<Begin Segment 9>

MA: What were your experiences like at Roosevelt High School?

SE: Roosevelt? Why, it was real good, I had a, of course, there was a Japanese girl that was a year ahead of us that was sort of what they had, I forgot what they called it, but, you know, sisters...

MA: A mentor?

SE: Yeah, uh-huh, to make sure that I felt at home. And then there were other Japanese from, there was a girl from Kingston that was doing housework out that way, so she was in the school. In fact, she was in the same grade, her name was Kiyoshi Kamikawa, she was, she eventually married Toru Sakahara, wasn't it, I think, yeah. Kiyoshi Kamikawa. She was quite well-known.

MA: So how many Nisei students were at Roosevelt when you were there?

SE: Oh, there were just a few of us, three or four.

MA: What was that like, I mean, being one of the few Niseis in an all-white school?

SE: I don't know. I didn't feel any different. I took part in sports and made friends that way. In fact, one of my best friends was about 5'11", 'cause she and I played ping pong, and we were partners. [Laughs]

MA: What other sorts of hobbies did you do when you were that age, in high school?

SE: I did everything, because I played baseball, volleyball, and so I took part in all the after-school sports. So yeah, letter-wise, I was on the letter club. I had a sweater, and I don't know what happened to the sweater, it got lost. I had a "R" sweater.

MA: When you were in high school, what sorts of social activities did you do with your friends?

SE: Well, not too much, because I lived so far away. And so just took part in the sports parts of things, but I didn't take part in other things.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.