Internment Camps

Internment Camps

The move to the internment camps was a difficult journey for many Japanese-Americans. Many of them were taken from their homes and were allowed only to bring a few belongings. Okubo colorfully illustrates the dramatic adjustment of lifestyle that Japanese-Americans had to make during the war. Authentic sketches accompany each description of the conditions that were faced and hardships that were overcome. The illustrations were drawn at the time each event described throughout the story took place. Each hand drawn picture seems to freeze time, capturing the feelings and intense anxiety many felt during the war. The pictures assist the author's first person narration and assist the reader in creating an accurate picture of each account.

Okubo's story focuses on the daily life in an internment camp; meals were described as consisting mainly of potatoes and bread, horse stables used to house the evacuees were described as skeletons smelling of manure and bathrooms where endless lines violated privacy due to the lack of doors or partitions. It seemed like a prisoner's hell to most Japanese-Americans, each day passing slower than the last. They were robbed of their freedom and basic rights as American citizens and they knew there was nothing they cold do about it. The brief summary accompanied by authentic sketches provides the reader with a broad over view of what the camps looked and felt like. Okubo does not go into extreme detail, but does focus on describing most aspects of the internment camps.

Okubo's short and simple descriptions of camp life give the story a personal touch. It almost sounds as though Okubo is replicating a type of journal she kept throughout the internment process. Simple to read and ...

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... The fact that she was an attractive and outgoing teenager was not enough to normalize her image. Her skin color and slanted eyes told everyone all they needed to know, and for this she grew to be ashamed. The constant obstacles forced her to become callosed to unnecessary comments and accept prejudiced attitudes as commonplace. She now knew the world outside of Manzanar was judgmental and cold; it would have to be her spirit that would carry her through this time.

I especially enjoyed the author's portrayal as a young developing woman caught in a world of prejudice and discrimination. She was able to overcome the obstacles that blocked her from the truth herself. The more courageous she became as an American woman, the more she was able to discover about the power she held. Her father's spirit--strong, proud and very Japanese--would encourage her along the way.