Poetry and Prose on the Removal of Bainbridge Island Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the military to remove all persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast of the United States, including Bainbridge Island, Washington. This order uprooted thousands of Japanese American families and sent them to internment camps across the country.

The removal of the Bainbridge Island Japanese Americans was a traumatic event that had a profound impact on those who experienced it. In the years since the war, many writers have explored this history through poetry and prose, seeking to capture the pain, loss, and resilience of those who were forced to leave their homes.

Departures: Poetry and Prose on the Removal of Bainbridge Island’s Japanese Americans After Pearl Harbor

by Michael Koglin

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2076 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	53 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Paperback	:	132 pages
Item Weight	:	5.6 ounces
Dimensions	:	5.85 x 0.33 x 8.27 inches

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Poetry

One of the most famous poems about the Bainbridge Island Japanese American removal is "The heron waits" by Lawson Fusao Inada. The poem describes the heron as a symbol of the Japanese Americans who were forced to leave their homes:

The heron waits In the mud of the tide flats For the tide to turn To return to the marsh Where its nest is Among the reeds.

The poem captures the sense of waiting and uncertainty that the Japanese Americans felt as they were forced to leave their homes.

Another well-known poem about the Bainbridge Island Japanese American removal is "The Boats" by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. The poem describes the day the Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes and board a ferry that would take them to an internment camp:

The boats moved silently across the water taking us away from our homes our lives our dreams.

The poem captures the sense of loss and displacement that the Japanese Americans felt as they were forced to leave their homes.

Prose

In addition to poetry, a number of writers have also explored the history of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American removal in prose. One of the most well-known works of prose about this topic is the novel "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford. The novel tells the story of a young Japanese American girl who is forced to leave her home on Bainbridge Island and live in an internment camp.

Another well-known work of prose about the Bainbridge Island Japanese American removal is the nonfiction book "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. The book tells the story of the Houston family, who were forced to leave their home on Bainbridge Island and live in the Manzanar internment camp.

The removal of the Bainbridge Island Japanese Americans was a traumatic event that had a profound impact on those who experienced it. In the years since the war, many writers have explored this history through poetry and prose, seeking to capture the pain, loss, and resilience of those who were forced to leave their homes.

These works of literature provide a valuable reminder of the importance of civil rights and the dangers of prejudice and discrimination.

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Departures: Poetry and Prose on the Removal of Bainbridge Island’s Japanese Americans After Pearl Harbor

by Michael Koglin

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2076 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	53 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Paperback	:	132 pages
Item Weight	:	5.6 ounces
Dimensions	:	5.85 x 0.33 x 8.27 inches

FREE