, at times, as a live-in domestic. Under pressure from her parents to provide income for her child and for the family, she welcomed the North American job with its better pay. She was fired for fighting with another worker, and spent some time at home with her child before taking the Civil Service exam and going to work for the County. She continued to work in various city and county clerical jobs. In the course of the post war years, she married and divorced twice and had four more children. The interviews were held in her apartment in South Gate on her day off. Because of several medical problems, including arthritis, she often became uncomfortable during the interview. Nevertheless, and despite her decision to remain anonymous, JK was quite a willing participant. She was warm and friendly and often quite candid in her responses. TOPICS - interest in defense work; application process at Lockheed; job training; work force demographics; social activities; defense work at a machine shop; gender and race relations; wages; and gender expectations;application process at North American; special requirements for mothers; job responsibilities; plant environment; job discrimination; racial discrimination; restroom matrons; work clothing; working conditions; socidescription of North American plant; work clothing; safety guidelines; job responsibilities; work schedule; career expectations; termination from North American; employment in civil service; social climate during W
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