Takaki Narrative

            Japan is one of the most amazing places that you could ever visit or live in. Besides it beautiful architecture and landside, it has old wrecked houses, starving and homeless citizens, families who have no place to stay, and parents who are trying to provide their children with at least a bowl of rice a day so they can survive. I am one of those parents. My name is Lee; I am a 37 year old Japanese farmer, who is struggling to provide for his family. I have two sons, and my wife is pregnant with our third child. Both of us are trying to do our best and be strong for the children, but it is getting harder and harder everyday. We know many people from our village that are leaving for America to look for job, home, and money. I decided to do the same, because it is the only life boat available to me that can save my family.
            Today is April 7, 1939; it is a little chilly outside. A dense fog surrounds the harbor and dark, rainy clouds hang over us. This is the day that my family and many others are leaving Japan. We are taking a journey into the unknown; possessing only things that we are able to fit into a small suitcase. As I look around, many familiar faces are waiting for the whistle in order to enter the deck of the ship and escape the hell that they are experiencing in their own homeland. Some are smiling and screaming out goodbyes and promis to come back as soon as they earn enough money. However, I know that they are all torn apart and crying a river of tears inside; just as I am. It is hard for many of us to leave; the fear is very strong, but we have to do it because neither we nor our children have any future in Japan.
            There goes the whistle. The anchor lifts up and the ship starts to move away. This is the beginning of my journey; of our journey. A new beginning for all of us who have gathered on this ship; we do not know what will happen next. It is noticeable that many have a second thought about their departure, but it is too late, no turning back. Living on a ship with so many people is difficult, I admit, but it is good to know that you have someone to talk to about the things that are bothering you and you are unsure about. Especially, that all of us are coming from the same place and understand the situation that we are in.
            Our voyage through the Pacific took few weeks which were difficult because of an illness that occurred and infected a few people. One of them was my younger son; however, we were able to cure him with some medication my wife took with her just in case something happens. And I am very thankful that she thought of it. We all helped each other during hard situations and were able to reach the shore of America.
            When we all exit the ship we stood in front of it and looked around. The air smelled clean and landside was nothing like back home. There was a lot of green; however, when I looked around I was able to notice that most of it was taken over for farming. I noticed, and I know that many of us did, few white men standing near by. As they encountered us they asked if we are looking for employment because they have sugar fields that need to be taken care of. Of course we all said yes and went with them. They brought us to a place filled with different sized houses, which looked as if hey were build according to importance or personal status. At the bottom of the hill, were houses that have seen better day, I am sure, and better and bigger houses were built going up the hill. The white men, or rather the owners of the whole business, divided us into the wrecked houses and told us the rules of the job. After that, they left.
            I am not very sure what time it was when I woke up. The sun did not come up yet, but there were people walking and making a lot of noise since very early hour. I was a little confused but quickly realized what was going on. Everyone was getting ready to leave for work. Outside our houses the owners were waiting for us to take us to the fields. We walked for a while in a warm breeze, the day was promising for a good weather, however, the humidity started to increase, and we were not used to it. Finally, we have reached the sugar fields, and were shocked by their size. They were filled with sugar canes, which stretched for miles and miles away, I was not able to see the end of it. However, the rules went as follow: starts early in the morning, do as much as you can and do it well.
            For the next few years that is what we were doing; working in the fields. The work was hard, and the older you became the more you struggled. The better we came to know the owners the more we regretted of coming here. They were ruthless, and showed no mercy. We were used to the last breathe and strength that we had. Some of us were not able to take it anymore, but had to deal with it because of the need of money plus the fact that we did not know much about this country to leave and move somewhere else. I will not say that the pay was bad, that was fine, at least at that time, however, the working conditions, that’s what hit us hard. We were yelled at and beaten, which one of our men experienced very badly when he was caught while trying to run away.
            During my time in this land of opportunity and happiness that never occurred to me and I never felt to be a part of, caused me a lot of disappointment. I never cried so much as I did during my time in America. Seeing my family, especially my kids who had to see all this violence and struggle was a real heartache, and the fact that my daughter was born in a place like this.
            I did not ever want my family to be a part of this; I never should have taken them with me. But what can I do now, nothing. What had to happen, happened; end of story. I spend my life caring for the ones that I loved and who are closest to my heart, to give them the opportunity for better life, and hoping that it will be over, or that something will happen that will free us from this camp of evil and darkness. And it did, it changed all our lives and put us and the generations that came after us in front of a huge challenge. We had to proof that we want to stay here and that we are loyal to the American government, and will do whatever it takes to fight for the equality that we deserve. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed the course of our history in this country.