<Begin Segment 2>

[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

TI: So let me go back to Ms. Mahon. So what, how was she during this sort of send-off? I mean, how would you describe...

SA: Well, she was quite emotional. It was her (students). I mean, as I said, Bailey Gatzert bordered Chinatown, so we were about ninety, ninety-eight percent (Asians, Chinese, Japanese, etcetera). I think I saw a picture at Wing Luke, somebody snapped after we were gone, and you could see the empty classrooms with one or two Caucasians left. So she really was like a social worker as I said, she was trying to indoctrinate us into being a "good American (citizen)" and what it meant, the democratic principles (explained). It was a great thing to have someone like that in the principalship at (that) time. And Tony Allisino took over after the war, and he also was a staunch, (good) Catholic, and he also supported us, which was wonderful for us.

TI: And you said that it was sort of ironic when you think about Ms. Mahon and how she talked about democratic ideals. Earlier you mentioned that she had this sort of club, in fact, about...

SA: The "Good American Citizens Club."

TI: ...good American citizenship, and then to watch, as you say, kind of her, her students being, American citizens being taken away, not because they did something wrong, but because of their race. It was so un-American, and for her to see that must have been very ironic.

SA: I think so. And you know, as I said, we marched into the (Bailey Gatzert) assemblies with the Sousa marches, you know, it's just amazing.

TI: I didn't hear about this. So they used...

SA: (Yes), we had to stand, if you ask anybody our age -- Raymond Chin's a good one (to ask), he's in Chinatown, and (...) he and Willie Chin, we were all talking about it (a few months back).

TI: Oh, I see, assembly at Bailey Gatzert.

SA: Yeah, as we come into the assembly or the cafeteria room, (...) we have to stand there at (the entry, one) room at a time, and we'd be stamping, [hums], (marking time to the beat). But it really brought in all those songs which (sound) patriotic, because (Sousa's music was used as marching music in) the army. So it was interesting, we all marched in step, then we'd march into our slots, you know, that we had, (in) the assembly (room).

TI: So this is a little bit of a tangent, but for the Japanese Americans who went to Bailey Gatzert, do you think this impacted them differently in terms of, perhaps, being a little more focused on democratic principles...

SA: Oh, yes.

TI: ...and maybe patriotic songs and things like that?

SA: I think so. I mean, it really made us Americans, because they laid the foundation for us.

TI: But more so than maybe the people from different neighborhoods that didn't go to Bailey Gatzert? Do you think Bailey Gatzert...

SA: I don't know if this was done in other schools, but (it was done at Bailey Gatzert). Social-wise, (Ms. Mahon) knew that the Japanese-speaking parents weren't coming to PTA, that was (...) sure. So she realized again, when the girls reached (puberty/pre-adolescent) age, (since Bailey Gatzert school) went up to eighth grade. (She had all the girls, fifth grade group) go down to the PE (gymnasium) and that time focused on (the health issues). The PE teacher, and I don't know who else, came down and told us all about what we should do and what we should expect because she knew (our mothers) wouldn't speak to us about these things.

TI: That's really interesting.

SA: (She was) an amazing (person). She filled a need.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.