Densho Digital Archive - Irene Najima Interview (denshovh-nirene-01-0025)

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MA: And so can you talk about getting your job at the high school, was it Miramonte?

IN: Yeah, Miramonte.

MA: Miramonte High School.

IN: Uh-huh. I went, first went into the part-time teacher program. And of course, I went to a different, it was called the Acalanes School District. And I went to the different high schools. One was in a neighboring city, etcetera. But mostly, I was recruited at the Miramonte High School, which was really convenient. Only about a half a mile, or three quarters of a mile from our house. So I taught there a lot. And there was a principal, and as long as a I was a part-time teacher, it was okay for him. But then, the teacher that I substituted a lot for wanted to leave because she was pregnant. So then I asked this, I forgot who I went to, but it wasn't possible for me to become a permanent teacher. And I was told that in the history of Miramonte school, since it was very upscale community, that they had never hired a minority teacher, or a minority, period. So then, but I thought, well, I got good reviews and I did a good job. So I went to the superintendent, I went to the principal and asked him if they could possibly consider me as a permanent, and he told me no. He hinted the fact that they had never had a minority school teacher. And that angered me. That brought back the days of when I was going to San Jose State. And so then, one day I was called in by the superintendent. And he says, I says, "You know, I did a good job, I've gotten good reviews, you know. But evidently, I'm not going to be hired." And I said, "You know what?" I said, "I wouldn't work for that principal for all the money in the world." And then the superintendant had a funny grin on his face and he said to me, "Irene, would you consider it if he weren't the principal?" And I said, "Oh?" He said, "Yes, the board has decided, or they're deciding whether to keep him or not, and I think he's out." And my eyes brightened up. I said, "Oh, I'll take it." And sure enough, he was fired from the job and I was hired. First minority teacher.

MA: In that school district?

IN: Yeah.

MA: That's amazing. Yeah, wow. And so the students at Miramonte, were they all pretty much Caucasian students then?

IN: Oh, almost 100 percent. There were a few Chinese that had moved in. But it was almost 99, 99 percent Caucasian. No blacks.

MA: And how did the students and your fellow teachers treat you, especially in the beginning?

IN: My fellow teachers were wonderful. They knew the predicament I was in, and they didn't like the former principal. They accepted me with open arms, the fact that I was the only minority teacher. They knew that I felt very uneasy. And as far as the students, I don't think that they could have cared less. They were interested in the games and the dating and the debutante social life that they had. No, I don't think I received any kind of really anti-racial action at all during my teaching there.

MA: And how long were you at Miramonte High School?

IN: Fifteen years.

MA: So you spent your, your, the rest of your teaching career, then at --

IN: Excuse me?

MA: So you spent the rest of your teaching career at Miramonte?

IN: Uh-huh.

MA: And then when did you actually retire from teaching?

IN: Must have been about, and this is approximate, about 19... after fifteen years, it must have been about 19... well my daughter got married in '85, so must have been about '85, '84, '85.