<Begin Segment 10>

MN: Well, let's go into your high school days. Which high school did you go to?

MY: I went to John Marshall High School and I graduated there.

MN: And it was at John Marshall that you started to play football?

MY: Yes.

MN: And you mentioned Mrs. Matsumoto?

MY: Uh-huh. She was really good to me. I mean, she let me... because you play football you got to practice after school and I would get home late. And she would allow me to participate in things like that and I was really thankful that she was there.

MN: Did you make it onto the varsity team?

MY: Yeah, eventually my senior year I played. Even when I earned a letter she took me down to... not Silverwoods, but they used to have these lettermen sweaters... and bought me a sweater. I put a stripe on there with a bit M on, I was really proud of that. So when I think of it, I was really fortunate that she was there because who knows what would happen if somebody else. Maybe I couldn't have been able to participate in sports. Since I participated in sports I think that the kids in school treated me like anybody else. It's not like I was some minor or whatever, but in fact when I was a senior in high school, I had fairly good grades. I had a B plus average and stuff so in order to become a senior class officer you had to have a 4.5 or 3.5 GPA and since I had it, well, they put my name on the nominating list to become senior class treasurer. And I said, "No, I don't want it," but since the other person was not as well-known as myself, because since I participated in sports, but he was in my class really smart and everything. But I became senior class treasurer because they knew who I was; they didn't know him. And so I never felt that I was looked upon as being an orphan or being a Japanese. I always felt an equal to anybody that was in my class.

MN: So when you were senior class officer, were you the only Japanese American?

MY: No, there was a senior class secretary was another Japanese girl, Emiko Higuchi.

MN: So as part of your duty, what did you have to do?

MY: They had a class pin. I have to go around to each homeroom, senior class homeroom, go collect money for the pin. Somebody would give me a list and they'd give me the money and I'd have to take that to the office, and they have a senior class sweater, I'd have to go around collect money for that. I guess those are more or less the main duties.

MN: Did you have to go to the prom?

MY: Yeah, I went because I didn't have a car or anything. I just told this Emiko that since we both have to be there, we're supposed to be on the receiving line, so I says, "Okay, I'll meet you there," and that was my date, I guess.

MN: But why did you have to be there?

MY: What?

MN: Why did you have to be there?

MY: Well, they said class officers have to be in the receiving line, so one of my friends picked me up and we went. I didn't have to walk to school but she lived right near school so she had one of her... I guess her mother or her father must have drove her there.

MN: Do you remember what you wore?

MY: I don't remember. I remember I had a jacket, I guess. [Laughs]

MN: Do you think you wore your letterman jacket?

MY: No, wore like a... I don't where I got it but I think I had a, sort of like a suit like.

MN: Going back to your football, were you the only Japanese American on the football team?

MY: No, there was three of us I guess. Well, that was on the B team, it's smaller. And I know there was three of us, Tad Horino, Yosh Kubo and myself.

MN: Now when you got onto the varsity team...

MY: Then I was the only one.

MN: And then how many letters did you get in total?

MY: Three.

MN: What where they in?

MY: What?

MN: What did you get them in?

MY: I got them only in football.

MN: All of them in football?

MY: Yeah.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.