Adios to Tears: The Memoirs of a Japanese-Peruvian Internee in U.S. Concentration Camps

Epilogue

minium apartment. When I go out on its balcony, or "lanai," the unending, open Hawaiian sky and deep blueseaspreadoutbefore my eyes; the inland vista provides a backdrop ofmuted, green mountain patterns often found in the tropics. As I sit out on the balcony by myselfand look out over the ocean, images of my past arise as an enveloping mist to fill my mind. Someonesaid,"Whenonerecalls experiencesofthe past, theylightup in themselves to be like dreams." My dreams, quite defmitely, span manychanges anddifferent backdrops. Filled with impossible hopes, encountering obstacles to attaining such hopes, then resurrecting suchhopes again, the daysofmy pastform a continuum. Now, looking back atearlierdays, Ifeel noregrets. Afterall this, I feel, itiswell that I have had this life. Ofcourse, Hawaii has its own limitations, but for me, Hawaii is literally "a paradise on earth." I have found, here, a word that is appropriate toendthese recollections. The term is"aloha," and itbest expresses the essence ofHawaii. I have heard that "aloha" basically means "love," but in this case it differs from the Christian understandingof "love."Here, the term seems tobe more directlyconnected tothe earth that sustains us and to acceptance ofhuman emotions. In that sense, "aloha" includes everything that I have sought for over many years. Ifthat is true, I need not now write more words. Simply to say "aloha" suffices-with it everything else that I feel is communicated . I feel much happiness that I can end my recollections with this word. So, again, I shall say, "aloha... .n Seiichi Higashide August, 1981 Honolulu, Hawaii 244-HIGASBIDE Afterword I am now 84 years old. Our oldest daughter and son are both blessed with grandchildren. The children are now mature enough, spiritually and materially, to want to read an English accountoftheir father's book and to make it available to friends and acquaintances who have requested it. They began working on the English translation ofNamida no Adios. Much earlier, friends in Central and South America suggested that if an English version were prepared, it could readily be translated into Spanish and Portuguese so that the hardships encountered bytheearlyJapanese emigrantscouldbeappreciated and understood by their children and grandchildren. Many persons have looked forward to it, so I am very grateful that this English translation now can be offered. It is over ten years since the original Japanese volume was published . Duringthat period, the question offorced internment ofthose ofJapanese ancestry during the Pacific War was brought to consideration in the U.S. Congress, which debated the illegality ofthe internment and the issue of reparations to the internees. From the start, I sent letters to members of Congress and to others closely concerned with the matter to request that internees from Peru and other Central and SouthAmerican countries be included in their considerations . Despite such efforts, those ofus who were interned from "third countries" were denied inclusion under redress legislation. For a time, I felt that all avenues for redress had been exhausted, but I recalled the Japanese tale of"Sakura Sogoro" and decided that there still was the possibility of making a direct appeal to the President of the United States. I sent a letter addressed directly to President Ronald Reagan, asking him to take measures to correct the inequitable decision made by the Congress. My letter was eventually forwarded to the U.S. Justice Department. As much as I was elated to see thata few exceptions were madefor some ofthe Peruvian deportees, including us, it is incomprehensible that not all ofthe Latin American internees were included. The irony ofthis plight is that within a family some have been included while others have not. As an example,a mother has been included but her children, who were minors in camp, were not. Her oldest son, after serving in the Army during the Korean Conflict, was told by the INS to re-enter via Canada. Consequently, the date ofhis entry does not HIGASHIDE-245 reflect the retroactive date to the internment period. There are many other similar stories. It is imperative that the U.S. proceed to complete the repair by extending redress to all the Latin American deportees whose rights, wealth, homes and reputation were taken away. It is my fervent prayer and request ofthis my third and final motherland. Acknowledgements The work on redress and the English publication ofmy book were made possibleby ourdaughter, Elsa, and herhusband EigoKudo who bothcooperated ineverywaywith my wife and me,evenwhile pressed with the many requirements...