In the spring of 1942, just months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, more than 100,000 residents of Japanese ancestry were forcefully evicted by the army from their homes in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and Alaska, and sent to nearby temporary assembly centers. From there they were sent by trains to American-style concentration camps at remote inland sites where many people spent the remainder of the war.
One of those relocation centers was Camp Harmony, where thousands of Japanese Americans lived in temporary housing before moving to more permanent camps in Idaho. Camp Harmony is also the site where our fictional family, The Okabes was held. After reading "Visiting Hours," and "Home Again," view the two essay letters below. These letters were written by young Japanese Americans who attended school while stationed within Camp Harmony. What are your thoughts here? Do the emotions and opinions of these young teens match those of Keiko? Please take the time to think through your thoughts before replying.
[Photo, Essays, and Relocation Information courtesy of University of Washington Libraries]
Reading Assignment: pgs 158-171
Reading Assignment: Letter Essays (posted below)
Due: Wednesday, March 30
Essay by Amy Mitamura from Camp Harmony
Essay by Henry Fukuhura from Camp Harmony
I honestly think that Keiko is starting to embrace the fact that she is going to be stuck there for a while. She doesn't nessacerily like it but she just accepts that shes in the camp.
ReplyDelete*lrmusic*
After reading the two essays (which were very well written) I thought more and more about the relocation camps. I thought about Henry Fukuhura's essay more though. About the freedom. I thought that the Japanese could still have more freedom then what Henry said they had. I also liked the part in Henry's essay about the government wasted metal to keep them cooped in with barbed wire. I thought that was funny and had to agree with them. After reading those essays it had to been harsh living. But both of them were grateful that they had food, and shelter.
ReplyDeleteIf I were these kids I would feel like I had no freedom at all. If I was thrown in these camps like these kids were, I would feel like I had no personal value at all because everyone treated me like that. And I would also feel invisable, just like a "Do No Disturb" sign, yet people mess with you anyway, not even paying attention or seeing the problem or sign in the way.
ReplyDeletems gemini11
When reading Amy's letter I notice that she wasn't saying bad things about America or planning ways to escape or run away or doing other things to get out of camp harmony. I was amazed because she sounded so calm. When I was reading Henry wants freedom and noticing the stuff the US government said but didn’t do. Henry is kind of mad that he can’t go anywhere he wants but Henry knows he’s lucky to what little he has like he can order stuff and see some movies. Yet they both want more freedom but they keep saying there lucky and this is a learning experience.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for these kids they have less privileges then they other Americans but they’re still American. These kids are treated like POW (prisoner of war)
-knsplash
When reading Amy's letter I notice that she wasn't saying bad things about America or planning ways to escape or run away or doing other things to get out of camp harmony. I was amazed because she sounded so calm. When I was reading Henry wants freedom and noticing the stuff the US government said but didn’t do. Henry is kind of mad that he can’t go anywhere he wants but Henry knows he’s lucky to what little he has like he can order stuff and see some movies. Yet they both want more freedom but they keep saying there lucky and this is a learning experience.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for these kids they have less privileges then they other Americans but they’re still American. These kids are treated like POW (prisoner of war)
-knsplash
These letters greatly contrasted each other, so much so that I was shocked. In the first letter, the female author wrote about her more fortunate experiences, the things that she has learned from her "imprisonment". She sounded reasonably content in Camp Harmony.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in the second letter, the male author wrote about his displeasure in the camp, which appears to be a more likely feeling. Also, the girl author speaks about how she thinks her experiences will make her a more genuine American, but the boy questions his treating for being inhumane. I found it interesting that, though they were stuck in the same camp, they has such different opinions.
rdRoxy4
I think that the thoughts of Amy Mitamura and Henry Fukuhara agree with Keikos thoughts because both of them indicate to me that the camps could be better, but could be worse. I would say that because from the book, the evacuees could get things by trading with the soldiers. The soldiers traded a record player that they will let them play being a could be worse side. A could be better example would be the shelter, they have vegetation growing in the floors of their shelter. From the essay, Henry Fukuhara says that the food is good and the shelter is good. Keiko and Henry Fukuhara have the same views about the shelter, saying so that they both like it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is probably about the same thing as Keiko was feeling. Just like these people, I think she would have been hurt that she had to move away when she was loyal to THIS country. It surprises me that they even took away the second-generation Americans and the children. Like these little kids would be spies! Really, I think we were just paranoid. What are these kids going to do? And once you've got these Japanese-Americans contained, what are you putting up barbed wire for? If you escape from Camp Harmony and the government finds you, it's shoot first, ask questions later. The prisoners there KNOW that. Again, I honestly think we were paranoid.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts on the essay are I can imagine how tough it must have been for the Japanese. I feel that Keiko must have felt the same way about the camp, and I agree with the writer of the essays on the part about the government's waste of metal. I'm sure that the Japanese were afraid of the guards, and would not have tried to escape, regardless of the fence.
