Telling Our Stories: Japanese Americans in the San Fernando Valley, 1910's - 1970's
CSUNAsianAmericanStudies
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Brave Acts
Despite the country's anti-Japanese sentiment, a few non-Japanese did reach out to assist and help Japanese Americans. Before being interned, some families left their cars and other valuables with their neighbors. Others were surprised by the unusual kindness of their Caucasian acquaintances during internment.
"The only visitor I had in the year and a half I was in camp; Dr. Edwards. And you know I appreciated what he did (recommending Dr. Oda to a Medical School) and I said, Dr. Edwards came all the way out to Manzanar and my daughter said, “Mom do you realize he was jeopardizing his own position by coming out to see you?” And I didn’t realize that, and she said, “Gee, he really went out of his way to see you.” Because he must of felt bad that I was in camp, that we were all in camp, all of us Japanese were in camp and he must have sensed that it wasn’t right either."
~ Mary Oda
Based on this original
Takeuchi girls, circa 1955 |