Beginning on November 1, which is the date of my mother’s first letter from her Hawaii trip 84 years ago, I am serializing day by day, the book, Cecilia King’s Extraordinary Senior Trip, which you can obtain from Amazon in either Kindle or paperback.

I hope you enjoy the upcoming nine-months in Hawaii 1940-41.

Editor’s Note: Ethnic Slurs, Biases and other Prejudices

I was a little shocked and embarrassed by some recurring racial and ethnic slurs that would be far from politically correct in today’s context, but they probably wouldn’t raise an eyebrow in 1940. We have to be careful to not judge the past by today’s evolved standards. For example, she often referred to Japanese persons as “Japs,” which became common during WWII. Other examples include:

One boy chased me a half mile trying to jew me down to buy two spun silver butterflies that I had only looked at from the corner of my eye.[1]

..Four little slant eyed, dark skinned brats playing around.[1]

…millions of little dark skinned tramps with bare feet crowing into school...[1]

We played Bingo tonight & the Russian won $50. Isn’t that just like a Jew!![1]

crowds of gooks, Orientals & sailors eating ice cream & dragging squalling brats.[1]

However, I don’t recall her ever using those terms in my presence, nor do I recall her ever demonstrating racial or ethnic prejudice.

Cecilia also had a thing about short men, “Both were runts (I felt like a giant hovering over Jack the Killer when we danced. They were so short).”[1]

Although it’s not exactly clear why, she generally preferred Army officers over Navy officers, and she preferred men from non-aviation Army units. She preferred career officers over reserve officers.

Matsonia, Monday, November 11, 1940

Monday nite –

Just 36 more hours & we will be there – thank goodness!! The ship has been creaking, shuddering, heaving & rolling with all its might ever since a storm came up last night – Luckily, I have been one of the about 30 out of 700 passengers who’ve survived. It has poured rain all day -- & the spray & waves beating the sides & blowing over the decks. This morning everyone (that is the few braves) collected up in the lobby, looked so wilted and forlorn – an old man sprawled out in the corner under his cap & snoring with his mouth open. Another sitting erect with a book in his lap – asleep. A woman stupid and nodding over her knitting – the psychologist behind is reading Faust aloud – and our group of four knitting, needlepointing & yawning. Very dull.

The three musketeers & baked potato herring faus & only steady patrons of our table for 6 – the Jew – the Anglican & myself had lots of fun tonite at dinner. Our waiter is a little deficient mentally & came to get our dessert order – but had forgotten to ever bring in the main course. And I asked him what an almond pudding was – he replied “ pudding made of almonds” – very enlightening. We had several good jokes over him, and believe me, jokes were welcome in the depressing, seasick atmosphere today. I’ve been wondering how the four canaries in the lobby are tuffened to it – they say, though, that this is the ship’s first storm in 6 months.

We played Bingo tonight & the Russian won $50. Isn’t that just like a Jew!!

Unpacked my fiddle & played a song or two this afternoon – very consoling – that is – until shoes started landing on the other side of my wall.

Everyone dresses for dinner at night except me – guess I’ll have to break down & play the lady tomorrow night.

Am in bed now & wishing I had a big bucket full of that fresh air outside poured over me. The air is getting much milder (in spite of the wind) --- Honolulu air! Can hardly wait till I can dive into it completely – I’m almost asleep again so will continue tomorrow

Goodnight,

Cecilia