ReplyDeleteThe Emu 42
I think that the two kids who wrote the letters werent just Telling about the bad things In the camp, but also tried to look at the glass half full. Like when the boy said all the movies they showed he had already seen, but he was still happy he got to see some movies. Also when the girl was talking about how this was a good phsycological experiment. I think their views match Keiko's somewhat because Keiko just kept thinking about the dream she had to keep her happy.
ReplyDeletelfguns7
I found that the two letters from the two kids were very different from each other. It seemed that the biggest thing that Henry Fukuhura was concerned about in his letter was the fact that he was limited to where he could go or what he could do. His complaint was that he couldn't go to the movies anymore or go shopping, like had used to in Seattle. His issues with the camp seemed more materialistc, like he wasn't really worried about the fact that he was evacuated out of his home and sent to a remote camp just because of his race. He was more upset that he wasn't going to have the freedoms that he had had back home.
ReplyDeleteAmy's letter talked alot more about how she thought that the Camp was "barbaric", yet "carefree" and about how she had a reality check when she left home and went to Camp Harmony. She saw it as a sacrifice that had to be made by her and the other evacuees, and that everyone else was making sacrifices too,in the time of war that they were in. She said that she was carefree before her experience, and it had made her think more realisticaly. I wonder if this is a good thing or bad thing? She had lived without cares or worries, is that good or bad? From one viewpiont this could be a good thing because she didn't need those things to deal with, but from the other viewpoint this could be bad becuse you may think she needs to grow up and get realistic with herself. But, in the end, she was thankful for her experience, she said that it had given her the strength to face anyhting that was to come in 1943.
Although the view of the two kids were very different, there was one thing that I noticed about the two letters that were similar. They both never really said that they absolutely hated living in the interment camps. You know that they both would have rather have been just living their regualar lives back at their homes, but they never really came out and said that it was the worst time of their lives. Amy mentioned that the camp was "barbaric" but she also said that it was "carefree", or even happy at times. Henry's only complaints were that they were fenced in and limited to freedoms. Another thing that the kids seemed to agree on was that the Japanese were willing to do what was asked of them. Henry said that there was no need to put fences around the camps because no person was going to try to escape, due to their loyalty to the country. Amy had said that she had seen it as a sacrifice, that they were willing to take, for their country in the time of war. The Japanese-Americans were faithful to America, even in the time that America had the least amount of faith,and trust, in them.
~CH.Lafandala
My thoughts and opinions on these letter essay's are that Amy is very open to the idea of being sent away from her home to "Camp Harmony". She likes to think it’s some sort of a vacation or something, I mean doesn't she realize she's being caged in like a bird. Henry on the other hand fully grips the reality of what’s going on. He's very open about his opinions in his essay. He says he liked to go to the movies and go shopping with his sister but now he can't do that because their being caged up like monkeys in a zoo. He is also surprised their putting up barb-wire and guard towers in case they run away. He says he and all the other Japanese people being relocated are loyal to their country and would never runaway. I find this hard to believe because if I were being locked up for something I had no part in. I would make a break for it as soon as I could.
ReplyDeletejkricosuave
While reading these essays I noticed a lot of things to compare and contrast between the both of them. In Amy's essay she tries to put a more positive outlook on things but with Henry's he goes more towards the negative. Amy says that she is thankful for all the lessons that she has learned throughout her experience in Camp Harmony while Henry complains about not having enough freedom. Although Henry wrote mostly about the negative aspects he says at the end he says that he is not saying that he dislikes the camp just that he wants more freedom also he says,"Another thing I am glad about is that we get all the good food and good shelter. They aren't as good as what we had in Seattle but it is good enough for me". Henry also says that they got movies in the camp, they were old movies, but they still got movies. Amy on the other hand talks about how she realized that life is more difficult and you need more responsibility if you are going to survive. Also she says that she worries more about the future. I think that they both turned the negative into the positive and I think that is a great thing to do when you are going through a tough time.
ReplyDeleteLK Bertha98
I think Amy did not really enjoy being at the camp and going through those hard things, but it almost seemed as if she was pleased on the result of the impact it made on her and it also kind of seemed like she enjoyed discovering what it was like to live like that. Henry states in his letter that he's not saying he doesn't like the camp, but he would like to have more freedom. I would have to agree with Henry even though I have not been in that type of situation before. More freedom would seem nice in that situation but who knows, maybe if I went through their experience, I might think different.
