Farewell to Manzanar

Farewell to Manzanar

Monica Monarez

California State Dominguez Hills

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Farewell to Manzanar

The novel, Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston,

is the true-story of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houstons familys time at the Manzanar internment camp

in the 1940s. The book highlights her familys struggles coming to terms with their

imprisonment and their feelings of abandonment for a country they had lived in and felt loyal to

for many years. As the Japanese American family adjusts to their imprisonment, the government

expects them to pledge their allegiance by taking a vow to join the United States military and

fight in the war. When asked to make this controversial decision both Jeannes brother, Woody,

their father, and the other families being held at Manzanar have different views about pledging to

join the United States military and attitudes towards the American government.

Woodys father, Papa thinks he should refuse to join the United States military

because of what they are doing to his family and other families forced to live at Manzanar are

divided on whether or not to say yes or no to the governments Loyalty Oath. After Papa was

sent to Fort Lincoln while the government assessed his claim of innocence in the events that took

place in Pearl Harbor, he joined his family only to have changed completely. Since his return

Papa fights with his family members, drinks every day, and is a very angry man. Papa made his

idea of Woody joining the military very clear, Woody would listen to Papa lecture him on true

loyalty, pacing from bunk to bunk, waving his cane (Houston & Houston, pg 83). Jeanne also

writes Woodys, duty as a son was to sit and listen to Papa thrash his way around it and around

it and around it (Houston & Houston, pg 84). Papa tried to make his son feel poorly about his

decision because of what the United States had done to not only himself, but his family. The

issue of the Loyalty Oath was controversial for the rest of the families in Manzanar, as well. The
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question about what they would say was divided; if they agreed to fight they would be drafted

and if they did not agree they run the risk of being deported.

Woody feels he should fight in the war because he is an American citizen and

believes he can restore his familys honor as Japanese American citizens. Woody and Papa were

close before the incident at Pearl Harbor occurred. Woody, Papa, and his brother, Bill would go

sailing and fishing together frequently while the rest of the family waved them off as they left the

dock. It wasnt until his fathers incarceration at Fort Lincoln that the family became separated

and their relationship became strained. Woody, feels very confident in his decision to fight in the

war. He states, I am an American citizen. America is at war (Houston & Houston, pg 83).

Being a Japanese American, Woody wants to restore honor in his family and he believes he can

do so by participating in the war as a proud American citizen. With feelings of resentment

towards the United States, his father tries to make him reconsider his decision, often treating him

like a child. Woody, being a more level headed person, would respond to his fathers words,

softly, respectfully, with a boyish and submissive smile (Houston & Houston, pg 83). His

father does not treat him like an adult, but Papa doesnt realize that by Woody making the

decision to go makes him an honorable man trying to do well for his family.

Woody had better reasoning, an overall goal for what he wanted to accomplish, and

honorable intentions for making his decision to serve in the United States military. Papa was

filled with resentment and hate towards the American government because of his tarnished

reputation. It was not just being brought to Manzanar after his imprisonment that made Papa so

angry, there were deeper, uglier reasons for his isolation (Houston & Houston, pg 66). Rumors

and gossip regarding Papas imprisonment spread; claims that he was only released earlier than

other Japanese men because he betrayed them to the American government. The truth was they
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had no reason to keep Papa who was an innocent man. Anything associated with the American

government made Papa bitter. Instead of respecting his sons decision and beliefs he belligerently

argued his ideas. Woodys decision was both noble and mature. Woody understood that being

held with at Manzanar was an awful choice made by the United States, but he also understood

that if he was going to have an honorable life this was the way to do it, as unfair as it was.

Farewell to Manzanar is a wonderful primary source that shows the effects one family

faced as a result of the United States deciding to confide Japanese Americans in internment

camps. When asked the controversial question to serve in the United States military the

community at Manzanar was evenly divided. Woody and his father had conflicting ideas

regarding the decision they were going to make, but ultimately Woody had clearer, honorable

intentions in making the decision to serve. The decision to imprison people of Japanese descent

in internment camps following the incident at Pearl Harbor was not a great time period morally

for the United States, but Farewell to Manzanar provides people with a look back into history

and helps them focus on how they can change in the future.
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References

Houston, J. W., & Houston, J. D. (1973). Farewell to Manzanar: A true story of Japanese

American experience during and after the World War II internment. Boston: Houghton

Mifflin.