The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1948-01-31

heritance OF these traditions. Even
the most westernized Nisei miss
still shows the effects Of the CEN
turtles of training inflicted upon her
female forbears. On top of the
peculiarly Japanese tradition re-
garding women, many Nisei dboth
men and women) have been influ-
enced by the western relics Of the
Victorian era.
Instead of knowing that the
Victorian era is still hampering
their occidental sisters, that that
age was but a passing period in the
long history of the western world,
the circumspect Nisei have confused
prudery for modesty, affectation
for reality
The mixture of the alleged in
feriority of the Japanese woman
with the fluffy helplessness of the
Victorian female would make
very anaemic msubstantial sort of
personality Happily, however, the
female of the species has survived
all the fads and dictates imposed
on her by men (and perpetuated
by their weaker sisters). Male va
nifty Notwithstanding, women are
still the tougher and the longer
lasting of the sexes Gas it is indieat-
ed clearly in the surveys on long
evity).
What Is q True Woman
Let's get away from pre-con-
ceived notions, bull session judg-
ments. gossiply indictments, and
lind out what is meant by true"
woman.
The obvious definition of that
term Is a woman who is true to the
best that is in her. Well, what is
jhe best? Is there only one stend-
ard for all four types. Is that stand
ard limited to domesticity-the ex-
elusive duties in end around the
home, and the bearing and caring
of children? People like to say,
without much thinking on the sub
ject, that a woman who is not the
purely domesticated kind is not
really true" woman. They go
to say that the career" woman is
just aping men and trying to get
away from being woman. They
conclude by voicing this great truth:
Women can never be like men,"
How very, very true. In spite of
this truism, however, the criticisms
against the career" woman is that
she can't do the same work as
men, that she can't use the same.
identically same-methods as men,
and that if she got equility, she
ought to be able to do things in the
identical way or what was the pdr-
pose of this gift of equality? Here
the blame Is laid on the so-called
emotionalism purported to be the
woman's last stand, and no effort
is made to delve into its cause and
effect.
But the fact Is no true woman
wants to be man. Whatever her
type, each woman wants to be the
best she can be. But if she has o
one-sided yardstick of domesticity
to measure with, she's b,und to get
into difficulties. For the purely
domestic woman is as rare as the
genius ratings like Marie Curie.
Common Types
Most women fall into the inter-
mediate categories-the predomin-
antly homemaker who also has out
side interests or a job, or the pre-
dominantly career woman who is
also interested in marriage and
home
II The extreme types-the exclusive
ly domestic and the genuis-do not
bother each other because they are
J too different to come into conflict.
Their men are satisfied with them
! as they are. Men and women know
! how to appreciate both types.
OF the more common interne-
date types, the predominantly
, hOmemaker has 1t easier than the
predominantly career woman be-
, cause the first is close to the out
worn conception that a ''true"
, woman is a domestic type.
Thus the core of the controversy
is the so-called career" woman
J Whose career, be it Understood,
} falls outside the domestic field
! since homemaking can also be de-
) fined as a career).
, So then let us define 'true'
woman as one who is honestly her.
j self, whatever her type, and does
not make the mistake of trying to
, be something else. There is E.
nough femininity in every wo-
| Marlborough for some MAINLAND
preferences as to types should be
left to individual personal choice