Legacy of Injustice

Exploring the Cross-Generational Impact of the Japanese American Internment

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Psychology, Personality, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology
Cover of the book Legacy of Injustice by Donna K. Nagata, Springer US
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Donna K. Nagata ISBN: 9781489911186
Publisher: Springer US Publication: June 29, 2013
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author: Donna K. Nagata
ISBN: 9781489911186
Publisher: Springer US
Publication: June 29, 2013
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

At the age of 6, I discovered a jar of brightly colored shells under my grandmother's kitchen sink. When I inquired where they had come from, she did not answer. Instead, she told me in broken English, "Ask your mother. " My mother's response to the same question was, "Oh, I made them in camp. " "Was it fun?" I asked enthusiastically. "Not really," she replied. Her answer puzzled me. The shells were beautiful, and camp, as far as I knew, was a fun place where children roasted marshmallows and sang songs around the fire. Yet my mother's reaction did not seem happy. I was perplexed by this brief exchange, but I also sensed I should not ask more questions. As time went by, "camp" remained a vague, cryptic reference to some time in the past, the past of my parents, their friends, my grand­ parents, and my relatives. We never directly discussed it. It was not until high school that I began to understand the significance of the word, that camp referred to a World War II American concentration camp, not a summer camp. Much later I learned that the silence surrounding discus­ sions about this traumatic period of my parents' lives was a phenomenon characteristic not only of my family but also of most other Japanese American families after the war.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

At the age of 6, I discovered a jar of brightly colored shells under my grandmother's kitchen sink. When I inquired where they had come from, she did not answer. Instead, she told me in broken English, "Ask your mother. " My mother's response to the same question was, "Oh, I made them in camp. " "Was it fun?" I asked enthusiastically. "Not really," she replied. Her answer puzzled me. The shells were beautiful, and camp, as far as I knew, was a fun place where children roasted marshmallows and sang songs around the fire. Yet my mother's reaction did not seem happy. I was perplexed by this brief exchange, but I also sensed I should not ask more questions. As time went by, "camp" remained a vague, cryptic reference to some time in the past, the past of my parents, their friends, my grand­ parents, and my relatives. We never directly discussed it. It was not until high school that I began to understand the significance of the word, that camp referred to a World War II American concentration camp, not a summer camp. Much later I learned that the silence surrounding discus­ sions about this traumatic period of my parents' lives was a phenomenon characteristic not only of my family but also of most other Japanese American families after the war.

More books from Springer US

Cover of the book Highly Linear Integrated Wideband Amplifiers by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Principles and Practice of Child Psychiatry by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Essays in Production, Project Planning and Scheduling by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book The Determinants of Economic Growth by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book The Changing Definition of Masculinity by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Transesophageal Echocardiography by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Molecular Neurobiology of the Mammalian Brain by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Long Acting Animal Health Drug Products by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Teaching Students in Clinical Settings by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book The Consequences of Alcoholism by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Design for Manufacturing and Assembly by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Cargo Access Equipment for Merchant Ships by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book The Social Psychology of Politics by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Basic Functions of Language, Reading and Reading Disability by Donna K. Nagata
Cover of the book Reducing the Risks for Substance Abuse by Donna K. Nagata
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy