Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family

Desert Exile
Written by Yoshiko Uchida
Review by MC

Description:
This book was about the life of Yoshiko Uchida and her family in the time period when World War II was happening. Her family was a Japanese American family living peacefully in Berkeley, CA, but being treated as though they were only Japanese in America. In these times, Japanese people living in America were being treated just as well as the dirt that they walk on. These Japanese people were being taken away to concentration camps that were being called "relocation centers". They could not go anywhere outside of their home barracks at these camps, unless they were being moved to another camp. Eventually, they made it out when the war ended, but not without claiming many victims of these people who had done nothing wrong in this time period, let alone possibly their lives.

Review:
This story was very well written by Yoshiko Uchida. Since it was written in first person point of view, and that it really happened, it made this story even more powerful. I enjoyed this gripping story of this family that was taken into camps involuntarily, with only the possessions that they were able to carry. In good stories, there are almost always ups and downs, but this story had one big up, and many saddening downs. These poor people were taken out of their homes to somewhere that they were very unfamiliar to with few precaution to keeping everyone healthy. These people were born in America, and salute the American Flag, they are no less American than you or me.
This story shows the human spirit because these people had their freedom taken away for doing absolutely nothing wrong. They were being punished for their looks. They, and for generations in their family, have probably never committed a crime. I would like to say that I am glad that this book was written to show people what hardship these people had to suffer through, and it is shameful. It is in my best hope that this will never happen again in my lifetime and forever.

I was very interested in finding a book that wasn't just dry history. I wasn't born in this time period of World War II, so I was really eager to find a book relating to this topic. Possibly learning about someone who lived through this time period, something a little like Ann Frank's Diary.

My initial thoughts were, this book would be interesting learning about history without any government interference with the conditions of the camps. In fifth grade I made friends with my best friend who had just moved from Japan and her family was getting aquainted with the United States. I interviewed her mom on how she was liking America and the one resp9onse that really stuck out was, I have so much Freedom.

In the Book I realized that many Japanese Families experienced Racism from many nationalities. Children were taken out of school and from colleges. For a few years the students that were attending Universities were no longer able to graduate with their friends.

Having a friend from Japan gave me an extra push to read the book. To my surprise, I couldn't believe that families were living in horse stalls and that people did not have proper barials if they did die while in the camp.

The beginning of the book started off with how this Japanses-American Family pushed their way through life in America and tells us about their family success. At the end of the book I found that some of these Japanese American Families were actually more patriotic than many American families.

I had to read a memoir for my 8th grade English class. This book was about Yoshiko Uchida's Japanese American family, who were put in camps during World War II. I chose this book because I was very interested in the war, which put over 8,000 Japanese American people into old race tracks and deserts. Yoshiko was placed in two different camps, one in Northern California and the other Utah, both the same: over stuffed with people and nowhere to cry.

Even though she suffered a lot while in the camps, Yoshiko learned that all the things in life, are worth living. She was a student, about to graduate from UC Berkeley, when they were taken off and disconnected from the "American's". They were stuck in the camps for a whole year, with no where to cry without someone seeing you.

This book gave too much background before the war, but when the war hit, the book got much more interesting and exciting.

Lori Sue
Northern California

"Desert Exile" is a wonderful book that is easy to read, yet totally enjoyable. A perfect book for a family to share together and talk about.

Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese-American Family"by Yoshiko Uchida deals with a Japanese-American family who were sent to concentration camp during World War II as Japanese-Americans at that time were considered to be potential "spies" for the Japanese government. Uchida started off with introduction to her family, of how her parents met, and how California became their home. Even though she was raised with Japanese values and ideals, she was at the same time an American who can barely speaks Japanese. Her world was turned upside down when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Japanese-Americans were sent to concentration camp for fear that they could endanger the national security. This violates their Constitutional rights but there were no public support for their fellow citizens. It was indeed racist of the government as German-Americans were not sent to any concentration camps even though the United States was fighting Germany. The Japanese-Americans had to swallow their pride and dignity and were moved to barracks that were bare and ill-equipped. They were placed behind the fence, guarded by MPs and basically were treated as prisoners. Uchida's vivid descriptions of their living conditions were both horrifying and shocking.

"Desert Exile" was used by my professor for a History of American West class. This is truly an eye-opener as most Americans are unaware of their fellow citizens' ordeal and treatment. The Japanese-American loss was immeasurable. Not only did they lose financially (from selling their homes hastily), they lost touch with friends and relatives, lost their pride and lost confidence in their government. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the ordeal of the Japanese-Americans during World War II. It is extremely well-written, eloquent and easy to understand.