Skip to content

The University of Iowa Libraries

Skip to content
Go to
InfoHawk+
University of Iowa Libraries University of Iowa Libraries The University of Iowa The University of Iowa Libraries

News & Announcements

special

Tag: iowa women’s archives

Apr 16 2021

An Activist’s Legacy: Ayako Mori Costantino  

Posted on April 16, 2021April 16, 2021 by Elizabeth Riordan

The following is written by Olson Graduate Research Assistant, Rachel Miller-Haughton 

Ayako Mori Costantino

Ayako Mori Costantino was a Japanese-American woman whose work with the communities she lived in and belonged to left a lasting impact. Her papers were donated to the Iowa Women’s Archives (IWA) and include photos, letters, books, audio tapes, and memorabilia from her life.  

Born in Sacramento, California in 1924, Ayako and her family were moved, as the US government mandated, to Tule Lake, a War Relocation Authority center. The Mori family were just a few of the over 110,000 Japanese Americans, over half of whom (66,000) were US citizens, forced into prison camps during the start of U.S. involvement in World War II. They were rounded up and imprisoned under the Roosevelt administration, allowed only to bring what they could carry and losing irreplaceable person property as well as land and other assets.  

A young Ayako (center, back row) and the rest of the Mori family around the time of their internment, date unknown

Ayako attended the Tri-State High School in Tule Lake. When students were allowed to leave the camps to attend college, in 1943, she moved to Chicago. In 1945 she began working for the US Civil Service in St. Louis, Missouri; after the end of World War II she moved to Japan for a stenography job. There she met an American military servicemember, Anthony “Tony” Costantino, and married him in 1948. The Costantinos had two children: a son, Mori, and a daughter, Toni.  

In 1956, the family moved to Iowa City so Tony Costantino could teach at the University of Iowa. It was here that Ayako Mori Costantino became involved in civil rights, women’s rights, and the rights of marginalized people. She was instrumental in creating the Iowa City Human Rights Ordinance in 1963, working as an organizer and hosting events. She was chair of the Human Relations Commission, an advocate in affirmative action and employment and housing discrimination cases. She worked with the League of Women Voters and helped to pass a 1964 fair housing law to prevent racial discrimination in housing. 

A. Mori with husband Tony

Her papers include letters to notable and influential people, and show that Mori Costantino was not afraid to lend her powerful voice to a myriad causes. One cause close to her experience was redress for survivors and families of the Japanese American internment camps. Her letter to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin from March 1989 discusses the need for reparations, saying “a government not required to pay for its errors may be prone to repeat its errors.” She goes on to acknowledge she wrote a personal account of the impact internment had on each of her family members to President George H. Bush, asking him to increase the funds promised. Many such accounts exist in her papers collected at IWA, not only her story but a larger image of the fight for redress—that is, an official apology and financial reparations for the invaluable losses suffered by Americans of Japanese descent.

Until 2020, when she passed away, Mori Costantino was an activist involved in many causes. She chaired the Johnson County (Iowa) League of Women Voters. She also served with organizations including the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Women’s Political Caucus, the Education Equality Advisory Committee, and the Civil Liberties Union.  She was elected to represent Iowa at the National Women’s Conference in 1977 and campaigned for many Democrats, be they local representatives in Johnson County or presidential candidates.  

Ayako “A. Mori” Costantino was a woman who survived internment as a teen, then turned around and fought to right the injustices done to her and her community. She worked tirelessly as an advocate, a defender, and a civil and human rights champion. Her collection at IWA paints a picture of a person who deeply valued family, was a formidable writer, and committed her life to causes she believed in. She not only worked for Asian Americans but for marginalized and underserved people everywhere. It is well worth a trip to visit her papers and artifacts, to get to know this remarkable woman and understand her legacy. 

