A Manzanar classroom in procession.
March 5, 1943
Mama has recently relocated our family to block 28, where the barracks rim the outer perimeter of the Owens Valley apple orchards. I suppose life has become more tolerable since this move, for I now can smell the sweetness of a new beginning.
With the start of school, I have begun to touch the feathers of new hobbies, with the hope that the explorations may give me the chance to restore my pre- Manzanar lifestyle. Of course, I do not believe I can ever start over, but perhaps I can relive the light of freedom once more.
With the start of school, I have begun to touch the feathers of new hobbies, with the hope that the explorations may give me the chance to restore my pre- Manzanar lifestyle. Of course, I do not believe I can ever start over, but perhaps I can relive the light of freedom once more.
My first project landed in baton twirling, an art I relished for its unmistakable American tempo and march. In a sense, I glimpsed the baton as a dream, for though it rises and falls, you can always anticipate the catch - the moment when fate finally brings the destiny that will rule above all.
Although I also attempted odori, a Japanese dance, and ballet, I never confronted another activity that could quite compete with my natural affinity for the silver bar. The endeavors that linked to a Japanese heritage did not appeal to me, for I wanted to shed my foreign appearance and become fitted for a culture greater than that of Japan.
1943 marked the high school publishing of the yearbook "Our World." Throughout the pictures and documentations, there strives a single message: even in a time of distrust, people stow their cares away, hoping that they will make turmoil more livable.
Although I also attempted odori, a Japanese dance, and ballet, I never confronted another activity that could quite compete with my natural affinity for the silver bar. The endeavors that linked to a Japanese heritage did not appeal to me, for I wanted to shed my foreign appearance and become fitted for a culture greater than that of Japan.
1943 marked the high school publishing of the yearbook "Our World." Throughout the pictures and documentations, there strives a single message: even in a time of distrust, people stow their cares away, hoping that they will make turmoil more livable.
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