Supper was the best part of the day. Aunt Eiko came around noon, then the Hiranos arrived about four o’clock. An hour later, the twelve of us crowded around the table but we’re used to it. We had Christmas crackers and everyone wore their silly paper hats, including Geechan. Emma even let Harry carefully set a match to the brandy she poured over the plum pudding. We turned out the lights and she brought it in to cheers all around.
Later
The Japanese have taken Hong Kong!
After supper we put on the radio and heard the terrible news. Nearly two thousand Canadian soldiers have surrendered! Those men who were sent off to cheers from the city back in October are now prisoners. I’m so relieved Tad wasn’t able to enlist. He might have ended up fighting there and been captured. Would Japanese soldiers have found it strange if a Japanese Canadian soldier was fighting against them? I am also very thankful that Danny Franklin wasn’t sent to Hong Kong.
But now I’m really worried about what might happen because of this awful turn of events. Before they went visiting some friends tonight, Tad and Mike were whispering in the foyer — they BOTH think there will be terrible repercussions for us.
I felt a bit better listening to the king’s Christmas message after the news. He talked about the family circle. At least my family is all together here, safe in our home!
Friday, December 26
It’s appalling what the papers say happened in Hong Kong before the Canadian soldiers surrendered. On Christmas Eve, the Japanese attacked a hospital and killed doctors, nurses and even the wounded soldiers in their beds. It’s too wretched to think about! I’m so afraid that hakujin like Billy Foster will see this as a reason to hate Japanese Canadians more than ever.
Saturday, December 27
Today Mama had us all cleaning up the house for New Year’s. At least I don’t have time to think about the gruesome news coming out of Hong Kong. We girls were washing, cleaning, ironing, dusting and polishing. We put Rags outside while we worked. The boys had to move furniture, then roll up the rugs and beat them outside. Even Harry had to help. Tad and Mike were washing windows. Papa and Geechan got rid of all the old newspapers and magazines.
After supper we listened to Artie Shaw on the radio but Glenn Miller is still my favourite. Harry wanted to listen to The Lone Ranger but he was outnumbered! At least tomorrow is Sunday so we shouldn’t have to work so hard.
Monday, December 29
Mama went to Powell Street for the special ingredients she needs for the New Year’s dishes she’s making. Kay and Emma went too but I stayed home with Harry. Maggie and Ida came over, so the four of us played Parcheesi and Snakes and Ladders. Harry and I also taught Maggie and Ida how to play Jan-Ken-Pon. It was fun!
Last night I asked Tad and Mike if I could play their new records. They agreed as long as I promised not to scratch them. Maggie loves Glenn Miller’s music as much as I do! Our new favourite song is “Elmer’s Tune.”
Tuesday, December 30
Today’s headlines are about “conscription.” Papa says that’s what making people join the army or navy is called. Next spring Canadians can vote on what our government should do. Too bad we can’t vote!
Canada needs soldiers more than ever, so Tad took time off work today and went to the recruiting office with his friend George Fujino. They were told to contact Ottawa directly to enlist. I overheard Tad telling Mike he might go to Alberta and have better luck there. I hope he’s kidding again.
After supper we took down the Christmas tree to make space for our guests on New Year’s. Now the house looks so empty! I put a few of the cranes I’d made around the living room as decorations. They’re symbols of good luck, so Mama approved.
Wednesday, December 31
Busy all morning washing mounds of rice, chopping vegetables, then cleaning all the dirty pots and pans. The house smelled like vinegar because of the sushi! After lunch I asked Mama if I could see a matinee and she gave me the afternoon off. And I didn’t have to take Harry because he was too busy playing with his Meccano set and didn’t want to come! Maggie, Sachi and I saw Broadway Melody of 1940 with Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell. They danced a fancy number to “Begin the Beguine” — what a great swing song.
Today’s New Canadian had an article about that Nisei soldier from the Island going overseas. After supper Tad read us what Private Kato said. I was so impressed, I’m copying it here:
Canada is the country I owe everything to and it’s the one I want to fight for. All we want is a chance to prove our loyalty. After all, the outside appearance of a man doesn’t matter. It’s what is inside that counts.
Tad said, “Amen to that!” and I do too.
1942
Thursday, January 1
Omedetō gozaimasu 1942. Happy New Year and goodbye 1941! We went to early mass, so I’m writing here this morning for a change, because everyone is too busy to notice I haven’t anything to do!
New Year’s is almost a bigger holiday than Christmas for us. I love the special plates, bowls and other things we use today that Mama brought with her from Japan. My favourites are the ceramic chopstick rests shaped like miniature vegetables such as carrots and eggplants. Today we’ll eat all sorts of strange food — by Canadian standards — but I enjoy most of them. Harry loves the tiny dried fish, I like the sweet black beans and Tad and Mike are crazy for Mama’s ozōni. Most of the dishes have symbolic meaning, or so Kay and Emma tell me, but I just eat them!
Mama’s calling me, so I’d better go — there’s still lots to do!