Posted in Collection ConnectionTagged A. Mori Costantino, Civil Rights, iowa women's archives, Japanese American, rachel miller-haughton, world war II
Dec 13 2017

09: Historically Yours: Love, Marjorie; Knitting hats for strawberries, swearing at horses, and the circus comes to town: Life in Kansas in the 1930’s

Posted on December 13, 2017January 29, 2021 by Colleen Theisen

Living miles apart from your loved ones in the 1930’s a letter was a great way to stay connected. University of Iowa School of Library and Information Science faculty member and author Jennifer Burek Pierce is the guest for episode nine of Historically Yours and reads a fun conversational 1938 letter from Marjorie McVicker (Sutcliffe) to Bill Sutcliffe catching him up on the ins and outs of her daily life telling tales of everything from the weather and pesky lamp miller moths to funny tales from the people in the neighborhood and an account of the circus that came to town.

 

Listen to the podcast

https://historicallyyours.podbean.com/mf/play/xbgrru/Episode_9_v2_Pierce.mp3

Download this episode (right click and save)

Guest

Jennifer Burek Pierce

Letter Citation

Marjorie McVicker (Sutcliffe) to Bill Sutcliffe, 1938
Judith Sutcliffe Papers
IWA0067
Box 16, Folder “Marjorie to Bill, 1938”
Iowa Women’s Archives

Images

Envelope "A few of my pets"
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Folder

Transcription

Wednesday Nite

Dearest Bill,

Just came home from the circus. It was a perfect evening. Sheldon was a clown in the band. Robert danced in the May Pole dance. There were educated elephants, giraffes, bears, ducks, Indians, cowboys & cowgirls, a merry-go-round with the cutest little horses made out of cardboard – of course the kids were in them for legs – but gee! Was it fun! They had a bazooka animal too, the only one in existence. A Hays City Wells Fargo stage big enough for a little boy.

Something has animated this pen until I can’t seem to control it. Don’t know whether ‘twas the circus or if ‘tis this lamp miller you wished off onto me. Anyway I’m all prepared & have tried twice already to put an end to it. The first time it accidently flew under the blanket & I didn’t know it was there until I got up for something. Every time I take a bite of Hershey it deliberately stirs up a dust and I don’t like that sort of powdered sugar on my candy. Then I swatted it under the bed and had about one minute of peace. Now it has come back and is “two” instead of one. Can’t you invent something practical enough to rid homes of such pests? You’d have more than a “path to your door” if you did.

Have you no imagination? This was a Hereford ranch – and they had only two cows to milk – there weren’t enough cows to go around – so that’s where the “half” came in.

Such vicious looking canibals – and such an idea for a hair dress! If only I had known, I would have saved the thigh bone of my fried chicken (Sunday at Feller’s) and re styled my hair. Wouldn’t a wish bone be prettier tho? That tree looked none too comfortable and those knives! Oooh! Wow!

Bill, I’m so glad you have your router – does it sound like a dentist’s drill? If so, I bet you have goose flesh & chills when you work it. This housecleaning cartoon looks as if they didn’t have enough ink or pressure when it went to press. I wonder if a heaver press would make it darker. I looked for a paper at the college library but guess they don’t get it. However, I saw a Grainfield on there. I don’t want you sending me your clippings for I’m afraid you may need them.

On the radio ad did you draw something beside the lettering? I suppose you have been sketching Roscoe’s parents and getting a lot of interesting features for the big day & the big issue. Pardon, the familiarity of first names but I couldn’t recall anything but that – However, I now believe it was Coberly or something similar.

How is your wheat, etc? It was 28 here Sat. Nite and froze tomatoes, etc. However, Swanson doesn’t believe it hurt any wheat except possibly some Blackbull that was headed out – though he doesn’t fear even that. He had all varieties in his plots and so far has seen no damage. Some Russian thistles turned black. I do hope your watermelon didn’t suffer, and your poor strawberries – I’m going to have to knit them some boots & bonnets.

I planted my pansies on May 7 and so far only one sprout is noticeable. It was a seed that lay on top. Sheldon had to help me, so one box is his planting.  Don’t worry I caught the sand burrs when I sifted the dirt thru my fingers in filling the boxes. Mr. Barry has been sitting up, but is still in the Hospital. May come home this week.

