This week, in class, we explored letters written to Miss [Clara] Breed from Japanese boys and girls forced to live in Japanese internment camps. Prior to moving to the internment camps, these boys and girls would spend time at their local library. Miss Breed was one of the librarians and she strongly cared for these children–so much so, that many of the children saw Miss Breed as a friend. When these children were forced to leave their homes and live in Japanese internment camps, many of the children relied on receiving letters from Miss Breed to lift their spirit. Unfortunately, the letters Miss Breed sent to the children are not available. However, we do have access to the letters that the children sent to Miss Breed. Although I have learned about Japanese internment camps in the past, exploring these letters provided me with a better understanding of the living conditions at these internment camps.
To prepare for Thursday’s class, each student chose a letter to read and explore. I chose a letter written by Tetsuzo Hirasaki to Miss Breed in April of 1942. This letter stuck out to me because of the variety of topics Tetsuzo mentioned throughout the letter–whether it be the postal system at the camp or the quality of the food. For example, Tetsuzo mentioned how the post-office did not run smoothly:
“They did not know one Japanese name from another and we had to stand in line for hours before we could get our mail.”
[Letter to Clara Breed from Tetsuzo (Ted) Hirasaki, Arcadia, California, April 22, 1942]
I really enjoyed the opportunity to read the different letters sent to Miss Breed because I got to learn more about Japanese internment camps while expanding my knowledge of the effect letters have had throughout history.
