26 pages • 52 minutes read
Miné OkuboCitizen 13660
Nonfiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Adult | Published in 1946A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaPages 154-209Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Pages 154-179 Summary
At Topaz, Okubo and the rest of the internees prepared for winter. They tried their best to have a festive Christmas, but it was “sad” (156) despite attempts to engage in traditions such as mochi-making. The internees continued to improve upon their existence at Topaz, setting up a community cooperative where family and community problems were discussed, taking medical roles in the hospital, and investing in youth education. Okubo notes, “School organization was an improvement over Tanforan” (166), as it was staffed by both white and Japanese internee teachers. However, internees were paid less than their white counterparts. There was also “Americanization” (167) classes held for the Issei. Additionally, the internees made time for sports at the recreation halls, sumo performances, kite-making and flying, and other entertainment that they put on themselves.
In 1943, President Roosevelt announced that Japanese Americans could serve as a part of a special unit for World War II. In order to enlist in the unit, all men of military age were required to answer 28 questions assessing their “loyalty and willingness to fight” (175). This included a divisive question: “Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese Emperor or any other foreign power or organization?” (175). The War Relocation Authority decided to replicate this question for all internees as a form of registration of every individual over 17 years of age at the camps. The registration process, including the divisive question, created a lot of conflict among the internees who all felt differently about how to answer the questions. Those who answered “No” to the question were considered “disloyal” (177) and eventually sent to another camp with others who also refused to swear allegiance to the US. Those who answered “Yes” were granted permission to “relocate” (177) or resume civilian life outside of the camp.
At Topaz, 105 young men were accepted in the Japanese American combat unit. Those who refused to swear allegiance to the US were sent to Tule Lake. Thirteen hundred internees from Topaz were sent to Tule Lake. This group included those who stated a desire to return to Japan, those who refused to change their answers to the registration form questions when given a chance to do so, those who were still under investigation by the War Relocation Authority and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the family members of those affected who did not want to be separated from them. As a result, 1,200 internees from Tule Lake were brought into Topaz.
Pages 180-209 Summary
In addition to rising tension with the loyalty test, there was also uproar concerning the murder of an Issei man, James Hatsuaki Wakasa by a military guard at Topaz caused major uproar among the internees. Okubo notes that the “Particulars and facts of the matter were never satisfactorily disclosed to the residents” (180) and the guard was found not guilty. As a result of protests of this violence, the guards were moved to the parameters and firearms were banned.
To return internees back to civilian life, the US set up relocation programs. Some internees returned to their universities while others became seasonal farm workers to fulfill a farm labor shortage. Others enlisted in the army or took on jobs in government or military. The War Relocation offices did rigorous checks on all relocating internees as they transitioned back to regular life. Okubo’s brother left the camp to work at a wax-paper factory in Chicago and then later enlisted in the army. Meanwhile, Okubo stayed for a while longer to finish her sketches of camp life. She decided to leave in January of 1994.
On the day of Okubo’s departure, she returned all her borrowed supplies to the camp administration and received meal tickets for her to use during her travel and a small allowance of $25. Despite feeling “free” (208), Okubo wondered how the others could leave the camp, a place that they have started to consider “home” (209).
Pages 154-209 Analysis
Just as Okubo and the other internees were starting to settle into life at Topaz, the issuing of loyalty tests divided the camp into two parties—those who answered “Yes” to Question 28 regarding their declaration of loyalty to the US and those who answered “No” in their refusal to relinquish loyalty to Japan. As an extension of the loyalty test issued to Japanese American men serving in the US special army unit, the loyalty test stood for more than just a “yes” or “no” question but a matter of national allegiance. To fight on behalf of a country was one demonstration of loyalty. For Japanese American civilians, this test was meant to replicate the same effect. However, Question 28 proved especially problematic for internees who felt that they did not want to relinquish ties to Japan as a place of national origin. Furthermore, many internees felt betrayed by internment and did not feel that they could pledge their loyalty to a country that would mistreat them in such a way.
As the incentive for responding “Yes” to Question 28 was freedom from the camp, many affirmative responses were made from duress. Many opted to pledge their allegiance to the US because they knew their freedom was on the line. It was clear that to answer this question negatively would lead to punishment. Those who answered “No” were taken to another camp, segregated from the other internees. This was especially divisive as it broke apart families, some who decided to go with family members who answered “No” to the segregated camp and some who opted to stay behind.
At the same time, the lack of transparency surrounding the murder of James Hatsuaki Wakasa also contributed to rising tensions in the camp. While internees quietly suffered the policing by camp administration, the Wakasa case was an act of violence and violation of power by camp guards. While Okubo does not describe the incident in detail, her blanket statement, “Particulars and facts of the matter were never satisfactorily disclosed to the residents” (180), suggests that the lack of disclosure about what transpired was especially enraging for internees. The removal of arms from the immediate camp premises also suggests that the collective action and anger from internees led to a rare administrative change for the better.
Despite being able to leave the camp at last, Okubo experienced difficulty with her newfound freedom. After having spent two years of her life in internment, she found it hard to imagine leaving a place that felt like “home.” This sentimental attitude was not reflective of any positive affiliations with the camp, but rather that the disruption from daily civic life was so disturbing that freedom felt like a foreign concept. It almost became easier to remain in the camp rather than face the unknown. In the end, Okubo made the decision to move forward despite her hesitancy, suggesting that she was ready to choose her freedom.
