Summary: Pages 92–123

One morning, Daddy announced that they could go outside the fence in a jeep. George and Henry could hardly wait until the adventure the next day—George understood they only got this privilege because Daddy was block manager. The next day, the family left the camp after Daddy signed a form at the gate. Daddy took the family on a joyride to a farm. They saw chickens and a hog, which the boys thought at first might be a dinosaur. The farmer told the boys to eat the Spam in the mess hall, which comes from hogs, to grow big and strong. As night fell, the family drove back to camp. Henry fell asleep on George’s shoulder, and Mama and Daddy held hands. George notes that even today, his memory of the “fragrances, sounds, colors, and especially temperatures” of the day is full of warmth.

When winter arrived, George experienced snow for the first time. The boys and Daddy had snowball fights and rolled a giant snowball. Christmas Eve dinner had a special menu of roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, and chocolate cake. But George focused on finishing his meal so Santa could come. Eventually, Santa came into the mess hall and asked each child if they’d been good. George quickly realized that the Santa was an impostor—his belly was fake, and the Santa was Japanese. George chose not to ruin the moment for his siblings, so he didn’t say anything. He reasoned that the real Santa probably couldn’t get past the gate.

In January 1943, George overheard his parents talking about something outrageous—something to do with allegiance to the emperor. Mama cried, and George was anxious. His parents told him not to worry.

George explains that Japanese loyalty was constantly questioned. Lt. General DeWitt proclaimed that “a Jap is a Jap,” implying that their loyalty would always be to Japan. Senator Tom Stewart said that Japanese people could not be assimilated, or conformed, to American society. Even though many Japanese Americans had tried to enlist in the Army when the war began, they were named alien enemies. Japanese American military members at the time of Pearl Harbor had their weapons taken, but in February 1943, President Roosevelt declared that any loyal citizen could serve in the military, likely due to the need for new soldiers in the war. To determine loyalty, the men in the camps were required to fill out questionnaires, asking questions about relatives in Japan, criminal records, and even the magazines they read.

Two questions—questions 27 and 28—became infamous. Question 27 asked if the person was willing to serve in the armed forces on combat duty. Question 28 asked if the person would “swear unqualified allegiance” to the United States and give up any loyalty to the Japanese emperor. Japanese Americans in the camp are outraged. George’s parents answered “no” to both questions, earning the label “no-nos.” Question 28, in particular, was based on the false allegation that Japanese Americans had racial loyalty to Japan in the first place. But those imprisoned believed that, no matter their response, the government would use the answers to justify the wrongful imprisonment. George notes that his father was raised in America yet was not allowed to apply for citizenship. Question 27 asked him to serve a country that had treated him poorly and then imprisoned him. Mama felt question 27 was absurd. She was an American citizen, born in America. Her own country had betrayed her.

Young Neisi mostly answered yes-yes, though they too found the questions outrageous. They wanted to prove their loyalty by fighting. A special all-Neisi regiment, the 422nd regimental combat team, was created in 1943. This regiment rescued the 141st regiment from the Germans in France, though they suffered hundreds of casualties. Members of the 422nd regiment were honored with the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest honor. In 2000, Congress upgraded the award to the Congressional Medal of Honor. President Bill Clinton asked George to serve on the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission and noted that “rarely has a nation been so well-served by a people it has so ill-treated.”

Other Japanese men were willing to fight but only as free citizens with their families free. Some “principled objectors” were transferred to a federal penitentiary. George was proud of them and compared their stand to the bravery needed to fight in the war: “They proved that being American is not just for some people.”

Analysis: Pages 92–123

The jeep ride and Christmas memories demonstrate the “warm” memories George has about his time in the camp. Even though the families in the camp continue to experience difficult conditions, Mama and Daddy ensure that their children enjoy some of the magic of childhood. Yet, George is growing up and beginning to understand more, evidenced by his realization that the Japanese Santa isn’t the real Santa. He also begins to understand that Mama and Daddy are worried. This marks his move from a young, carefree child to an older child with a more mature sense of what is happening in the world.

The loyalty survey is yet another slap in the face to Japanese Americans, demonstrating the government leadership’s racist ideology. Answering no and no is a way internees can exercise their democratic rights, and many refuse to pledge loyalty to a country that has betrayed them. In addition, the questionnaire makes people choose between keeping their families together and the country. Mama and Daddy choose their family. President Roosevelt’s decision to “allow” loyal Japanese to serve in the Army is self-serving. It’s an example of the way Japanese Americans are exploited and mistreated.

Even as a young boy, George admires the men who resist. Remarking that being American is for everyone, he recognizes how they exercise their democratic right of protest, even at great cost to themselves.