1_Sogioka

“Leaving Poston Sepia and White”
“Not everyone is happy to depart the camps… my maternal grandfather holds his grandson’s hand and one small suitcase as grandmother wraps a supportive arm around his sagging shoulders and carries her own suitcase in a tableau of sadness. Their faces reflect uncertainty of their return to the outside world; they have lost their home to arson during the war and their lives have changed forever.”

“The Card Game”
“Four young Nisei men sit at a table playing cards as their anxious girlfriends watch in the background waiting for a fight to break out. .. A dishwasher earns only $12.00 per month and can easily lose his pay on a single bet, but it is not enough to deter illegal card games and gambling.”

“A Fishing Tall Tale”
“An Issei man describes and embellishes the size of his catch with wide spread hands to a passing fisherman on his way back from the river with his catch, Fishing is a favorite pastime for my father and many Issei, who are allowed to walk to the Colorado River and use balls of Wonder Bread for bait. The WRA is no longer concerned that internees leave the campgrounds to fish, as there is no place to run or escape.” (Poston was the only camp not surrounded by barbed wire tk.)

“Dust Storm”
“Dust is a harsh weather condition of the Sonoran desert… The dust is in everything, entering between floorboard cracks and knotholes, ending up in hair, eyes, mouths, and food.”

“Shadows on the Wall – Camp Violence/Woman With Hammer”
“Domestic and gang violence occurs in the camps… A volatile situation is played out in a bedroom apartment-the threatening actions of three men and one female are exploding into violence: one silhouetted figure reaches out to either strangle or push back the hammer wielding woman while two men stand behind him with arms raised to either prevent or join in the attack.”

“Sleepless Night – Fighting Behind the Curtain”
“Loss of privacy and confined living arrangements often divided families and created generational gaps of turmoil. Women, especially mothers found camp life difficult, particularly with respect to feeding, washing, bathing, supervising and protecting their children.”