Research Paper On Farewell To Manzanar

Farewell to Manzanar is a memoir written by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston that recalls the Wakatsuki’s settlement at the Japanese internment camp, Manzanar. Jeanne Wakatsuki was just seven years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941. In fear of this event, Jeanne’s papa, Ko, tries to conceal their Japanese heritage and burns his Japanese flag and identity papers. The Wakatsuki’s were sent to Manzanar, where the conditions were ill-mannered; the camp contained spoiled food, poorly-structured housing, and little-to-no privacy. It was not until December 1944 that Manzanar was ordered to shut down. The Wakatsuki’s resettled in Long Beach, California. Life begins to look up for the family as they are reintroduced to

This was a controversy because being Japanese did not mean they supported the bombing or knew the Japanese government would perpetuate it. In Chapter 7, Fort Lincoln: An Interview, an interrogator asked Papa who he wanted to win the war. Papa responded with, “When your mother and your father are having a fight, do you want them to kill each other? Or do you just want them to stop fighting?” (Houston 64). Papa's comparison of the war between Japan and America to an argument between parents indicates how he is unable to favor one country over another. Doing so would mean abandoning his heritage in favor of society. Following the Fort Lincoln interview, Papa eventually reunited with his family. In Chapter 11, the residents of Manzanar had to swear to a loyalty oath consisting of two yes-or-no questions. The questions demonstrated a prevalent theme of a struggle for belonging because they involved either declaring allegiance to the United States or surrendering allegiance to Japan. Papa responded with “yes” because the Japanese had to show their support for America to avoid consequences, such as being