<Begin Segment 14>

SY: And what kind of student were you? Were you a fairly good student?

GN: I was a good student. Until I couldn't take algebra in ninth grade, then it was downhill after that.

SY: You couldn't take algebra?

GN: Well, I sent you a copy of my record card.

SY: [Laughs] Tell us about it.

GN: Yeah, well I was one of the top two math students in my eighth grade math class, got an A in there. I would finish, I say top two because this other student that I was always competing against, and I'd try to finish my assignment before he did, and so we were about fifty-fifty. But the process was that if you want to take algebra in ninth grade you got to get a recommendation from your eighth grade math teacher, and she wouldn't give it to me. And I didn't know at that time that minority kids were being directed toward vocational education. Now, with the JA kids it depended on the teacher. Some teachers would have, wouldn't go around with that, so I know some JA kids at that time did take algebra, but in my case she wouldn't let me. And so that just changed my whole direction.

SY: Wow. 'Cause you were, you excelled in math.

GN: Yeah. And I did well in other subject matter too. I got As in all the other academic subjects.

SY: So was that, at that point was that when you decided, "I'm not gonna go on with school or I'm gonna..."

GN: I lost some motivation.

SY: And were you --

GN: And I didn't, both of my parents spoke very little English. They would never have been able to vouch for me if they went to school. Then I didn't have an uncle or a cousin or somebody that could help me, and so that's how it happened.

SY: And was that a --

GN: But it was years later that I found out that they had an unwritten policy in L.A. Unified where they tried to direct minority kids towards vocational education.

SY: So then you then eventually, from Hollenbeck -- this happened at Hollenbeck, right?

GN: Hollenbeck Junior High.

SY: And was this, just on another note 'cause we'll go on, but is, were you very active in sports there at Hollenbeck?

GN: I was. I went out for track at Hollenbeck. So they had an afterschool program which I was involved with.

SY: So was that a favorite of yours, track, or what kinds of...

GN: Track was, yeah, long jump and sprints.

SY: But you never continued with that. You just, did you do...

GN: No, I did in high school.

SY: In sports you were still active in high school.

GN: Yeah.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.