Title:
Letter from Paul H. [Kusuda] to [Afton] Nance, 1942 Oct 18
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 October 18.
32 – 3 – 3 War Relocation Center PLEASE NOTE: - Manzanar, California STILL THE SAME
October 18, 1942 ADDRESS Dear Mrs. Nance – Of all the movingest people I know, you’re the movingest
or something. Golly, people move more than anybody, don’t they? Perhaps, it may be the gypsy in you, but my gosh ! -------
!!!? You should have many things in common with Eleanor and I don’t mean Holms (aquatics, that is!)! Was the work too much
for you? Did the kiddies (bless all kiddies hearts!) (am I kidding?) run you ragged and stuff? How sad! (no sarcasm meant
of course --- of course !) You didn’t tell me all the gory details, so I am still in the dark. All I can gather is that
you had a very short fling at being a Principal. Is that right? If so, what is on the menu of daily affairs and doings now?
Since your system of letters and stuff is so --- (I won’t way, since I am sooooo tactful --- or should I say tack-full),
I shall tell you what I do. All letters which I receive are filed away neatly and otherwise in my left hind pocket after
I read them (this includes postal and post cards). Across the face of the envelope (usually the left hand side), I write
or print the word, “ANSWER”. Then, when I get the time, I dash off a stupendous letter befitting a person of my intellect
(low, of course) referring from time to time to the letter from the person to whom I am writing at that particular time.
In that way, I can answer (to the best of my ability) any questions thrust at me. After using reams of paper and gallons
of ink (slight exageration, perhaps), I add the letters, “ed” to the previous, “ANSWER”, and then put the month and day following
that. For instance your latest letter which was post-marked October 14 (my twentieth birthday by the way. Now that it is
over, I can tell everyone without fear of retaliation and stuff. Gosh – I’m getting old fast!) and received by me on the
16th will have ANSWERED 10/18 scrawled on the face of the envelope. Then, the letter and the envelope will be filed. My
files are arranged by last names. If a person sends more than one letter, the letters are chronologically arranged. Incidentally,
the file case is the box in which you sent me those super delicious cookies. Well – that takes care of that. Interesting,
what? So Tomi left for Arkansas, did he? Is he now residing in Jerome or Rohwer? I hear that both places are pretty good.
By pretty good, I mean that the climate is fairly good. By the way, I didn’t write Shizuka once. Ain’t that a dirty trick?
Tsk, tsk? You seem rather anxious to treat me to an extension course. It gives me a most gratifying feeling to know that
you feel that way. The fact is, (oops, my spelling!) extension (ah ha!) courses haven’t begun to percolate here as yet!
Soon, no doubt, they will begin. As soon as they do, I shall let you know. Perhaps then, I shall prevail upon your generous
spirit. Then, you’ll be sorry. But to tell you the truth, I don’t believe that the cost for extension courses for a semester
will mount over 5 bones, bucks, skins, simoleons, dollars. Oh I was paid (I should say that I received my allowance) for
August about Thursday, Oct. 15. Wasn’t that marvelous? I had 16 DOLLARS in my hands in cash!!! Today, Sunday, Oct. 18,
I have exactly 5 dollars in my pockets – one solitary $5 bill. Boy --- money can go fast. I was broke for the past two weeks.
I guess that I coasted through the last two weeks on about 75¢! Now I am looking forward to my September allotment. What
a life! As soon as I get my September allotment, I think that I shall join the Book of the Month Club. Also, I think that
I shall take out a year’s subscription for the Current History monthly magazine. Are those two ideas wise to carry out?
As yet, I have not obligated myself in any way, so I don’t have to do either. By the way, Young Man of Caracas is still
touring the camp. That is really making the rounds! Mr. Richardson sent me a copy of October’s Harper’s Magazine. Pretty
good! --- but not too good! You may be interested to know that Mr. Baird Ruskin, colored leader of the FOR (Fellowship
of Reconciliation) was here in Manzanar for a day last week. He spoke to a group of about 20 (including Shiz and me). He’s
a very good, expressive, emphatic, speaker. Oddly enough, he speaks with a touch of an Oxford accent. You know him, of course.
He’s the one who figures in that story of a colored person in a bus who doesn’t raise a hand when beaten off the bus. Anyway,
he was good, although I couldn’t agree on all points which he discussed. Intelligent person, he is! Well, I’ve got to hit
the hay. It’s nearly 11 PM & everyone’s asleep. So ----- As always, Paul H. P.S. A couple more
reports.
Publisher:
Japanese American National Museum
Date:
1942 October 18
Type:
text
Format:
1 item ( 8 p. letter ) ; sheet 20 x 12 cm.
Identifier:
JANM_096
2001.175.32a
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 Oct 18