It was August 1945, 64 years ago, I was 17. I had a summer job at Schrafts restaurant near Grand Central station. NYC. The waitresses wore black uniforms with white aprons and white collars. Schrafts: a lady like tea room environment where the sanwhiches didn't have crusts.
I was mostly terrified during the month I worked there…terrified of the angry cooks dishing out insults to the waitresses. I was singled out for my “Chink” handwriting, which was actually a printing style I learned in a private “progressive school”, where cursive writing was deemed to be inferior to printing.
I was intimidated by the head waitress, who watched me with an eagle eye, observing my nervousness and general ineptitude. The first day I was there I spilled a bowl of peas (canned) onto the lap of a navy officer. My first tip was one penny.
But that was the tip of the iceberg,
Underneath the icy attitude of the head waitress, was the fact that I was the only Jew among the throng of Irish Catholic waitresses.
“Don’t tell anyone your Jewish”.
“You don’t look Jewish.”
“No one will know.”
Advice from the waitresses after I casually, and naively, announced my religion.
But when a Negro ( that was the proper term for African Americans in the 40’s) school mate from Music and Art High School sat down at a table to visit me, the ice grew thicker. The fact that he was a male made my alienation complete.
Every day when walking through the doors of Schrafts, my stomach clenched.
On August 6th I showed up for work, and while slipping into my uniform, saw the headline announcing that the U.S had dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima. About 80,000 people died instantly, and 60,000 more would die from their injuries in the coming months.
“That’ll show those Japs”. Everyone nodded in agreement, and hustled off to wait on tables.
I left my first job as a waitress 3 weeks later.
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Thursday, August 6, 2009
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4 comments:
On this hot summer day, your story gives me "chills'.
I had to search for a mention in the "media" today.
A single 2 minute video is on the NEWS section, not the standard viewing area.
Also, a "chilling" fact.
The Writer's Almanac had a simple but stark reminder of this day 64 years ago. The Times had nada.
It is my thought that if we remind everyone about Hiroshima Nagasaki the chances of global nuclear disarmament
will be greater than if we simply forget it.
Hi Helen - what a story! Reminds me of the stories my mother had from her days working at the "five & dime" in Philly in the '40s. Very different times - but sort of the same in many respects (hostility toward the "other" seems to be an enduring theme).
On a side note, waitressing was the one job ever in my life that I got fired from - and boy did I deserve it! People that complain about perfectly good food offend me... not a good point of view for someone in the restaurant biz.
Wonderful post, Helen!!
Great to see you blogging Helen. I had no idea! I'll be checking in.
Feel free to visit me on mine. :-)
Congrats on the book!!!
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