Forced To Camp

Introduction

Just on the basis 
of our different faces, 
they locked us in places 
like Manzanar. There were no traces 
of disloyal cases, 
but differences in races 
built Manzanar. They say time erases 
the pain on our faces, 
but time never erases 
Manzanar.

-Margie Yasuko Motowaki  Wong

Imagine that you are forced to live your home and live in a desert because of the way you look. Your father was taken to a different place and no one knows if he is safe or even alive. The place you are forced to live is freezing cold at night and exhaustingly hot in the day. Your home is very poorly made and you are not allowed to live this community area.

How would you feel about living here?

What would you do each day in a place like this?

What if you were sent back to Japan, a place you have never been before?

This happened to thousands of Japanese Americans in the 1940’s during World War II. They were sent to many different “camps” but the one we are forced one is Manzanar Relocation Center.

Task

Your task is to keep a journal of your feelings, what you seen and what your family is going through. This is from the time that you are forced from your home to arriving at this “camp” to having to live there are a couple of years.

·   The must be at least 15 journals entries from different moments of your time away.

·   You must find 3 pictures that show life at Manzanar.

·   You will read the novel, Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston.

Process

1. You will look through the below sites to get an idea of why the Japanese were forced into relocation camps, what Manzanar looks like, where is Manzanar at, and the everyday life was like.

·   Complete History of Manzanar

·   Beyond Manzanar

·   Manzanar Portraits

·   Masumi Hayashi Photography

·   More Manzanar Information

·   Relocation History

·   Children of the Camps

2. After looking through the pages. Write a journal entry about your thought if you were sent to this camp.

3. Begin reading the novel, Farewell to Manzanar.

Each day you will be given 20 minutes to read in the book and 10 minutes afterward to write in your journal about different topics. The type of topics are:

• How you feel about being at camp?
• What does the camp look like?
• What is your family talking about?
• Do you support the war?
• What you think about the possibility of being sent to Japan, a place you have never been to?

4. When you are done with all your journal entries, read the whole novel, and found three pictures; you will write a 1 page report on the novel and put this all together with a creative title page.

Evaluation

• Journal Entries: You have at 15 and that they are related to the Japanese Internment.

• Farewell to Manzanar: You will be monitored while you are reading and the graded on the book report you write at the end.

• Photography: You will need 3 clear photos of life at Manzanar with the website you got it from written somewhere on it.

Conclusion

You know have an idea of what it was like to be Japanese in the 1940’s. You know what it was like to be forced from your home to a place in the middle of nowhere. It is now your turn to begin this process. Have Fun!