Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Toshio Moritsugu Interview
Narrator: Toshio Moritsugu
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Date: March 2, 2011
Densho ID: denshovh-mtoshio-01-0016

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TI: Okay, but then things after a while started going back to normal, I mean, school started to reopen and so what happened when school, like for Iolani, what happened to Iolani after --

TM: When school opened after the first semester in 1941, that would take us to 1942, Iolani completely closed the school. It was completely closed for a number of (years). It started all over again and (started) only up to eighth grade, which meant that people on higher level had to find their own schools. And I was sort of trapped in there. Then I applied to McKinley High School and started going to McKinley High School because the public school gave you credit for the semester that you were out (...) working. And I was working for the army so that I got credit for that particular semester that I was out. The other students, when school started resumed their studies, so they got the first semester of work done but I completely was out of the first semester. And to get to McKinley, you had to get a district exemption. In other words, I had to live in downtown and fortunately I was able to find a place called Okumura Home. And I stayed there while going to school.

TI: So now that war has started, was there ever discussions about you maybe just going back to Benjamin Parker School and graduating there, rather than being away from the family? Do you recall any discussions about that?

TM: Yes, we had a discussion and my parents said, (...) "We have to get you to the university." And we had some teacher friends who encouraged me to get to McKinley High School, if I (could) get a district exemption. I was able to do that, finding a place to stay in town. And so I started McKinley High School and graduated from McKinley High School.

TI: Okay, so it was really your mother in terms of really again emphasizing education, saying so, "Go to McKinley," because that would give you the best chance to go to college.

TM: Right.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.