Densho Digital Archive - Helen Mori Interview (denshovh-mhelen

<Begin Segment 15>

RP: Did you get, did you get around the camp very much or did you kind of stick close to your block there? Or did you...

HM: Basically stuck close to our block, aside from school. After a while they consolidated all the grammar school classes into Block 16. Block 14 and 15, well at least Block 15 was high school, you know where the auditorium is? That area was high school. And Block 16 was the grammar school, one through six I think. So we used to go across the firebreak to Block 16 for school.

RP: Right, you're pretty close to school.

HM: Uh-huh.

RP: And what was school at Manzanar like for you?

HM: In the beginning we didn't have school for about half a year. We met at the, in front of the end of a barrack where they would try to do... but what can you do? Really, there was, you really don't learn anything during that period. And then they started having a classroom in a barrack. And that was... let's see how old, fifth grade, maybe from fourth grade. Fourth grade I don't remember too much but fifth grade, that was in our, our block. Fifth grade was in our block before they consolidated. And there were a lot of Terminal Island kids in our class. So, that's why they would come to our reunion, 'cause a lot of 'em are still in Long Beach, that area. But, it was, you know, I don't know that I learned that much really.

RP: Do you remember any of your teachers?

HM: Mrs. Lutton. I remember the fifth grade teacher. And when we used to live in Carson, before we moved up here, when we bought up there it was unincorporated. The freeway, Harbor Freeway went to Alandra only. And we were way farther out. But anyway, one day the door knocks and it's her, her and her husband. I recognized her. And I says, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have called, tried to call a lot of the other people." 'Cause they're, a lot of 'em are in this area. And she just stayed briefly. She said, "I just wanted to see you again." 'Cause she's from back east or someplace. I don't even remember. But I remembered her and her name, Mrs. Lutton. Oh, and then she was miss then, Miss Lutton. Yeah.

RP: Did you have any chairs when school first started? Desks or anything?

HM: No, not, not when it first started. For about a half a year it was unorganized. But after, once we got into a barrack we had tables and chairs and paper and pencils. When we were outside I don't remember... we didn't have anything. I think they just wanted to keep us out of trouble.