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Tulelake Colony [Tule Lake Relocation Center]
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Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library
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Recommended Citation
Unidentified, "Unidentified Stockton Girl Autobiography, n. d." (2020). Guy and Marguerite Cook Nisei Collection. 107.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cook-nisei/107
Transcription
Who am I
In Modesto, California, I was born, destined to be one of eleven children. I have always been ashamed to tell anyone the size of our family. In a large family as this, I did not get much attention and grew to be independent.
When I was about three years old, I met with an accident that influenced my later life. I was running in an alley and tripped and fell on a pole & metal nails. The nails pressed my leg; and if it not for my father’s refusal to have it amputated, I would be a hopeless cripple. The scars left on my leg have caused me much embarrassment and even now I hate anyone to ask about them. But otherwise I had a wholesome [ ] and pleasant childhood.
When I was six years old we moved to Stockton, California all my relatives lived in Stockton, and
I had the most fun playing with all my cousins. I had a typical school girl life and sometimes I seemed rather monotonous. The hotel which my father rented was where we lived. Then came Pearl Harbor, disrupting our [ ] regular and [ ] life. I couldn’t quite comprehend what was happening. My mind and [head] was a jumble. I did not know where I stood. Then came the evacuation. My father was interned and could not help us. We were evacuated to Stockton Assembly Center for five months. The hardships we went through prior evacuation cannot be described. Once we were settled in the assembly center things begun going more smoothly.
On October 17 1942 we entered Rivers, Arizoana. My father was paroled July of 1943 and came to Rivers. To prevent my oldest brother from entering military service, we came to Tule Lake, I can truthfully say I did not want to come. My parents believe that eventually all people of Japanese descent will be deported to Japan. I think that if I go to Japan that I will be a foreigner among them. They will not understand me nor I them. If I had my way I would go to college or go where my eldest sister is. I do not like to be enclosed and deprived of certain rights. I want to be like any other American.
My personality traits are something which I do not know myself. People tell me that I am [not] a good [mixer]. That is true I cannot talk to people with friendliness because I am not friendly. I have been told that my voice is low and
hoarse. This has led me to speak to a group as little as possible. You cannot guess how embarrassing it is if [ ] someone tells you your voice is like a mans as you probably have noticed, the Japanese people are very [small]. That is another cause for criticism. I am very tall and big. My tallness is always commented on and it has made me shy to meet people. Sometimes I wish I were born with a Caucasian face, the Japanese people are so critical.