Impacts of Manzanar

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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.

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