Densho Digital Archive - Mits Yamasaki Interview (denshovh-ymits-01-0009)

<Begin Segment 9>

MN: So you graduated from Micheltorena Grammar School?

MY: Yeah.

MN: And then which junior high school did you go to?

MY: Thomas Starr King.

MN: What was the student demographic like there?

MY: Pretty much the same. There was... I guess ninety percent Caucasian and the rest was a few Orientals, a few black people there. Few, not many, but there was a few. But I'd say ninety percent Caucasian.

MN: So at Thomas Starr King Junior High, did you start getting involved with sports?

MY: What was that?

MN: Did you start involved with sports?

MY: Yes, I guess I was pretty active in sports and played basketball, played softball, and we'd have like football, flag football and things. And I guess I grew up early so I was one of the bigger, and so I enjoyed Thomas Starr King.

MN: What other memories do you have of junior high school?

MY: I remember a lot of the teachers. [Laughs] Our math teacher was Miss Dumas, my homeroom teacher was Miss Hickey, my print shop teacher was Mr. Bishop. I remember a lot of the memories of junior high school was very good.

MN: Were these your favorite classes?

MY: Pretty much, yes.

MN: Math and print shop?

MY: [Laughs] Yeah, I think... well, I always liked math so this Miss Dumas was a pretty older lady and very strict. But I guess she must have took a liking to me because she always called me on to do different... like when she'd have problems on the board she'd always call me to... and somebody couldn't figure it out she'd call me up there. But I liked it because I could do it. Like Mr. Lober was my gym teacher, Mr. Hunt was another gym teacher but they were all really good for me, good to me, and so I never felt because I was Japanese that it was a disadvantage.

MN: Now you're getting active in sports, but did Shonien have a policy that you had to return home after school?

MY: Yeah, pretty much, we couldn't fool around too much. The only thing is since I was one of the older boys, Mrs. Matsumoto was the superintendent there and she was really good to me as far as being active in sports and things at school, so when they would have different activities at school she would let me stay. And I was really thankful that she was there.