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Yukii Wakabayashi

3.

month we had a offer to go to Byron Tract. Here I went to Byron and pasted fifth grade. After a year had past we went back to Mandeville Island second year in Mandeville when I was in the seventh grade. I got pneumonia again. I missed school three months. Even though I’ve missed school quiet alot I finally graduated grammar school in Mandeville. In 1941 I entered Stockton Hi school as a freshman. My subject were social studies, Gen. [general], math, clothing, Rem [remedial] read. I liked social studies and clothing the best. Disliked Rem [remedial] read. In order to go to school I had to work. I worked in a private home as a school girl. I enjoyed working for the mistress helping her to prepare dinner and I did the house cleaning. While working there I learned little about the ways of living and manners in the new American home. They paid me for working by month, with it I bought the things which I needed for school and clothing. Even though as I stayed in town I did not go out very much, except on Sundays I would go to a show with a girl.

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Recently I started to collect stamps as my hobby. I have not collected very much but I think for a beginner I’m doing alright. When I have nothing to do I like to listen to the radio, go to the movies, or do some needlework such as embroidery or rug making.

As summer vacation comes along, I usually stay home and do nothing except help mother once in a while. But year before last during the summer vacation I did not want to stay home so I asked my father if I can work or not. He gave me his permission that I could. I went out in the field with two other girls. We did odd jobs like sorting potato, cutting potato seed and cut the weeds. We had wonderful time together and was sorry that the summer came to an end so fast.

I’ll never forget the day when we were notified that we had to leave our home on the 20th of

May. Everyone seemed to be running around in circle and we didn’t know what to do. I had to quit school and go home and help mother with the packing of things. We sold most of our things like car, refrigerator, and other odds and ends. Just before

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leaving, our grammar school [teacher] gave the people in the island a farewell party. When the day came for us to leave I felt very sad in my heart, although I did not show it in my face. Saying good by to the dear friends was very hard. Someday I hope to return to the place I loved so much to continue living like we always used to. When 7 o’clock came we had to leave. The teacher took us in her car to Lodi where we was to board the waiting greyhound bus. At 12:00 we reached the assembly center. As we pass through the gate we were examined and searched. We were [directed] to go to our apt. [apartment] in [block] five by a friend. The first night there I felt funny because of only one big room with five beds side by side in a row. As the days went by I got accustomed to the new life. From time to time I start dreaming that I wish I was back home. In about 3 weeks I started to make friend rapidly we would go around the assembly and to show and other things that interested us. To keep myself busy I would go out to library and read a book or funny the days

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went by slowly but a month later the school started in the center. At first everyone went but in the end there was hardly any. We were told that we had to move again in September in Arkansas. We took the northern route through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, [ ] of Oklahoma, and then to Arkansas. I had a wonderful time on the train. When we finally reached Arkansas and off the train I looked around and thought what a place. But now that I know this place I like it very much yet I still prefer California.

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Rohwer Relocation Center

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Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

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Yukii Wakabayashi Autobiography [incomplete], n. d.

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