It’s raining here again. Just as the circus ended at Washington school it began to sprinkle and was raining quite a shower by the time I walked home. I didn’t have a horse either – nor any cows to lead the way.

Speaking of horses – “Celly” came to town early Sunday morning when Edmond came after me – and Celly was to ride one of Major Cook’s high class mares and lead the other one out to Feller’s pasture. They both have colts. At 12:30 he hadn’t arrived so JD & Ed went to see why. They found him only a short ways from starting point – in the middle of the road (not highway) he was pulling, pushing & !!!***??? Ed said: “You Fool, why didn’t you tie them to a fence post and go to a telephone & call us?” Celly used some words I can’t spell & replied, “Year, a fence post within 10 feet & telephone in 100 yards – but do you think I could carry them to a fence post?” Well, results were that we wimmin’ folks waited till 2:30 to eat that fried chicken dinner – and I hadn’t had any Sun. breakfast! Major Cook, you know is the Cavalry man at St. Joseph’s. His horses are superior & well trained.

Went to the Star theatre last nite to see David Copperfield. They had a short on cooking – and I learned if you pour salt over the hole in a broken egg the innards won’t boil out in the water. Also if you pour boiling water over tuna fish in a colander the fishy taste and odor is removed. I can hardly wait to see if it works on herring too. There were several other practical things in the picture. I just wonder if they’ll work.

Well, I took your advise & plinked down 16.50 for a pair of owl eyes – no joking, the pink linen wiper that came with the case has an owl printed beside the motto or slogan.

But am I having fun trying to remember to look through them instead of at them. And she told me I was far-sighted – so I’m expecting to hear you say “copy-cat.” They make me look quite sophisticated – only I can’t draw my picture.

In order to see how good they were I made myself a new blouse – all by hand – and found the cutest little white button with tiny flowers painted on them. I’ll put in a scrap of material. Would send a button but am afraid you’d lose it.

Bill did you ever watch a magician – if so, perhaps you know – there can be no magic unless someone waves a magic wand. And that’s what you have done.

This morning a mocking bird sang outside my window to awaken me. Then as I went to breakfast one sang as I walked down the alley and when i went to work – another was outside my office window. Could it have been the same one – or is all the world filled with melodious singers.

Did the little turkeys pick the dandelions for you?

Love Marjorie.

 

P.S. The pansies sprouted over night + are coming up this morning. It didn’t rain much last nite but is awfully cloudy this morning.

 

Posted in EducationalTagged historically yours, iowa women's archives, jennifer burek pierce, marjorie sutcliffe

Categories

  • Collection Connection
  • Dada
  • Educational
  • Event Announcements
  • Exhibitions
  • From the Classroom
  • New Acquisitions
  • News
  • Science Fiction and Popular Culture
  • Staff Award
  • Staff News
  • Top 10
  • Uncategorized
  • University Archives
  • Weekly Update
  • Year In Review

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Zoia by Automattic.
University of Iowa Libraries University of Iowa Libraries The University of Iowa The University of Iowa Libraries
  • Contact the Libraries
  • Library locations & hours
  • News & Events
  • Help using the Libraries
  • Assistance for people with disabilities
  • Our diversity statement
  • Thank a Librarian
  • Web site/page feedback OR general suggestions
  • UI Libraries other links UI Libraries in the Internet Archive Use and reuse of UI Libraries web content - Creative Commons Staff SharePoint (authentication required)
  • UI Libraries on social media UI Libraries on Instagram UI Libraries on Facebook UI Libraries on Twitter UI Libraries on Pinterest UI Libraries on Tumblr UI Libraries on YouTube UI Libraries on Flickr UI Libraries blogs
  • 100 Main Library (LIB)
  • 125 West Washington St.
  • Iowa City, IA 52242-1420
  • 319-335-5299 (Service Desk)
  • ©2019 The University of Iowa
  • Give a gift to the Libraries!