In a portion of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston’s memoir titled Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne’s Japanese family, living in California, is ordered to move to an internment camp called Manzanar. Society impacts the family in many ways, but in this segment of the story we primarily see its effects on Jeanne. The context and setting are as follows: the Pearl Harbor bombing was a very recent happening, the United States was entering into war with Japan, and President Roosevelt had signed Executive Order 9066, allowing internment. Anyone who might threaten the war effort was moved inland into defined military areas. Essentially, the Japanese immigrants were imprisoned and considered a threat; nevertheless, many managed to remain positive and compliant. Jeanne’s family heard “the older heads, the Issei, telling others very quietly ‘Shikata ga nai’” (604), meaning it cannot be helped, or it must be done, even though the world surrounding them had become aggressive and frigid. The society had a noticeable effect on Jeanne, as it impacted her view of racial divides, her family relations, and her health. The most prevalent way that society impacted Jeanne was by discriminating against her and her entire race. Her view of racial divides was swiftly distorted and manipulated in the brief time before the move to Manzanar. Before the war, hostility towards Japanese Americans was rare: after the attack on Pearl Harbor, public “attitudes towards the Japanese in California were shifting rapidly . . . Tolerance had turned to distrust and irrational fear” (604). One of the first instances in which an American was ill-disposed towards Jeanne was in school. Jeanne was having trouble with the assignments, but the teacher was remote and aloof. In spite of Jeanne... ... middle of paper ... ...r the refrigeration to work properly or for the cooks to be experienced, so the food spoiled very quickly. Because of these factors, what they called the “Manzanar runs” (611) became a part of life, and the entire camp was regularly ailed with digestive issues. Jeanne’s life was certainly impacted by her stay at Manzanar, and it may not have been for the better. Society had locked her and many others away because of its irrational fear. In response to feeling threatened, America lashed out towards the Japanese, attempting to insure that it was the one to be feared. The hostility, stress, and mistreatment that permeated Jeanne’s time before and during Manzanar impacted much of her future and shaped the person that she is today. Works Cited Applebee, Arthur N. "Farewell to Manzanar." The Language of Literature. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2006. 203-12. Print.
Manzanar scarred many Japanese Americans and their families, especially Jeanne Wakatsuki even after she had left Manzanar. Not only did Manzanar ruin people when they were there but after being there their lives were changed forever. Throughout Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne’s thoughts on her identity change, before going to Manzanar she barely knew herself, at Manzanar she wanted to be accepted, and after leaving Jeanne wanted to be seen as normal or to otherwise be invisible.
But for some of the Japanese Americans, it was even harder after they were discharged from the internment camp. The evacuation and the internment had changed the lives of all Japanese Americans. The evacuation and internment affected the Wakatsuki family in three ways: the destruction of Papa’s self-esteem, the separation of the Wakatsuki family, and the change in their social status. The destruction of Papa’s self-esteem is one effect of the evacuation and internment. Before the evacuation and internment, Papa was proud; he had a self-important attitude, yet he was dignified.
Matsumoto studies three generations, Issei, Nisei, and Sansei living in a closely linked ethnic community. She focuses her studies in the Japanese immigration experiences during the time when many Americans were scared with the influx of immigrants from Asia. The book shows a vivid picture of how Cortex Japanese endured violence, discriminations during Anti-Asian legislation and prejudice in 1920s, the Great Depression of 1930s, and the internment of 1940s. It also shows an examination of the adjustment period after the end of World War II and their return to the home place.
Soon after Papa’s arrest, Mama relocated the family to the Japanese immigrant ghetto on Terminal Island. For Mama this was a comfort in the company of other Japanese but for Jeanne it was a frightening experience. It was the first time she had lived around other people of Japanese heritage and this fear was also reinforced by the threat that her father would sell her to the “Chinaman” if she behaved badly. In this ghetto Jeanne and he ten year old brother were teased and harassed by the other children in their classes because they could not speak Japanese and were already in the second grade. Jeanne and Kiyo had to avoid the other children’s jeers. After living there for two mo...
