Abuzz Guilt

Interesting, cicerone! I live about 30 miles from where the Tulelake camp was, although I live in Oregon. I have a friend who was born there, but doesn't remember much about it. I've been out to that camp. There's not much left, but one can feel the past there. History is interesting in so many different ways.

When Abuzz staff starting crying "abandon ship" and NYTD avoided answering long-standing members' concerns - including a very long Petition that I had initiated - the writing was on the wall.

I was delighted to hear from my old friend Jespah recently, who invited me over here, and what a pleasant surprise to see so many old Abuzzers hanging out here.

Keep the dream alive! This is the best online community in the world.

JD, I was sent to the camps at six, and got out at ten. It 'was' a shameful chapter in US history, but that's water under the bridge. It's one of the reasons why I cannot tolerate any kind of discrimination, and will voice my challenge against bigotry of any kind. All has ended well, however. All my siblings and our children have done very well in this country. My younger brother was sworn in as an Assemblyman in California last week, so opportunity and progress has been more than made up for our four years in the concentration camps. BTW, the 442nd Combat Team in the US Army made up of Japanese-Americans was the most decorated during WWII.

roger, Our family makeup now includes many races and cultures. That's the 'background' I'm very proud of!

c.i.

chatoyant, Tule Lake was a desolate place before the construction of the camp, during our lives there, and reverted back to it's original state after over fifty years. I understand some local farmers bought the camp barracks for their own use after the camp closed. They have a replica of the camp barrack at the Japanese-American National Museum in Los Angeles. When I saw that for the first time a few years ago, emotion whelled up inside me, and involuntary tears dropped from my eyes. I still don't know what all that meant. c.i.

Hey, thanks, Bib!

CI - WOW. It's wonderful how you and your family have made the most of your opportunities, despite the camp. I'm sure not every family could have done that. Kudos to you all.

CI - I always knew you were deep, now I can see part of the reason why (and I thought it was just all the traveling). I wonder if your involuntary tears meant you had seen other people crying in similar barracks?

A shameful page, for sure. Did you know that the Tule Lake area had been the site of an earlier bit of shame? The U.S. Army vs Tule Lake Indians were among the last battles to be fought between Native Americans and the settlers. I think it was also the only time that an Army General was killed by Native Americans (hard not to cheer, a little!).

Piffka, All of us interned at Tule Lake knew that Indians lived there, because we found flint arrow heads in the sand. What is more interesting is the similarities of those Indian arrow heads with the arrow heads found in Jordan. When my sister and I visited the archaeological museum in Amman earlier this year, the natives of Jordan made the very same type of arrow heads as the Indians of the Americas. It makes one wonder how closely related all humans are. c.i.

Close I think. Very close. I wish somebody remembered!

Do you know what Tule Lake is famous for now? It is the horseradish capital of California and it is also a great site for birding. Snowgeese and hundreds of other waterfowl come to the lake.

That is also the place where I was "kissed" by a coyote. We spent the night in a park and during the night a lone coyote pup who had been dropped off in an attempt to shoo it back to the wild, hopped onto our sleeping bags and smooched on both of us. I loved it!

Piffka, About the horseradish: Weren't they imported from Japan? I remember seeing something on television about how Japan's horseradish exports to the US has dropped, because some American farmer started growing Japanese horseradish in the US.
As for your "kiss" with a coyote, I'll stick with my photo safaris. c.i.

CI, I didn't know there was a replica of the camp barrack in Los Angeles. Living so close to Tulelake, I know the history of it quite well. I suspect seeing the replica would bring tears to my eyes too.

The fortitude and determination of your family, as well as many other Japanese families speaks volumes. Yours is a race that went through a truly hellish and unnecessary experience, then pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and instead of dwelling on the past they moved forward. America truly is a great country in spite of its flaws and some really, really horrendous mistakes!

I thought this horseradish was European, but I don't know. They make lots, the very large kind is what is used in production, I think.

Haven't been there for ten years, so the horseradish is not at all new.

One of the ironies of that whole episode is that Warren Berger, then Attorney General of California, signed the internment order. Berger was later famous as the liberal every conservative loved to hate.

The Japanese people in Washington state had already pulled themselves up by the bootstraps once. It is not surprising they could quickly do so again. Many believe that the excellent farms and businesses which the families left were too big a "plum" not to be taken over. Thankfully most reparations were made, and in some cases, communities carefully tended the farms and then gave them back to their returning neighbors after the war. It was a frightening time for everyone. In times like that, people do foolish things. Look at us today!

Setanta, Earl Warren, once a governor of California, was also in support of removing Japanese-Americans from the west coast. He realized his mistake later in life, and fought for equal rights during the remainder of his life. Some people have not forgiven him, but I have. IMHO, he was a very good Superior Court Judge. c.i.

I'd agree that he was a good man on the court, Boss . . . i've always found that earlier stand ironic in someone so strongly identified with American liberalism. My mother never once uttered or tolerated racist comments in her home, and yet, when i was about to go overseas in 1970, she said to me: "Now don't bring home some little slant-eyed bride"--and then laughed, nervously. I think that particular racism was strong in the wwII generation.

Earl Warren bacame his own man once out of political office and regardless of past errors he deservies forgiveness he was also DA in Oakland, CA, for some time.

Goodness, I just read 37 pages of Abuzz Guilt, I flip to #42 and the conversationis prison camps and Native Americans.

I've been here on A2K for about week, jumped right in posting. Seems a lot like Abuzz when I first joined about 2 years ago or so.

Abuzz guilt? Well, there is just nothing left there but I still return, looking. I've enjoyed Abuzz but, guilty? No. I had quit asking questions long ago, anyhow. People crapped on my question, so I just abuzzed on other people's.

Felt very strange here for awhile but getting better. I don't spend much time on forums so...by, Abuzz. Sure do have some long threads here. But, then, all of Abuzz seems to be here! Rather uplifting, too.

Tex, Your take on successful people is pretty much on target. I remember my younger brother once telling me about 35 years ago that becoming a physician only takes average intelligence, but a high degree to persevere. He went on to becoming an ophthalmologist. His ability to persevere led him to earning his masters degree in business, and he was sworn in as a California Assemblyman on December 2. I know we have some of the same genes, but I'm not sure where he gets all that energy. He's only five years younger, but I retired four years ago. c.i.

No guilt. Abuzz has died of apathy. Most of the good members are here and I suspect a few more will get here eventually.