Later
The Nakagawas visited today and I was happy to see Gladys again. She and Emma met for the first time — they really are quite alike. Mrs. Nakagawa gave us some of her homemade strawberry jam. Mama says it’s so much better than even the fancy Empress brand from the stores.
The Hiranos arrived and brought us some yummy senbei. The Yamadas came too — I was glad to see Sachi. People came and went all day, especially a lot of Papa’s friends from his club, and older men like Mr. Murata from next door. Geechan enjoyed himself because he had lots of people to talk with in Japanese! Everyone admired his two beautiful bonsai on top of the piano.
Mama, Kay and Emma were busy bringing out food and washing dishes. I helped dry for a while. Even Mr. Franklin dropped in for a drink with Papa, but he didn’t eat anything. He apologized for Mrs. Franklin not coming, but we knew she wouldn’t. She never has, the entire time we’ve lived here. Danny would have, if he’d been around!
And every year Papa invites Mr. Cowan, but this year he actually came! He was wearing a suit and tie — it was funny seeing him out of the white coat he always wears in the drugstore. We were very honoured to have him visit our home.
Papa offered him some sake, which he said he liked. I’m not sure he enjoyed the various foods he tasted, but at least he was willing to try. Later he even joined Harry and me in a game of Snakes and Ladders in a corner of the living room. And before he left, he gave us each a Lowney’s chocolate bar!
I’m feeling much more positive with the new year. I hope it’ll be a good one for everybody.
Friday, January 2
Papa, Tad and Mike went back to work today. When Mike came home, he said things are so slow at the lumberyard he’s not sure he’ll be working much longer. But Papa and Tad are very busy at the drugstore. Mama’s busy too, with people bringing clothes in to be altered or repaired. That’s good, since she can’t work at the newspaper anymore. Kay said her hours at Maikawa’s will be cut back now that the holidays are over, but she’ll have more time to help Mama with her sewing.
Saturday, January 3
The Vancouver papers say that “enemy aliens” in the United States — Japanese, German and Italian — must surrender their cameras and radios, and it may happen here. I hadn’t heard that phrase before, so I looked it up. It means “a citizen of a country at war with the country in which he or she resides.”
I shouldn’t get anxious over what’s happening in the States.
It couldn’t happen here. Most Japanese Canadians were either born here like us or are naturalized like Mama and Papa.
When he got home tonight, Papa gave Harry and me a quarter each. I hope the gang is free to go to the movies tomorrow. It’s our last chance before school starts on Monday! I’d like to see North West Mounted Police with Gary Cooper. He’s sooooo handsome.
Monday, January 5
It’s good to be back at school. Things feel more like it was before Pearl Harbor. Even B.F. ignored me today! Everyone talked about what we did over the holidays and a few people asked about my New Year’s resolutions.
I’ve only made one and I haven’t told anybody, but I’m writing it down here. It’s to stop worrying for no reason! I’m just going to concentrate on doing well at school, enjoying my friends and being nice to my family!
Thursday, January 8
Blackout is back on again — ugh! Harry’s got another cold. The weather has been drearier than ever this year. And horrid Billy has started up following me again and making faces. I’m doing my best to ignore him.
Monday, January 12
I found a nasty cartoon torn from a magazine in my desk this morning. It showed a Japanese man with slanty eyes, round glasses and buck teeth. It’s so sickening I can’t possibly show anyone.
Billy must have put it there, but why? I’m not the only Japanese person in my class — there’s Ken Murakami and Tak Narita. But maybe Billy doesn’t pick on boys in case they fight back. Maggie, Ellen or Sachi couldn’t have prevented this.
I’m so discouraged again. When we were walking home from school this afternoon, Ellen said, “Jeepers, Mary, you look awfully glum again. Is Billy bothering you?”
I couldn’t possibly show her that drawing! I don’t even know for sure if it was Billy who put it in my desk.
Wednesday, January 14
Heavy fog today. And cold drizzle too, so the streets were slippery for walking and driving. Our first choir practice this year was cancelled. Tad was late getting home and said doing deliveries was tough today with all the traffic problems.
He mentioned that a volunteer group of Nisei men might form to work on public-works projects to show the Japanese community’s goodwill. He’s thinking of joining since he hasn’t been able to enlist, but Mike feels there’s something fishy about it.
Still haven’t told anyone about that horrid cartoon. At least there haven’t been any others.
Friday, January 16
Mama’s first tea night since before Pearl Harbor. All the ladies were anxious tonight. Mrs. Shimura insisted that those rumours about our radios and cameras are true — the Mounties really are going to take them away from us. I don’t believe it!
Tuesday, January 20
I haven’t written here because I’m down in the dumps about the latest bad news.
Last Saturday, the papers said Ottawa has created a “protected” area, one hundred miles in from the B.C. coast. It was on the radio too. All enemy aliens must leave this area. Surely the government doesn’t really think of us as enemy aliens? If Japanese Canadians must leave, will Italian and German Canadians have to leave too? I’m trying not to worry, but it’s hard without knowing what this could mean.
