My father's birthday—February 19—coincides with the Japanese American Day of Remembrance. I grieve for losing him too early, and for the losses felt by 120,000 Japanese Americans and their families.
Such a touching, emotional piece. I remember a plot of land across the street from my grandmother's house. It was the only open lot in the neighborhood. It was owned by a Japanese family who had been interned. They were denied a permit to build on the land. The lot remains bare to this day in remembrance.
That is extremely touching, Luanne. Thank you for sharing that piece of local history, sad as it is. The story about the Sacramento farming family which I attached in the essay tells of how their land was taken and they subsequently had to lease it back from a white man who took it over.
Julie-thank you for this thoughtful piece about family, loss and racism. It is so relevant to our country today as we villainize and "other" anyone who is not a faithful follower of our king.
Did you publish a novel already? I would be interested in looking it up if you did.
You’re welcome, Annie. The novel hasn’t yet been published but I’m querying now. I’ll certainly let you know once it’s available! Thanks for the kind words and for helping get the word out about the Day of Remembrance.
What a beautiful tribute and remembrance, Julie. I have had many discussions with my husband recently about the unexpected path grief can take, and this reflection is a perfect example of that. Thank you for sharing and for your vulnerability.
Japanese Internment is one of many horrific injustices sanctioned by the US government, and it is so important to become educated about these crimes against humanity if we are to have any hope for a just future in this country.
If you haven't read Jamie Ford's "On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," I recommend you do. It is a novel written from the perspective of a Chinese boy in Seattle during the years of Japanese internment and his friendship with a Japanese girl. It's a beautiful story and is brilliantly insightful about the ripple effects of racism.
Thank you, Angie. As a matter of fact, I have the book you recommend in my ebook collection and haven’t yet read it. Thanks for the nudge, and for your support!
My dad's birthday was yesterday, had he been still alive he would have reached the age of 100. My condolences to you and to the great privilege of having known your father. I recall his great sense of humor.
In 2012 my wife and I visited the site of the Japanese Interment Camp at Poston, Arizona. They have one replica building similar to the one shown in your photograph. I ran across information about reparation payments that were made to survivors and families of the prisoners. Reparations go a ways further than how other minority groups have been treated. But we need to be continually raising awareness about how easy it is to blame the "other" especially in these current times.
This is a wonderful, thoughtful piece, Julie, like so much of your writing. My condolences on the loss of your dad.
I’m surprised so few people know of these camps. We were taught about them in school. Really. The teacher introduced the subject by saying “One of the rottenest things the government has ever done…”
My condolences on the loss of your father, Julie. ❤️
I first learned about the Japanese internment camps in my twenties from a Japanese man who worked with me at the NYC ad agency where I was a typesetter. As a teenager he was sent to a place in the desert and explained that the humidity was so low that when he walked through the barracks after a shower, he’d be entirely dry by the time he’d reached the door. I was shocked at the time that this act of blatant racism and brutal disruption of so many innocent lives had gone entirely unmentioned throughout my education. It is a stain on America that I fear will be compounded by the current brutal treatment of innocent immigrants. 😿
I don't remember when I learned about those incarcerations. I do remember reading the novel Andersonville in high school, an unknown part of the Civil War. Not a direct correlation - those incarcerated were Union prisoners of war - but the conditions and the death rate were stunning to me. I look forward to reading your novel. ps, sorry about your dad!
Yes, I remember reading about Andersonville as well. Maybe the powers that be in Ohio's education system thought enough time had passed that it was OK to tell that story. I'll certainly let you know when my novel's been published- fingers crossed!
I learnt about this less than ten years ago when I led a private tour for a woman and her parents who were in their eighties then. Wonderful people. They’d both been in camps. His parents had had their hotels removed from them. I was so shocked that no one had ever told me this (though I’ve never lived in America, it still feels like a significant side note when you’re learning about WWII).
It’s quite shocking, isn’t it? I felt the same, and growing up in the Midwest it feels like a thing that should have been talked about. Some of the camps were not even on the West Coast, like the one in Arkansas. Thanks for the encouragement about the book, Jen. I’m in the process of getting published this year. If you’ve subscribed to Impermanent Joy, my page, then you’ll find out the publishing date. Also, my website is juliesniderauthor.com. Thank you!
