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Native Americans evolved complex cultural, social, and economic structures, but were then nearly erased because of the invasion of non-Native settlers in the mid-1800s. "Main Street presented to the populace Peterson's Grocery, a post office, Fisk's Hardware Center, Larsen's Pharmacy, a dime-store-with-fountain owned by a woman in Seattle, a Puget Power office” (6) In this quote, the author explains how settlers took Native Americans' land and built various infrastructures on it. -
Most early European Settlers were fur traders. These fur companies traded fur with Native American as fur were valuable in Europe and China. "A few rooting pigs were slaughtered in 1845 -- by Canadian Englishmen up in arms about the border -- San Piedro Island generally lay clear of violence after that." (6) The author uses this quote to show irony as they will soon be in a war. -
Alien land laws are most often associated with western states' attempts to limit the presence of Japanese immigrants from 1913 through the end of World War II by forbidding noncitizens from purchasing or leasing property. "The law said they could not own land unless they became citizens; it also said they could not become citizens so long as they were Japanese” (76). The author explains how unfair it was at the time for Japanese American, and how the law is unconstitutional. -
Propaganda came in the form of posters, movies, or even cartoon to help mobilizing Americans to war. While some propaganda aimed to boost patriotism, some took on racist overtone. It degraded Japanese and instilling fear in the people' minds, which led to the hatred to the Japanese American. "It was all propaganda....They wanted us to be able to kill them with no remorse, to make them less than people." (344) This quote by Ishmael shows how unfair it was at the time for Japanese American. -
Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base in Hawaii. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces. "At school, all day, there was nothing but the radio. Two thousand men had been killed. The voices that spoke were cheerless and sober and suggested a barely suppressed urgency." The author describes the emotion that was going on that day in America. This attack would further affect the Japanese American who are/has been living in the United States. -
The forced relocation by the U.S. government of thousands of Japanese Americans to detention camps during World War II. "They were taken from Anacortes on a train to a transit camp -- The horse stables. The lived in the horse stalls and slept on canvas army cots....The cold in the stalls worked into their bones." The author uses imagery to show how terrible was Japanese American living conditions, that they are living in horse stall. -
In the Battle of Taraw, the U.S. began its Central Pacific Campaign against Japan by seizing the heavily fortified, Japanese-held island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. "The boy could not speak and lay with his back arched; every few seconds he groaned mechanically forced, shallow breaths." The author uses imagery in this quote which describes how cruel the battle is. -
A letter which wife wrote to their husband, usually soldier stations overseas, to break off their relationship. "With his one hand it would be possible in seconds to squeeze Hatsue's letter into motes of dust and obliterate its message forever. 'I don't love you, Ishmael..." The author uses dialogue to show Hatsue's feeling to Ishmael. -
The World War II battle fought between U.S. and Japanese forces on Okinawa. The battle was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific War, claiming the lives of more than 12,000 Americans and 100,000 Japanese. “….. like Horace himself, had survived Okinawa — only to die, it now appeared, in a gill-netting boat accident." (47) The author uses irony to show how Carl survived the battle of Okinawa, but now died in a boat accident. -
It commemorate one of the most pivotal moments in United States history—the attack on Pearl Harbor. It provides visitors with an opportunity to reconnect with history and remember the fallen. “He is counting on you to act on passions best left to a war of ten years ago." (424) The author used dialogue to demonstrate that while the past must be remembered, it should not be allowed to influence the decisions that truly matter.