We’re all concerned about Geechan now. It’s a good thing he lives here in Vancouver, and the orders don’t apply to anyone over the age of forty-five. Geechan must be at least sixty!
Wednesday, January 28
MORE bad news.
The papers say that west-coast American cities want Japanese Americans to be moved away — they call them “Japs.” The hakujin there believe these people belong to a “fifth column” secretly helping the enemy. Hakujin in B.C. must think the same way if people born in Japan have to leave the coast. Papa says that any unemployed Nisei men are also being ordered to leave the protected zone. I hope Mike doesn’t lose his job!
It’s been more than two weeks since I found that nasty cartoon. I can’t possibly show anyone. I really don’t know what to do.
Saturday, January 31
Harry and I missed the earthquake last night! It happened just before eleven while we were sound asleep. Tad and Mike had just gone to bed and felt a strange vibration, but never imagined it was an earthquake. Nothing was damaged, although one person’s baking was spoiled. The phone lines were jammed with calls to the papers because so many people thought the Japanese were up to something!
Tuesday, February 3
In Mr. Bell’s Social Studies class today, we learned about propaganda. He said that because Canada’s at war we encounter a lot of it. It means “an organized program of beliefs used to promote a certain idea or ideas. It can be used for both good and bad purposes.” I copied that down exactly from the board.
Mr. Bell showed us some advertisements for the Victory Bond drive as good propaganda. Then he asked us for examples of the bad.
Diary, I don’t know what made me do it, but I put my hand up and gave him that cartoon. He was surprised and asked me where it came from. I told him I found it in my homeroom desk. Mr. Bell said it showed exactly how propaganda can be used to distort the truth, and began to pass the cartoon around the class. When it got to Billy Foster, he turned beet red. I hope he’ll leave me alone now!
Monday, February 9
Maybe I should just stop reading the newspapers if I don’t want any more bad news. Today the New Canadian says that Alderman Wilson is trying again to make city council limit trade licences for “enemy aliens,” especially the Japanese.
At least Alderman Jones said the idea wasn’t “worth the paper it was written on.” But why do some of these politicians hate us so much? Things are bad enough for us right now.
Today Papa and Mama said that any Japanese men who aren’t naturalized or born here in Canada are being rounded up from coastal areas up north and sent away to work in the Rockies. That’s crazy! Mama says most are fishermen whose boats have already been taken away. What on earth will they do in the mountains? I hope and pray this doesn’t mean Geechan will have to leave us.
Tuesday, February 10
Guide meeting tonight. Evenings are so dark and gloomy now, I didn’t want to go, but I’m glad I did. The girls came to get me and it was good being with our friends in the company. No one there makes me and Sachi feel like we don’t belong! By the time the meeting was over, I felt much better. All the way home, the four of us practised the semaphore signals we’d learned.
Friday, February 13
Friday the 13th — I hope we don’t get more bad news.
Later
We did.
At tea night, Mama’s friends couldn’t stop talking about the latest announcement — all male enemy aliens between the ages of eighteen and forty-five must leave the protected zone by April first. They’re being sent to road camps in the Rockies near places no one knows.
Mrs. Oda is worried because her husband isn’t naturalized. If he’s sent away, how can she look after their five children by herself? Mrs. Matsumoto’s oldest son was born in Japan while she was there visiting family, so now she’s afraid he won’t be considered Canadian, even though both she and her husband are naturalized and all their other children were born here.
Even worse, some men are being sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Ontario, with barbed-wire fences and guards with guns. The papers call these men troublemakers, but Papa says they were just protesting being taken away from their families!
I can’t believe this is happening. Isn’t Canada supposed to be a democratic country? And what’s going to happen to Geechan?
Saturday, February 14
More bad news, even on Valentine’s Day. The government has started rounding up Japanese men who are not naturalized or Canadian citizens, right here in Vancouver. Like the others from the coast and the Island, they will have to go to work camps in the Rockies. Papa worries more about Geechan every day.
The two of them have been talking in Japanese every night now for over a week and I’m not sure what they’re saying.
But their voices sounded serious. Surely the government won’t send Geechan away? He’s too old! The hakujin believe these men will actually help Japan invade Canada. That’s ridiculous. Geechan wouldn’t hurt a fly — he’s a Buddhist! I wish he’d been naturalized like Mama and Papa, who became Canadians before any of us were even born. Maybe he wouldn’t have these problems now!
Monday, February 16
The bad news continues. The morning papers announced the fall of Singapore to Japan. The British and Australians have surrendered completely. At school, I felt like all the non-Japanese students were staring at me and any other Japanese kids. No one said anything, but Billy Foster smirked at me. The teachers treated us normally, thank goodness.
I hate this war. I hate being singled out for something I have nothing to do with.
Tuesday, February 17
The papers keep talking about “the Japanese problem.” People are writing letters, demanding that our entire community here in B.C. be sent to another province. Papa’s been looking so worried every night when he gets home from work, and Mama looks the same all day. I’m afraid to ask them if this might really happen.
Torn Apart Page 5
