Farewell To Manzanar: A Review
The story of one Japanese family in Manzanar
Information
Manzanar Internment Camp
Manzanar is a U.S.A national park and historic site and where Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston spent a few years of her young life living
Website: http://www.nps.gov/manz/index.htm
Location: Manzanar Reward Rd, California
Phone: (760) 878-2194
What is "Farewell To Manzanar"?
Farewell to Manzanar is a children's book based upon the life of one girl and her family and their time spent at Manzanar Internment camp, it is also about readjusting to normal life after being released.
Who are the Wakatsuki's
The book is about Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family. Before they were sent to Manzanar papa was falsely charged with supplying Japanese subs with fuel and he was imprisoned. A few weeks later the rest of the family was ordered to go to Manzanar internment camp. They spent a few years in the Manzanar internment camp and had trouble coming back into normal life.
At the Camp
Living Conditions
The Living conditions in Manzanar Internment camp were pretty bad. When the first people arrived the buildings were barley finished, and the food was not to their liking. The Wakatsukis worked hard to fix up their barrack and they did, they put pieces of scrap wood in the holes in the floor and hung blankets for privacy. And we can't forget that they were in the middle of a desert, sandstorms were common so the barracks were also full of sand.
The return of Papa
One day a bus pulled up to Manzanar Internment camp and out came Papa, he was walking with a cane and looked very old. Everyone just stood there standing except for Papa's youngest daughter, Jeanne, who came running up and gave him a big hug.
After the Camp
Middle School
Jeanne left the camp a few months after a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan and she was treated poorly because of her race but she stayed positive and kept on moving. On her first day back to school a girl was very surprised that Jeanne could read. Jeanne then became good friends with her until high school.
High School
In high school many things happened to Jeanne because of her race. She lost the role of majorette, was prohibited from representing the school at certain events, and during prom queen balloting the teachers tried to rig the competition.