<Begin Segment 16>

KL: Tell me about your recollection of school in Manzanar. You brought some pictures of taking classes. Where did you go to school?

MS: Where? In Manzanar?

KL: What do you remember about the classroom or the building?

MS: I remember our teacher slapped me, so I wrote on one of my papers I was doing for my grandson when he was in high school, and they were teaching him about Manzanar, this kind of thing. The teacher wanted him to have us write a story, which I did. And I wrote in there that she had slapped me, so I figured that I must have mouthed off or something.

KL: You don't remember what happened before that?

MS: No, I don't remember. But at that time, you know, like she said, she had a Japanese teacher. Mine was a Caucasian, and she was very mean to (us).

SO: Well, I remember going first, second, third grade in camp. But the first and second graders, they were Caucasian teachers, and they were nice, which surprised me. And then in third grade we get this Japanese teacher. She was so mean that I couldn't understand that. Why is she treating us so badly? But the teachers were nice, mine, anyhow.

KL: The first two, anyway.

SO: Yes, well, except for the one that slapped you.

MS: Well, I figured I did something.

SO: You deserved it.

KL: You had three different teachers also, for the different grades? What do you remember about them?

MS: They were all very good teachers, very kind. And I read an article in the newspaper about the teachers that went to Manzanar. Can't remember, many years ago. They sacrificed a lot to go to teach us.

KL: Were your teachers all Caucasian?

MS: Yes. In fact, I never saw any Japanese American teachers.

SO: Except for ours. Boy, she was mean.

KL: Was school harder in Manzanar than in Compton, do you remember? How would you compare them?

MS: I think it was the same, wasn't it?

SO: I don't know. I don't ever remember doing homework or learning, I don't remember anything.

MS: Yeah, I remember homework.

SO: Homework?

MS: In fact, I have that on my, in the notes I wrote.

SO: And our brother, he just decided he'd play hooky all the time. He didn't go to school. And so he was put back in Manzanar a grade.

KL: Did he have a new teacher when he re-took the grade?

SO: I don't know. I don't remember. All I know is he was put back because he didn't go to school.

KL: What did he do instead?

SO: Go down to the creek or whatever, and he was playing all the time.

MS: Might as well go to school if there's nothing to do.

SO: Might as well. Well, I don't know what he was doing, but I think he was going swimming.

AL: Do you recall the names of any of your teachers?

SO: I know my third grade teacher, Ms. Ishida, because she had to advertise or put an article in the Rafu Bussa, I mean, Rafu Shimpo that she wanted all of her third grade class to attend this Manzanar reunion. She wanted a class reunion also, and I did go to that one. I believe it was in Los Angeles. And we got to see our teacher, and there was a big crowd there with all their exhibits and they were selling books and all that. But the thing is, I didn't recognize anyone then.

AL: Was she still a mean teacher then?

SO: She was mean.

KL: Even at the reunion?

AL: Did you tell her?

SO: No, I didn't. I didn't.

KL: It sounds like she did like you, even if she didn't act like it.

SO: I know. I don't know, but there were three of us in her class that I still stay in touch with, and I just recently saw the other two, and Mildred is her name, Mildred Kobata is her name. And she says, "Do you remember Ms. Ishida? She was so mean, I didn't like her." But the three of us did attend the reunion.

AL: What did she do that made her mean?

SO: She used to yell at us all the time. I guess she's trying to teach us, and probably because we're being disrespectful. All I remember is her always yelling, "Do you want to be a bakatare?" Do you know what that -- now I remember -- yeah, bakatare, all I remember is her screaming at us. Probably she was trying to teach us.

MS: I have a picture of my fourth grade class at Manzanar, and the teacher's name was Miss Harrison. And in the fifth grade in Manzanar, it says Miss Mary Lou Fulton. And sixth grade I don't have a name.

KL: And we were talking a little bit about some of the other pictures. Do you remember who took those class pictures or anything about that?

SO: We don't know how we came to have all these pictures. Now, I'm sure we didn't have a camera.

KL: Well, they're great to have. I'd say that's lucky to have pictures of the kids.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2012 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.