Such a touching, emotional piece. I remember a plot of land across the street from my grandmother's house. It was the only open lot in the neighborhood. It was owned by a Japanese family who had been interned. They were denied a permit to build on the land. The lot remains bare to this day in remembrance.
That is extremely touching, Luanne. Thank you for sharing that piece of local history, sad as it is. The story about the Sacramento farming family which I attached in the essay tells of how their land was taken and they subsequently had to lease it back from a white man who took it over.
Julie-thank you for this thoughtful piece about family, loss and racism. It is so relevant to our country today as we villainize and "other" anyone who is not a faithful follower of our king.
Did you publish a novel already? I would be interested in looking it up if you did.
You’re welcome, Annie. The novel hasn’t yet been published but I’m querying now. I’ll certainly let you know once it’s available! Thanks for the kind words and for helping get the word out about the Day of Remembrance.
What a beautiful tribute and remembrance, Julie. I have had many discussions with my husband recently about the unexpected path grief can take, and this reflection is a perfect example of that. Thank you for sharing and for your vulnerability.
Japanese Internment is one of many horrific injustices sanctioned by the US government, and it is so important to become educated about these crimes against humanity if we are to have any hope for a just future in this country.
If you haven't read Jamie Ford's "On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," I recommend you do. It is a novel written from the perspective of a Chinese boy in Seattle during the years of Japanese internment and his friendship with a Japanese girl. It's a beautiful story and is brilliantly insightful about the ripple effects of racism.
Thank you, Angie. As a matter of fact, I have the book you recommend in my ebook collection and haven’t yet read it. Thanks for the nudge, and for your support!
My dad's birthday was yesterday, had he been still alive he would have reached the age of 100. My condolences to you and to the great privilege of having known your father. I recall his great sense of humor.
In 2012 my wife and I visited the site of the Japanese Interment Camp at Poston, Arizona. They have one replica building similar to the one shown in your photograph. I ran across information about reparation payments that were made to survivors and families of the prisoners. Reparations go a ways further than how other minority groups have been treated. But we need to be continually raising awareness about how easy it is to blame the "other" especially in these current times.
Amen
This is a wonderful, thoughtful piece, Julie, like so much of your writing. My condolences on the loss of your dad.
I’m surprised so few people know of these camps. We were taught about them in school. Really. The teacher introduced the subject by saying “One of the rottenest things the government has ever done…”
I should have attended your school, sounds like! Thanks, Denise.
No, no, I think you did just fine at the schools you went to. :-)
My condolences on the loss of your father, Julie. ❤️
I first learned about the Japanese internment camps in my twenties from a Japanese man who worked with me at the NYC ad agency where I was a typesetter. As a teenager he was sent to a place in the desert and explained that the humidity was so low that when he walked through the barracks after a shower, he’d be entirely dry by the time he’d reached the door. I was shocked at the time that this act of blatant racism and brutal disruption of so many innocent lives had gone entirely unmentioned throughout my education. It is a stain on America that I fear will be compounded by the current brutal treatment of innocent immigrants. 😿
Those are my fears, as well. The more we continue to share wrongs of the past, the more people will awaken to this pattern.
I don't remember when I learned about those incarcerations. I do remember reading the novel Andersonville in high school, an unknown part of the Civil War. Not a direct correlation - those incarcerated were Union prisoners of war - but the conditions and the death rate were stunning to me. I look forward to reading your novel. ps, sorry about your dad!
Yes, I remember reading about Andersonville as well. Maybe the powers that be in Ohio's education system thought enough time had passed that it was OK to tell that story. I'll certainly let you know when my novel's been published- fingers crossed!
I look forward to your novel!
I learnt about this less than ten years ago when I led a private tour for a woman and her parents who were in their eighties then. Wonderful people. They’d both been in camps. His parents had had their hotels removed from them. I was so shocked that no one had ever told me this (though I’ve never lived in America, it still feels like a significant side note when you’re learning about WWII).
It’s quite shocking, isn’t it? I felt the same, and growing up in the Midwest it feels like a thing that should have been talked about. Some of the camps were not even on the West Coast, like the one in Arkansas. Thanks for the encouragement about the book, Jen. I’m in the process of getting published this year. If you’ve subscribed to Impermanent Joy, my page, then you’ll find out the publishing date. Also, my website is juliesniderauthor.com. Thank you!