by Yoneo Kawakita, as told to Ruth Sasaki
“…an act of kindness in dark times…still remembered.”
In early May 1942 Yoneo Kawakita and his family, along with other Japanese Americans in San Mateo County, were transported to Tanforan Assembly Center in San Bruno. Yon was a senior at San Mateo High School. He played alto sax for the school’s marching band and was scheduled to graduate the following month. For the straight-A student, losing his freedom, leaving his classmates, and not knowing what the future held for him and his family were an unthinkable and devastating turn of events.
Unlike many Bay Area high schools, which mailed diplomas to the horse stalls and barracks their Japanese American graduates were being housed in, San Mateo High required their students to continue their studies and pass final exams. A number of teachers would visit Tanforan and hand out assignments in the racetrack grandstand, where visitors were allowed, and a contingent visited to administer final exams.
Yon was taking college prep courses and had elected to study Spanish as his required language. His Spanish teacher gave him a small book in Spanish and said that the final exam would be based on the book. Demoralized by all that was happening, Yon never looked at the book and failed the exam. However, based on his previous work throughout the year, he got a “C” as a final grade.