ReplyDeletecichocothunder25
I definitely think that both of these stories can relate to the way Keiko thinks and feels, but not exactly in the same way. In the first story, I believe that this particular girl was trying to look at 1942 as a period of good times and bad times, times she quite didn't understand and times that she had to simply accept as the way they were and why they happened. I think if we were able to hear the story more from Keiko's point of view, then it would be much similar to this girl's viewpoint and thoughts. In the second essay, I think that this boy had very strong opinions on the year 1942. He stated how he believed that the fact that the soldiers had put up watch towers and barbed-wire fences was ridiculous, that the Japenese-Americans would have no reason to escape, for they are loyal to their country, hense them trying to prove the point that an American is an American, no matter where their ancestors came from or what they look like. I certainly think that if this book expanded more on Keiko's thoughts and feelings, she would have a similar outlook on Camp Harmony and the year 1942 as these two people. I'm sure Keiko questions many of the things that the guards and soldiers do and why they do these things, but what amazes me about her is that, even at a young age, where she just can't quite understand somethings, she accepts it and, as some like to say,"go with the flow". I can definitely match the writers of these essays feelings to Keiko's in many ways.
ReplyDeleteI think that the letters that the people wrote when they were in Camp Harmony show how confusing and sad this time was for the Japanese. I was really surprised when Amy Mitamura wrote in her letter that she would be a little sad to leave the camp but I think that Keiko will feel the same way when she leaves but hopeful that she will get out soon. Also I was surprised when Amy said that when she left Camp Harmony for the permanent camp in Idaho she was going to expect the worst and think of the worst. I think that Keiko and her family are doing that and I think everyone else has to do that too so we can never be let down.
ReplyDeleteIn the first article the person seemed like they liked Camp Harmony. Maybe they didn't like it but they could stand it. They said it helped them in some ways. The second article the person seems like they strongly dislike the camp. They don't understand why they must go there. They also disagree with the guard towers and the barbed wire. I agree with the second article that they shouldn't do that to people. They are wasting time and money on people that won't even do anything. I understand throwing criminals in camps like that but not innocent little children.
ReplyDeleteahnighthawk!
I can definitely relate the feelings and emotiong of these writers to Keiko's because as the writer in the first essay explains, the year of 1942 was a period of good times, bad times, times she couldn't understand and times she just had to simply accept as the way they came and went. If Jamie Ford were to have expanded more on Keiko's emotions and thoughts about Camp Harmony and 1942 altogether, it would be quite similar to the way this writer described it in her essay. Although Keiko is at an age where she can't exactly explain the reason why things happen the way they do, I was amazed at how calm and cooperative she is at accepting what is happening around her, and having the fact sink in that no matter what she will do or say...it won't matter. I could only imagine how much inner-strength that would take out of you, to watch your whole world crumble down around you, to be gathered up and fenced in, unable to have your own freedom, to be torn away from the people you love..and have to accept it all. In the second essay, I think this writer has some very strong opinions. This writer states that he was wondering why the guards would put up barbed-wire fences and watch towers, to him, these things seemed meaningless and pointless, his opinion was that no Japenese-American would try to escaped, for they all stayed loyal to their country, to simply prove the fact that no matter where their ancestors came from, they were Americans, nonetheless, and deserved as much freedom and say as any other man or women around them. I can certainly see how these two essays could relate to what Keiko feels and her thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI can see why everyone was disappointed at first. I personally wouldn't like the idea of camping out in cabins for years with soldiers watching my every move. But in the book, and the two essays, the recurring theme was that they believed this was their contribution to the war effort, that they, in their own small way, were helping the Allies defeat the Axis.
ReplyDeleteIn the book and Amy's essay, it was questioned why the machine guns and searchlights were pointed inside the camp. My answer is, there is absolutely nothing going on in the forests/fields of Idaho. The machine gun teams and searchlight operators have long since tired of watching the clouds roll by. At least in the camp, interesting things happen. If a fight breaks out, a quick machine gun burst overhead could calm things down. I think that if there were possible sightings of Japanese soldiers hiding in the Idaho forest/fields, they would have their machine guns scanning the tree line/horizon.
Also, as to the American government's reasons for this, I believe that, no matter what they say, every government’s first priority is for the survival of themselves and their nation. They will do anything in their power to help the government and nation survive. They viewed that Japanese Americans could be a possible threat in the event of an invasion by the Japanese Military. This was the case in 1917, because when America declared war on the Central Powers, a few German and Irish immigrants, angry at England and America, launched resistance movements, where they proceeded to grind America to a halt with sabotaging of railroads and the like. They were not very successful, but never the less; this was an undeniable threat to national security.
Also, the Japanese had a reputation of profound loyalty to the Emperor and the Empire (Kamikaze attacks, Banzai charges, etc.), and were all the more threatening.
But anyway, I think that the Japanese Americans had every right to dislike the relocation camps at first, but I think that after a while, they will get used to them as "normal", and might even have troubles adapting back to an unstructured lifestyle after the war ends and they are allowed to go free.
-mbjohann72