Resources: Japanese Internment Camps
Discussion Questions:
The following are excerpts from Estelle Ishigo's manuscript "Lone Heart Mountain":
It was very hard to know what to put in that duffle bag to decide what to take, there was no way of knowing what might happen what we really might need - "one hundred pounds of baggage" read the order -no more. Our furniture was stacked in a corner for men from the government warehouse to take away. Home was gone.
Hollow echos (sic), impersonal and cold, answered our footsteps, slowly, with heavy heart we lifted our bundles, left the door to walk away and report at that ordered meeting place.
Gathered around the church that early May morning were four hundred and fifty of us standing in groups with bundles and baskets piled at the curb. Red Cross women brought trays of hot coffee, but nothing could quell the fear and bitter weeping of some, the dreadful uncertainty of what might happen-what it might be like.
They began loading bundles into trucks, and we saw some of the baggage of those who had not weighed their "100 pounds" carefully left lying in the streets."("Lone Heart Mountain" manuscript, p. 1).
"Here at this new place the rooms were like barns before, - one family to a room. But these barracks, with steps, and little storm poarch (sic) and double flooring for winter time. Inside were just the roofs and rafters with no ceilings, and the rooms were made of eight foot the board partitions and they held a coal stove, cots, two blankets each and a bucket and broom, nothing more: and a great din of voices of all the families rose over the partitions throughout the barracks.
There were hundreds of barracks in the mile square enclosure. We went out that first night into the wind, wandering over the rough terrain, to look for the buildings with latrines and a place to get water: and some looked for a friend or relative and lost their way as they wandered far among the rows of black tar paper barracks. (Lone Heart Mountain, p. 7)
"We tied our heads in wool, padded our bodies with everything we could find and the earth froze four feet deep. Still the work of living went on - through the blizzards to mess, to the shower or to wash out cloths that froze stiff while being carried back to hang on a string in the room. . .Although there was still enough coal for everyone, there was fear that supplies might be cut off by the deep snows." ("Lone Heart Mountain", p. 17)
Each person was given $25.00 and transportation to where ever they wanted to go, train loads of people were being scattered to many parts of the country. Some returning to the West Coast were facing no Jap signs and once in a while, a flaming home or a shot fired in the night.
Now we climbed aboard trucks once again, to be carried back to the train. It was night time and the only light on the dark waste land came from the windows of the train. We climbed aboard and put our bundles under the seats and up on racks and then pressed our faces to the window to see for the last time this camp and the mountain; and as the train slowly moved away, the rows of barracks, the guard towers and the fence lay in the moon light and Heart Mountain rested in silver light against the dark sky and they slowly grew smaller as the train crept away through the dark of night. ("Lone Heart Mountain")
- What was daily life like for internees?
- Did they have freedom as Americans do today?
- What was the surrounding terrain like?
- Describe their living quarters.
- What evidence do you see of people's activities, indoors and outside?
- How are people dressed?
- What symbols does the artist use? [e.g. Kites represent freedom]
- What is the significance of fences and towers?
The following are excerpts from Estelle Ishigo's manuscript "Lone Heart Mountain":
It was very hard to know what to put in that duffle bag to decide what to take, there was no way of knowing what might happen what we really might need - "one hundred pounds of baggage" read the order -no more. Our furniture was stacked in a corner for men from the government warehouse to take away. Home was gone.
Hollow echos (sic), impersonal and cold, answered our footsteps, slowly, with heavy heart we lifted our bundles, left the door to walk away and report at that ordered meeting place.
Gathered around the church that early May morning were four hundred and fifty of us standing in groups with bundles and baskets piled at the curb. Red Cross women brought trays of hot coffee, but nothing could quell the fear and bitter weeping of some, the dreadful uncertainty of what might happen-what it might be like.
They began loading bundles into trucks, and we saw some of the baggage of those who had not weighed their "100 pounds" carefully left lying in the streets."("Lone Heart Mountain" manuscript, p. 1).
"Here at this new place the rooms were like barns before, - one family to a room. But these barracks, with steps, and little storm poarch (sic) and double flooring for winter time. Inside were just the roofs and rafters with no ceilings, and the rooms were made of eight foot the board partitions and they held a coal stove, cots, two blankets each and a bucket and broom, nothing more: and a great din of voices of all the families rose over the partitions throughout the barracks.
There were hundreds of barracks in the mile square enclosure. We went out that first night into the wind, wandering over the rough terrain, to look for the buildings with latrines and a place to get water: and some looked for a friend or relative and lost their way as they wandered far among the rows of black tar paper barracks. (Lone Heart Mountain, p. 7)
"We tied our heads in wool, padded our bodies with everything we could find and the earth froze four feet deep. Still the work of living went on - through the blizzards to mess, to the shower or to wash out cloths that froze stiff while being carried back to hang on a string in the room. . .Although there was still enough coal for everyone, there was fear that supplies might be cut off by the deep snows." ("Lone Heart Mountain", p. 17)
Each person was given $25.00 and transportation to where ever they wanted to go, train loads of people were being scattered to many parts of the country. Some returning to the West Coast were facing no Jap signs and once in a while, a flaming home or a shot fired in the night.
Now we climbed aboard trucks once again, to be carried back to the train. It was night time and the only light on the dark waste land came from the windows of the train. We climbed aboard and put our bundles under the seats and up on racks and then pressed our faces to the window to see for the last time this camp and the mountain; and as the train slowly moved away, the rows of barracks, the guard towers and the fence lay in the moon light and Heart Mountain rested in silver light against the dark sky and they slowly grew smaller as the train crept away through the dark of night. ("Lone Heart Mountain")
Choose one piece of art from the collection that you feel is the most powerful.
Form groups of 2-5 students who have chosen the same piece, to prepare a class presentation. Each presenting group will:
Form groups of 2-5 students who have chosen the same piece, to prepare a class presentation. Each presenting group will:
- Tell what part of the Heart Mountain story is portrayed
- Point out details that may have been missed
- Explain the mood of the painting/sketch
- Elaborate on symbols
- Share a list of questions they would ask Estelle Ishigo about this piece, if they had the opportunity
- Invite comments and questions from the class.
