Helen Mineta
San Jose Teacher and Community Activist
Helen Mineta has become recognized for her outstanding work both within schools and the
community. Born in 1918, during a time when Japanese Americans were limited by society's
prejudices, Mineta was told that no one would hire her as a teacher, a goal the
she had aimed for throughout San Jose High School and San Jose State College. Instead,
Mineta worked at the San Jose State in the drama department until her family was sent to
the Heart Mountain WWII interment camp. Mineta was released to work in Chicago as an
executive secretary for a large company, but of course she could not forget her family
back in the camps. Because of the lack of schools, she "taught" her brother former
senator Norman Mineta by sending him books and asking his questions about them later.
This teaching instinct continued into her career when she obtained her teaching
credentials and began to teach at San Jose High School. She was a tough, but dedicated
teacher who wanted to instill both the teaching material and a sense of discipline within
her students. This dedication also followed her into community service, in which she
strived to make her community a better place. She gave talks on the WWII internment
camps and the history of Japantown, where she live for most of her life. She also
volunteered for the Fair Housing Act, as well as continually advising students on their
future. At the time of her death on March 18, 1996, Mineta was working on a history of
the Japanese American community in the San Jose area, a project that unfortunately must
be finished without her. Mineta's dedication to teaching and to her community will not
be forgotten.
Information for this article was taken from:
Mercury News Staff Report, "Helen Mineta, San Jose teacher, activist", San Jose Mercury
News, Thursday, 21 March 1996, Morning Final Edition, Local Sec., p. 5B
