Title:
Letter from Paul H. [Kusuda] to [Afton] Nance, 1942 Sep 5
Creator:
Kusuda, Paul H., 1922-
Subject:
Nance, Afton Dill
Japanese Americans-- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
Description:
Handwritten letter from Paul H. Kusuda to Afton Nance, 1942 September 5.
B32-3-3 War Relocation Center Manzanar, California September 5, 1942 Dear Mrs. Nance:- Here I am again to test your
ability to read hieroglyphics a la Kusuda. I don’t see how you can stand my writing. It’s so poor that I don’t even bother
to proof-read my letters. Whenever I feel over-ambitious, I type one or two (that’s just about the sum and extent of my typewritting)
letters. Those who receive them must sigh with relief. Even my typing is full of errors. But that’s neither here nor there
nor anywhere. The cookies which you sent me were gone well inside of a week. They were delicious! I am still applauding
your skill. You surprised me! What else do you do besides teach, attend meetings, read books and magazines, BAKE, write
letters, send books and magazines and carbon paper, etc etc ad infinitum? Or need I ask? Oh yes, the copy of “Common Ground”
reached me. I have begun reading it. In fact, I’m half-way through the magazine. Right now, I am just on the point of reading
Carey McWilliam’s article. I haven’t read it yet, so naturally, I can’t throw an opinion at you yet! Since the tutoring
classes are over (thank goodness!), I have a little more time to read. Now, I’ve started to read the New Republic magazines
and the Time and the New Yorker and the Asia and I am really enjoying it (“it” means the reading of magazines). The books
are making the rounds and I expect them back in the distant future. Miss Swain has lent me (via mail) two books which I
am reading in addition to the magazines. Now, I am reading just about as long as I want. It’s a good feeling! I hope that
you have a copy of the “Common Ground” too. Thanks ever so much for sending that copy to me. I’m afraid that I’m breaking
you financially. Instead of your spending so much money and buying those books for me, I would be very happy to borrow books
from you. Filthy lucre (as called by some) looms rather large for us now-days. By the way, I am sending you some more notes
I took. If possible, I’ll send you a copy of all the interesting meetings to which I attend. That might give you a sort
of a dim picture of the progress being made here in Manzanar. You may be interested to know that I intend to take up some
short-hand in a high school class if I can. Since I took a Math-Science course I missed out on short-hand. Now, I can make
use of my chicken-scratching-like marks. Mrs. Nance, there’s a girl in Utah who used to attend LACC. In fact, she was at
the meetings to which you came. She was a cute little girl who was very friendly with Tomi when you brought him. I guess
you wouldn’t remember her, but anyway -------. Her father wants to go to Japan. She doesn’t. Her father rules the family
with the aid of her grandmother on her father’s side. She doesn’t know what to do. I’ve told her to run away if necessary!
Would you – or rather – could you help her in any way? Her address and name are: MISS TAYEKO HORIUCHI P.O. BOX 170
LAYTON, UTAH. She used a nickname of “Ty”. Please do what you can. I don’t know what I can do. It’s beyond me. Sincerely,
Paul H.
Publisher:
Japanese American National Museum
Date:
1942 September 5
Type:
text
Format:
1 item ( 6 p. letter ) ; sheet 20 x 12 cm.
Identifier:
JANM_092
2001.175.28a
Language:
eng
Relation:
Coverage:
Manzanar (Calif.)
Rights:
Copyrighted;
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Hirasaki National Resource Center at
the Japanese American National Museum (hnrc@janm.org).
Japanese American National Museum
Letter from Paul H. [Kusuda] to [Afton] Nance, 1942 Sep 5