<Begin Segment 20>

RP: Let's see, a few more questions then we'll finish up here. So, just maybe give us a brief synopsis of the rest of your life. What career if any did you get into? Marriage? Your children and if you've shared your stories with your children what was their reaction to hearing about your camp experience and how has it shaped your life as well?

MH: I graduated from Milwakie High School in 1948. I had a wonderful, again, a wonderful physical education teacher. She inspired me to become a P.E. teacher. So, I ended up at Oregon State. I had a small scholarship that the state usually gave. I lived in a co-op house so it would not be expensive. We did a lot of the work in the co-op houses. Enrolled at Oregon State, spent four years there. Graduated in 1952. There were two other young Japanese gals who are still very good friends of mine who were a year ahead of me. And they had a very difficult time finding a job. They were also in P.E. education. One of the gals ended up working for, went to work for the YWCA in Fresno. The other gal said to me, "Well, I don't have a job yet." This was during the summer. She says, "I'll stick it out until September. If I don't get a job I'll join the WACS." But she got a job just before school began in a little small town called Glendale, Oregon, way down in southern Oregon. So they said, "Well Massie, you be sure and get that placement secretary working for you." And I says, "Well, how would I do that when she couldn't, you couldn't get her to work for you guys?" And they said well they did talk to Dr. Seen who was our, our dean of gals for physical education, and so they understood what was going on.

And so when I applied for my first job, you know, I had to write all the resumes etcetera, she says, "Well, I think that you should go to this school or that school." And I says, "Well I have a friend who is teaching in Jervis and she said there's an opening at that school." And I said, "I would very much like for you to send my resume there." So I went to go have a personal interview with the principal and before I left I made sure. I went to the placement secretary and said, "Is all my resume in etcetera?" And she says, "Well, no, but you know that job is taken?" I says, "Oh?" Well, anyway, I rode the bus to Jervis. My friend picked me up and I, she says, "Well, what's wrong?" 'Cause I must have looked really pretty sad. And I says, "Well, Pat, you know, the placement secretary told me the job is taken. So I don't know any reason why I'm here except to visit with you." And she says, "I haven't heard that." And so she drove to the principal's office and told him that. And so the next morning is when I had my interview with him. And I went in there and I said, "Well, I heard the job was taken." And he says, "No. That's not true." He got on the phone, called the placement secretary, blasted her out. I'm telling you. I mean the language he used. Talking to her he says, "I make the decision who's gonna teach in my school, not you."

And so, you know, he did give me the job. And I loved it there. It's a small... Jervis High School had about a hundred and... I don't think it even had a hundred students. But I lived with my friend for one year. And then I lived with another family the following year because I needed financial help. And so I lasted there two years and then the librarian at our school said, "There's an opening in Eugene at Willamette High. Why don't you apply for it?" Because by then I just felt like I had to move on. And so I called my placement secretary and asked her to please send my resume there and she says, "Well, I don't think you have a chance." And I says, "Well, I don't care. Just send it." And so I had another friend who drove me down to Eugene and he didn't expect me, okay. So I caught him at home and, but he did interview me. And said, "Well, I think you'll, you'll get the job." Okay. And It's only because of friends, you know. If the librarian wasn't a friend of the principal there or the brother-in-law etcetera, those words wouldn't have gotten to him at all. So I did get a job in Eugene and lived with another friend in Springfield.

And in the meantime I got engaged. And so I'm looking for a job closer to Portland because boyfriend was working in Portland. So then I had already applied at several schools out in Hood River and they gave me the job. But then I thought gosh, that's too far. You know I don't know if I'm really gonna get married or not. And so then when he said to me, "Well, are you gonna marry me or not? You can't be teaching way over there." And I says, "Oh, I guess, I guess, I guess I can." Okay. So I applied at the Portland school system. You know, you always have this pipeline of what's available job wise. I knew there were at least four openings in the Portland school system for P.E. job. And when I went to go for the personal interview he said, "Well, there are no openings." I said, "Okay." So then I left, and called my placement secretary and asked her to send my resume to some of the schools closer to Portland. And about three days later I get this phone call and he says, "You have the job. We'll be sending you your contract." I had no idea why or what, what happened. When I met the principal he, all he said to me was, "So you are the young lady that I'm supposed to take a chance on." 'Cause I'm Japanese. Okay. Years later, I found out that this principal was also the principal at Lincoln High School when the war began. And there was a young Japanese fellow, Kaz Kawata, who was supposed to get a scholarship because he had the highest GPA and the PTA decided he's Japanese, we're not gonna give it to him. And the principal said, "It doesn't matter who he is. If he has the highest GPA he gets it." So I think that there is that connection. That he did stand up for a Japanese person. So...

RP: Then you came along.

MH: Right. And I came along and, and I'm sure that, you know, he was willing to do that.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.