<Begin Segment 38>

LH: Was there anything else that you wanted at add that we haven't covered yet?

MN: Hey, you know darn well, you name the subject, I'll talk on forever. [Laughs]

LH: In regard to anything that we've talked about previously during this interview, is there anything else you wanted to make sure that you added?

MN: My father was giving the grandkids advice once, and he says, "Pursue anything you want in life. It doesn't matter what you pursue," he says, "but at the same time make sure you serve humanity." And my father said some really beautiful things, and I think that he's right. I think I would love to have every kid -- there's various and sundry ways of living your life. That's what diversity is all about. Some people are camera people, visual, some people have musical ear, some people have basketball skills. Pursue whatever you want in life, but we have to all come back and make sure we serve humanity. I think he's right. So if there is anything that I think that I want taught, that's what I want taught. Come back to, that we are all part... let me quote you one. There is a... "Teacher and Child," by Haim Ginott, and I used to quote this only to teachers because I thought it was an education piece, now I quote it to everybody. It says, "On the first day of a new school year, all the teachers in one school receive the following note from their principal: Dear teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness, gas chambers built by learned engineers, children poisoned by educated physicians, infants killed by trained nurses, women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates so I am suspicious of education. My request is, help your students become more human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more humane." This is our struggle, just to be humane, how to live our life as the best human being we can on this planet and help others live their life the best way they can as human beings on this planet. What is life all about? That's what it is. I learned from my father. I'm a philosopher. [Laughs] Okay. Is that enough?

LH: Fair enough. I want to thank you today. We've had a conversation with Mako Nakagawa here at her home. Our videographer today is Matt Emery and the interviewer is Lori Hoshino. It's been a pleasure. Thank you.

MN: My pleasure, my pleasure.

<End Segment 38> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.