History has become simpler to reach and read about today due to technology. We can access anything we want, whenever we want. Now that a lot of history has come and gone without us having the internet back then to keep track of facts and events, we rely on the youth perspective. The People who lived back then get to speak about their upbringings. Unfortunately, this leads to a checkered and confusing recitation of events. Children have such a positive and bright eyed view on the world, that tragedies and horrors that they endure are normal to them, and they sometimes do not give straight or solid stories. This is why youth perspective is both necessary yet perplexing when learning history.
Kids devour life. They have a gaze over the world like no other, and they triumph over any sort of adversity. This can be directly seen during World War II with the letters sent from Clara Breed. A book titled Dear Miss Breed by Joanna Opennheimer dives deep into the world of Japanese-American kids who were thrown into internment camps. Miss Breed wrote letters to these kids to keep tabs on them and send them things they missed from their homes. Oppenheimer spoke about how misrepresented Japanese people were in America–how movies portray them to be gross disgusting monsters, and she met a girl in her school when she was young. She was a Japanese girl who spoke the same as her, and ate the same food. This was a baffling fact for her, even more baffling was how this girl never spoke about the time she spent away from home. She was taken to an internment camp and never felt the need to harp on such tragedy. This is what sparked Oppenheimer’s interest in Clara Breed. Oeppnheimer speaks about one child named Katherine Tasaki and all of her “colds, cuts, splinters, stomachaches, and leg pains she wrote about, Katherine’s letters were full of hope and a breezy sense of humor” (Oppenheim 12). Tasaki is just one of many kids who spoke to Miss Breed over the years.
Tetsuzo (Ted) Hirasaki was one of the older kids in the camps. He wrote to Miss Breed for three years and was very outspoken. In his letter to Miss Breed written on April 13th, 1942 he speaks about how much he is enjoying his stay at this camp. He speaks about how he is so excited to walk the track the mighty seabiscuit ran on. He gets milk with every meal since he hurt his arm. He is excited to eat stew and get meat for the first time in a long time, since they are not allowed to have knives in the camp. He requests his barber equipment be sent to him, he is looking to keep himself busy. This kid had been lifted from his home and thrown in a place with insufficient housing and nourishment. He talks about the camp he used to be in had a crack in the ceiling and rain would drip through. He harps on how he is just happy to be safe.
In Ted’s next letter, written on August 27th, 1943. He talks about how time has flown by and he started working as a barber last May. He now takes Ukulele lessons from a Hawaiin kid, and he walks an hour to go learn. He says he is not very good, but he enjoys hearing the other kid play music. “it is hard to believe that a year could pass so quickly. The only part that dragged was the waiting for Army induction which for me never came” Hirasaki, Tetsuzo August 27th 1943. Time does not go by fast for those who are suffering, and from his writings, Ted seems to be enjoying his time in his camp. He has created a new life for himself and has even gotten a job. He is insatiable and wants more than what he is given. The scene begins to speak about joining the army, fighting for the country that has limited his life. It is hard to really see the situation that goes on behind the scenes of his life. We are aware now of the tragedy that has gone on these internment camps, and how inhumane living was. These letters however, do not show much of that.
In his next letter, written June 10th, 1944. His battle to join the army still goes on, as he has been rejected due to his arm condition. Still his arm condition does not keep him from having fun. “One armed golfers do it alright” Hirasaki, Tetsuzo June 10th, 1944. He again is showing his drive and power for what he wants. He struggled with his Ukulele lessons so he switched to guitar to still try to learn something. This kid, and all kids have found ways around their struggles. They have seen light in their dark lives. Ted even wants to go and make a change and fight for the country that has set back his life back years. The country that left him insufficient housing and did not even let him eat meat. He still wants more, and he will fight for it. Again, we struggle to see the truth of the situation behind Ted’s updates. He seems to have a devour life as it comes at him. He does not harp on his struggles whatsoever, he looks past them to see what else he can do for himself. That is why we can not clearly understand what happened during these times through these letters.
Born with similar setbacks Delores Revis an African-American woman who lived during segregation in Raleigh North Carolina. Did an interview in 2021 to talk about her life growing up, and her work in education later on in life. As background, education during segregation was very much separate but certainly not equal. Some African-American students sat separated from the other kids. They had impaired views of the board, and were given less attention than other kids. During this time Delores says her mother would tell her to use the bathroom and get a drink of water before she left for town. She was not allowed to use the restrooms or water fountains in town. Her school life was similar, but her mother wanted her to have a solid education, so she had supplies at home. When asked about her schooling she said “Everyone felt safe, secure, and loved.” Then when asked about her childhood she stated “Overall life was great.” When she was a kid, she did not know much better, this was life. Now, with the knowledge of how unfair her upbringing was, she still speaks about it joyfully. Everyone has learned about the tragedies of segregation and racism in America. It is still spoken about today. Yet, she still enjoyed her childhood. It is hard to see the truth behind Revis’ story because of how attached she is to education.
During the same time period Gilroy and Sally Chow grew up as Chinese-Americans in Mississippi. They had an interview with CBS news in 2022 with a segment called “Mississippi in Chinese.” Sally spoke about how she was forced to live and sleep in the back of her parents store, and how all Chinese families lived like this. Sally went to school with white kids and thought nothing of the fact that they got to go home to houses, she thought that their lives were just different. She was unaware at the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act that kept Chinese-Americans from living in neighborhoods, as well as going to certain schools. Sally was lucky to go to school where she was due to her setbacks. She speaks about how her parents did not discriminate against who they did business with, so she did not either as she grew up. Today she and her husband Gilroy still work in Mississippi, the exact place that discriminates against them. The place that kept them from getting solid educations, and kept them from living a better life. They stay, and represent their culture, their families, and who they are. Again, even now having knowledge of how unfair her situation was, Sally still looks back on her childhood with the same bright eyes she had back then. She loves where she grew up and she loves where she is now
Even when they live aware or unaware of their disadvantages, still kids still find a way to enjoy their lives. They distract themselves by getting jobs or finding hobbies. They find passion in things they love and they run it dry. They live life to the fullest. They do not harp on the bad that happens, they merely wipe their tears and keep moving forward. That is why when we listen to their stories, it is hard to grasp the real details of the history. Now that they are some of the only living pieces of these events, it is truly perplexing to truly see these events.
