Title:
Letter from Mizuye [Hirose] to [Afton] Nance, 1942 Nov 8
Creator:
Hirose, Mizuye, 1925-2008
Subject:
"Nance, Afton Dill "
Japanese Americans-- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
Description:
Handwritten letter from Mizuye [Hirose] to [Afton] Nance, 1942 Nov 8.
November 8, 1942
8K-7-E Amache, Colorado Dear Mrs Nance, I am very sorry I did not write to you after I came here. Now that again I
am working in mess hall and also going to school I don’t have hardy any spare time. Over here is very different in scenery
from California but it is very lovely in its way. The horizon look just like the ocean and the sun rise is beautiful, and
when night fall the light starts to flicker here and there. The town which I didn’t know about start to show it self with
light. Right now it is kind of desert but by next spring I am sure it will look like Palos Verdes in that time. This camp
is more home to me because its in the country and once in awhile I hear dog barking. I was so surprised to find so many dogs
in here. Winter is creeping on us so I have my gardenia plant, (which came from California) tulip and narcisus bulbs growing
inside. I havent seen a flower since I came in here so I hope these plants will have flower soon. I am sure Mutsuo told
you that we had snow here October 23. I’ll never forget that day. It snowed about three inches I think. It was so pure
and soft that it amazed me. We purposely went out and stood under the falling snow. It kind of remined me of those pink
cotton candies at the pier, when the candy touches my mouth it melted and seem just like that when it touches my skin poof
its water. I am waiting for another day like that. School is not different at all from California, may be because most
of my teachers are Californian. Four of my teacher is Japanese American which I was very much surprised. Only my dramatic
teacher is a American we surely have fun in there. I took that because I was told I do not had to out in public but work
back stage. Well, I hope I lose my self-conscious and I know dramatic will do a lot for me. Do you know if any body is
keeping track of Mrs. Coza Clausen? I surely want to write to her. She did more for me than any other teacher I ever had
and I am sure I will have. I am very sorry Mr. Dorr is not in Malaga Cove now he was a great music teacher. I always thought
he was better than San Pedro High School music teacher. The rooms we are now living is better than Santa Anita’s. Its much
more roomier and better build. We have United States army efuranace inside every apartment. There is six apartment in a
building and there is twelve building in a block. There is about twelve blocks in this camp. Each block have its own mess
hall, (to feed about 3 hundred people) recreation hall, and also its own wash room. So its thousand times convenient than
Santa Anita. I will write to you more about this camp as I become more accustomed to it. With most sincerely
I remain Mizuye. P.S. Gave my greatest regard to all the teacher.
Publisher:
Japanese American National Museum
Date:
1942 November 8
Type:
text;
Format:
1 folded sheet ( 4 p. letter ) ; sheet 19 x 28 cm.
Identifier:
JANM_074
2001.175.175
Language:
eng
Relation:
Coverage:
Amache (Colo.)
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 Mizuye [Hirose] to [Afton] Nance, 1942 Nov 8