“It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how you life’s story will develop” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf). Most people can deal with difficulties, but their reactions to the hardships are different. Only some people can manage their problems. We should try to manage our behaviors in tough situations. If we can deal with our situations, we can overcome difficulties easily. In the story of Farewell to Manzanar written by Jeanne Wakatsuki, the story shows how war can change humans, their life, and their ranks. Although all of the characters of her book face the same problems due to the war and the camps they had to live in, they responded to those situations differently. All of them presented
The United States of America a nation known for allowing freedom, equality, justice, and most of all a chance for immigrants to attain the American dream. However, that “America” was hardly recognizable during the 1940’s when President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, ordering 120,000 Japanese Americans to be relocated to internment camps. As for the aftermath, little is known beyond the historical documents and stories from those affected. Through John Okada’s novel, No-No Boy, a closer picture of the aftermath of the internment is shown through the events of the protagonist, Ichiro. It provides a more human perspective that is filled with emotions and connections that are unattainable from an ordinary historical document. In the novel, Ichiro had a life full of possibilities until he was stripped of his entire identity and had to watch those opportunities diminish before him. The war between Japan and the United States manifested itself into an internal way between his Japanese and American identities. Ichiro’s self-deprecating nature that he developed from this identity clash clearly questions American values, such as freedom and equality which creates a bigger picture of this indistinguishable “America” that has been known for its freedom, equality, and helping the oppressed.
Words can make a great difference in people and how they face their challenges in lonely and desperate times of their life. An inspiration can be the simplest speech but when said at the right time and in the right place, it can have a massive impact. I experienced this feeling of lonesomeness in my life and with the help of a mentor I was able to put it behind me and most importantly learn a lesson from it, that may have never even crossed my mind. These experiences are the ones that build a person’s character and helps them grow in life. In order to be able to understand other people and build good connections, you have to be able to under-stand and connect with someone about what they are going through, and sometimes give them the help they need.
“We went because the government ordered us to” (Page 17). This is a quote from Jeanne talking about how the government forced all Japanese in the U.S. at the time into Manzanar, even if they were loyal citizens. “I was sick continually, with stomach cramps and diarrhea. At first it was from the shots they gave us for typhoid, in very heavy doses and in assembly-line fashion: swab, jab, swab, move along now, swab, jab, swab, keep it moving. That knocked all of us younger kids down at once, with fevers and vomiting” (Page 30). The government sent workers to give the Japanese shots for diseases, but because of the amount they gave the kids, all of the kids got extremely sick because of the heavy dosing. The government continued this and did not change doses for kids. This is only one example of how the Japanese suffered at the time. “Later, it was the food that made us sick, young and old alike. The kitchens were too small and badly ventilated. Food would spoil from being left out too long. The refrigeration kept breaking down. The cooks, in many cases, had never cooked before” (Page 30). This happened throughout the entire camp. Again, the government did nothing to change this and the Japanese had to eat expired and moldy food. The Japanese had the option of eating moldy, expired food or just eating nothing. It made them lose in both
Lawall, Sarah,et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Volume A (slipcased). Norton, 2001. W.W. Norton and Company Inc. New York, NY.
In Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, the Wakatsuki family is forced to move to a camp. First off, the United States government decided to put every Japanese citizen in an internment camp, called Manzanar. They did this because Pearl Harbor was bombed, and Americans were afraid the Japanese would aid Japan. The main character Jeanne is six, and she has a tight connection with her father. Some themes in the book relate to the way Papa acts. Such as isolation, male domination, the concept of family, and the plight of civilizations during wartime. In the following paragraphs, I will relate the four themes to Papa, in part one of the novel.
The Web. 15 Jan. 2015. Izumi, Yutaka and Frank Hammonds. " Changing Ethnic/Racial Stereotypes: The Roles of Individuals and Groups."
In the early part of farwell to manzanar jeanne the main character was a 7 year old girl living in long beach with her family that happens to be of japanese descent. before she was moved to manzanar she had not really seen many japanese people other than her family and did not experience racism. Pre manznar she was living in long beach with the rest of her family there lives where very modest they where your average working class americans jeanne
In Farewell to Manzanar, author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston covered topics that happen around the time Pearl Harbor was bombed. Houston’s, purpose of writing her story is to share the hardship it was for everyone and what she and her family went to. They faced discrimination across the whole nation. This is shown when it states, “When I had entered kindergarten two years earlier, I was the only Oriental in the class. They sat me next to a Caucasian girl who happened to have very slanted eyes. I looked at her and began to scream, certain Papa had sold me out at last. My fear of her ran so deep I could not speak of it, even to Mama, couldn't explain why I was screaming…And it was still with me, this fear of Oriental faces when we moved to Terminal
Damrosch, David and David L. Pike. The Longman Anthology of World Literature Second Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., 2009.
Domrosch, David. Longman Anthology of World Literature, The, Compact Edition. 1st Edition. Pearson College Div: Longman, 2007. Print.