<Begin Segment 18>

MA: What were some of the main things that you were, that you wanted and that you were fighting for?

AH: Trying to establish a mainstreaming program, a successful program. They had a lot of things saying, "This is what we're gonna do," and it was just a bunch of whatever. We wanted a program that really works for kids to have a chance to get into a mainstreaming program and have success in these programs. And then they would say, "No, we can't do that, we don't have enough staff, we don't have enough money. You're being too unrealistic, emotional," all this type of stuff. And, but eventually, I was counting the years, I think it was ten years, we finally going things going. And the thing, it really angered me at the time, but the "good parents," they didn't want to do, they didn't want to support us, they didn't want to ruin their names. But then by the time we got everything established, their children benefited from our fighting.

And then we were rewarded, I have to bring in Jeanette Misaka... I have a hard time talking about her, too, because she's been so wonderful. She's been a friend of mine for years and years, even since childhood. Well, she became a very successful special ed. professor at University of Utah, and she's been following our family, the way we fought for Marlane and all the other handicapped students. And she was instrumental in having a state organization, they call it (The Utah Council for Exceptional Children). But anyway, they gave us an award, a state award for our work in, for the handicapped. But, see, Jeanette's been a mentor of mine for years, and she would have me speak at different schools about Topaz, but she would always say, "Please bring in about Marlane, that is so significant." So I have a lot to be thankful for her, too. She recognized what we were doing and what we have accomplished. And there's been, this superintendent that manipulated parents, the "good" and "bad," he was promoted as state superintendent. The new superintendent that came in his place, Superintendent Taggart, and he knew us well and he was very supportive. And when he first became the superintendent of our district, he had a private meeting with my husband and I, and he basically said, "Alice and Mack, from now on, if you have any concerns, you don't have to go through the chain of command, chain of communication," that, "My door is open and you can come and talk to me anytime." And of course we started crying. He was wonderful. And then so my husband passed away, but I'm still a strong advocate for Marlane and the handicapped. And I'm sort of doing that right now with the problems that she's having, I'm making sure that she gets all the options and benefits to keep her quality of life there. And Project TURN is a company that provides the day program and the night program. And they are one of the -- oh, in fact, this is a company that my husband and I brought in, the Byrnes', they brought in Project TURN. She lives in this group home now, and (the staff is) supporting me as a mom, that I'm taking the bull by the horn and making sure that everything is being done to help Marlane. And they would tell me now repeatedly that they wished that more parents would be this involved. Lot of them, it's a dumping ground, and they don't want to be involved anymore. But I can't, I can't sleep at night, she's still my child. She's been a delight -- all three of my children, in fact, myself, my, all five of us, my husband, he's passed way, and my children, we're all people persons. We like to be with people and we enjoy being with people, and Marlane is the same way, she makes friends easily. But right now, half of (her personality) is gone, and it's like I'm losing part of her. And I'm trying to bring that back. So I'm grieving that part. And I feel like it's okay, I feel bad that I'm tearful, but I feel like it's okay, I'm a mom. And actually, my life is great, I can't, I've had lots of things happen, and lots of things are real positive for me. I mean, I just live every moment now, and this is why I'm here. I feel like this (interview) is important, this is for the future, for my grandkids. And I want to leave a legacy for people, the generation -- it's not only Japanese Americans in the future, but just children in the future, that this is a generation of people that went through this with such dignity and left us such wonderful legacy. And so I feel very honored and proud that I'm able to do this (interview).

<End Segment 18> - Copyright ©2008 Densho and the Topaz Museum. All Rights Reserved.