Title:
Letter from Mizuye Hirose to [Afton] Nance
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.
4614-D Tule lake Center Newell, Calif Dear Mrs. Nance, I wanted to write to you sooner but I was unable to get your
address until today. Everything that happen from the time we were told to go on the exchange ship until we were put on the
Ellis Island is like the misty mountain I could see from this camp. Just can’t believe it really happen, yet it did. We
traveled one and half way across the United States. I never ever dream I would do such a thing, yet I did. Everything happen
so fast. Anyway the trip was unbelieveably interesting. We were taken right up to the ship we can see the white letters
spelling DIPLOMAT on the side of the ship. No space on the ship for us or something and we were unable to get on the ship.
Then we were taken to Ellis Island. About 12:30 in the night we saw the Gripshom slowly passing the Statue of Liberty from
the Island. We stay in there four days and the foods were awful compared to the foods we were accustomed to inside the camp.
There were many Germans and Italians in there. At first we were not permitted to speak to them but later part of the stay
we talk to them and they surely were friendly. Sept 7th we reached Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas. The camp was
homeliest place I enter since I left Palos Verdes. People were friendly and on top of that the trees were all around the
camp which was just the thing to cure me of homesickness. Over here the Red Cross and the people within the camp did there
utmost to make us comfortable. There were some family with just the things they wore for there baggages and trunks were
put on the ship or something and didn’t come back. My mother’s and sister’s suit cases were gone but most of the other things
came. Today I am writing to you from Tulelake. This is the worst camp I ever enter but I am sure we will make this place
more loveable. Before I left Colorado I memorize your nephew’s name for we can’t take any writing matters. I am sorry I
am unable to take message to him. most sincerely yours, Mizuye Hirose
Publisher:
Japanese American National Museum
Type:
text;
Format:
1 folded sheet ( 4 p.) ; sheet 21 x 25 cm.
Identifier:
JANM_077
2001.175.184
Language:
eng
Relation:
Coverage:
Newell (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 Mizuye Hirose to [Afton] Nance