Long Beach Research Paper

1. Saturday, December 1941: There is a tremendous amount of people in Long Beach. There are about twenty to twenty-five boats getting ready to leave, including Papa’s “The Nereid” boat, to take off for the fishing season. It is a beautiful day with clear skies. All the fishermen were preparing for the long journey, which was unpredicted for how long. The boats are leaving and all of us near the shore are waving farewell to the boats. As the specks of white disappear, all of a sudden the boats seem to be coming back. A cannery then came running down yelling “that the Japanese had just bombed the Pearl Harbor.” We were all confused. As we got home, I remember Papa was “burning” so many documents and papers that prove he is a Japanese immigrant.

December 1941: I felt everything was the same since Papa left, although we all did miss him. A few weeks after Papa’s arrest, my family and I moved to Terminal Island where I felt awkward and different, especially in a new neighborhood and school, more because there were more Japanese people speaking in Japanese. We remained there until February 25, 1942. As time went by, the government ordered all Japanese people to move to Manzanar, a camp where families were designated a specific number and barrack to live in. We would go to mess halls for dinner, where the Caucasian chefs served rice with apricots, which was weird or us the Japanese, but we did not bother to complain. The barracks were about the size of a living room with six units. I was at Block 16 with Granny, my siblings Lilian, Ray, May, Kiyo, Mom and I. One of my oldest sisters was designated in a room with her husband and six other strangers. They both did not last long at Manzanar, so they moved to Idaho. After all the alleviation in Idaho of “grueling work” and “pitiful wages,” my sister and her husband were better off there than here at Manzanar. I was getting ready for my first night at Manzanar waiting to see when Papa would come

We all get ready to leave Manzanar. Papa wants us to leave in a certain way. He walks to Lone Pine and buys a Nash sedan of a midnight blue color. Papa has been transporting the nine of us at a time to Long Beach, taking him four days. When the car breaks down, Papa somehow fixes it. He drinks while driving to Los Angeles, but sobers when arriving in the big city. I am afraid of the hatred receiving from the city. It comes to me like a black cloud. After arriving, my family and I have a hard time looking for a home. Finally, the American Friends Service helped us find a house. We finally have a three-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and toilet, but have very little furniture from some of it being lost at storage. Later, Mama finds a job in the cannery and works to support us all since Papa is too vain for a job. Meanwhile I am starting the sixth grade, and I feel better hear because the teachers “warm and kind.” The starting of a nice teacher motivated me be involved on academically, athletically, and join the student government. I finally meet a white friend, Radine, whom was surprised that I could speak English as I am the foreign face in the class. I am proud that I could find a nice and close friend who stands up for me considering that many parents don’t want a Japanese girl as a friend for their children. In fact, Radine invited me to join the Girl Scout, but her mom, “who is an assistant troop leader,” will not accept me. Radine and I still continue to be friends,