How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
We were the only Japanese family in the neighborhood. Papa liked it that way. He didn't want to be labeled or grouped by anyone. (1.1.2)
How ironic is this? Papa doesn't like being labeled or grouped so he moves the family to white Santa Monica, but then he gets thrown into an internment camp anyway… Ugh.
Quote #2
Mama's first concern now was to keep the family together, and once the war began, she felt safer there [Terminal Island] than isolated racially in Ocean Park. (1.1.2)
This is ironic too because Terminal Island ends up being the least safe place for Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor. Since everyone there is Japanese, it's the first place the feds go to round people up.
Quote #3
It was the first time I had lived among other Japanese, or gone to school with them, and I was terrified all the time. (1.1.3)
Here's an argument for making sure your kids know their cultural roots and people. The last thing you want is for your kid to freak out at the sight or presence of people just like her.