We are learning more and more as a society to value the opinion and perspective of children. Their imagination is magical and they can make the best out of even the darkest situations. This week, as we explored the thoughts of Japanese children in internment camps, it was remarkable to see how almost all the children never complained. Even though they have been stripped of their humanity and had been thrown into the wilderness, these children remain resolutely positive. I read a letter from Fusa Tsumagari, an 18 year old high school senior who had to put her whole life on hold when she was moved to an internment camp. She doesn’t have the same youthful glaze over her life as perhaps a younger child might, but she still manages to find the positive even in less ideal situations. She discusses dances and events that have been taking place in the camps, including a talent show and the strip tease her sorroity was going to perform. She talks about the winning groups from the show and whether or not she liked them. She makes it seem like, overall, people are enjoying themselves. However, there are notes of sadness between her jollity. She mentions the food casually, and how people in the camp have just gotten used to it. Some days it’s bad, and some days it’s bearable. She, and the other inmates, had just become so used to their situation in spite of it being inhumane.
While Fusa’s letter didn’t have so much in common with the other letters that people read, it was startling to see how many similarities there were with children’s stories from different years and different areas of California. All of them were so grateful to Ms. Breed for going out of her way to send them small tokens from outside the camp. For so many of these childre, Ms. Breed was their lifeline to the outside world. Even by sending them weekly crossword puzzles they were able to maintain some semblance of normality in their lives. Ms. Breeds compassion for these children is so clear. She made strong connections with children of all ages over the course of several years. She maintained individual correspondence with each child and that made them feel special and seen. She understood that even if she couldn’t free these children from their prisons, she could at least make them feel like they had a friend who was there for them, and that really made all the difference.
