<Begin Segment 4>

KL: Was the school in your neighborhood, the school that you attended?

MS: Yes. You had to go to Catholic school, and I remember this all-girls school, we had to wear uniforms, and every morning we had to line up in the school and the teacher would come and they have to, they checked the nails and everything else, and you have to be clean. And I had a teacher from England, I remember the face yet. She was pretty tough, but she was a nice teacher. And the principal was a lady, she was tough, too. I remember her face, too. They're probably all gone now. They were nice, all girls, students.

KL: The teachers were nuns?

MS: No, they were regular persons, and she was, well, from England. She was a little tiny person, kind of blond hair, she was nice. Yeah, they were nice.

KL: Where was the principal from? Was she Peruvian?

MS: I have no idea, I think she's Peruvian, looks like, yes. Kind of chubby lady and not too tall. But the other, the English lady, she's kind of short and skinny, kind of blondish hair. They both were nice. So I have all Spanish friends, students, and I don't know if I have any Catholic students over there, I can't remember. They have all different, some other elementary school, not Catholics, some of them were Catholic, some of them not. So they just go to public school, I guess. But I still, sometimes I get letter from them, and I'm supposed to write to them.

KL: From other students?

MS: Yeah.

KL: Oh, wow.

MS: Yeah, I still have the addresses, I better start writing.

KL: And you said some were Catholic and some were not?

MS: Right, yeah.

KL: What was the name of your school?

MS: Oh, I can't even remember now. All I remember is Catholic school. [Laughs] That was very nice.

KL: Was it an elementary school?

MS: Yes. I think that was public school.

KL: You think that you went to the public school?

MS: Next to us was a public school.

KL: Oh, okay.

MS: And the one I used to go was a Catholic school. See, I didn't finish the whole thing, because World War II started and we had to pack the things and go to the camp. So it was all kind of mixed up.

KL: But both schools were right in your neighborhood next door to each other?

MS: Right, that's right. And so some of my students became teachers and doctors and nurses and dentists. So because they didn't pick up their fathers, see, so they're still there.

KL: Were they mostly Japanese?

MS: Yes.

KL: In the school?

MS: No, they're all mixed up. Japanese and whatever, the Indians, I don't know. Kind of mixed up.

KL: Did your sisters go to that school with you?

MS: I don't know which school did she go, Teresa. I can't remember which one. I think public school, my older sister. I only have one sister, and the other one, half, and she was away in the countryside, so I have no idea. Probably public school, I'm pretty sure.

KL: What about your brothers?

MS: Brothers, no. Oh, one, he went to seminary school. I don't think he wanted to become a priest, but it's just a, it was close to our place, to our house. And then, like I said, the World War II starts, so got all mixed up, so nobody finished anything. All halfway to go.

KL: Did you attend the church that your father worked on?

MS: Yes, I'm pretty sure I did. I remember that.

KL: Do you remember the priest or other people in that church?

MS: I can't remember the priest. I just remember the church we used to go. They're probably all gone too, now. All Franciscans, yeah.

KL: Were you part of a youth group there?

MS: No, not in those days. I don't think we had that kind of group like that in those days. Like they have one here, I don't think so. Just a regular group, and make friends.

KL: Did you go for mass, for service?

MS: Oh, yes.

KL: What was that like?

MS: Oh, I guess about the same, you know. It might be a little different there now, because these days, the Catholic church, they change a lot. It's different like it used to be. So I don't know, it's kind of hard to tell. Now we have to learn different, new things, it's a short note, but still, I used the old one, because that's all I remember.

KL: In the service, you mean?

MS: In here, they change it just recently. So, well, they gave us all a little book to learn. Yeah, they change a lot. Even the church is changing. So that's the way to go, I guess. But I'm happy. Yeah, the church is still there.

KL: That's really neat.

MS: Yes, it's very old, but it's still there.

KL: Is your house, was your house still there when you went back?

MS: Oh, yes, I went to see over there, and all still there, the same. And they changed to, oh, the lady gave me the number, and phone, I haven't tried him. And I meet her, and it's a store, they have a meat, they sell meat and vegetables and different things.

KL: Is the store in your house?

MS: Yes. It was big, it was a construction building, see. So they remodeled everything. They had meat and vegetables and I don't know what else. I forgot what else they had.

KL: What was your house like when you lived there?

MS: Oh, it wasn't that bad, it wasn't too bad. And I used to remember my little dog. It was so sad because we have to get rid of 'em, oh, I even remember now, it was a little puppy, and I have to give it to one of my friends, it was so sad. He's probably gone a long time. It's like your own children, you know.

KL: One of the hardest things to see my mom go through was putting our dog to sleep, it's hard to lose. You left him with a friend, you said?

MS: Yes, uh-huh. A little boy, I don't know, I forgot how old he was, maybe a teenager or nine, ten, something like that. I hope he took good care of him. I think I have the picture of that dog, very cute, yeah.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2012 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.