d. Even onceyou arrived, you would be searched. All “straight-edged razors, knives longer than fourinches long, and liquor were considered contraband” and confiscated. Okubo even talkedabout how the government attempted to separate her brother and herself, but she arguedthe point with the “receptionists,” and finally got to remain with him. While in the camp, it was much different from Milton Eisenhower’s interpretationof “plenty of healthful, nourishing food.” Min describes her first meal as “cannedhash...potato and two slices of bread.” They had a single pitcher of tea on each table, andwhen finished with their “meal,” the dishes were not very sanitarily cleaned in a “soapymess.”At the end of the day, like while at home, or anywhere else for that matter, it wastime to attempt a good night’s sleep. However, “the mattress department was a stablefilled with straw.” “Bags of ticking” were given to be stuffed with the straw. Only theold and sick were allowed the few cotton mattresses that were available.The “rooms” that the Japanese were housed in were depicted in Citizen 13660 ashaving many holes in the boards and very cold in these stable-like dwellings. All of thepossessions they had brought with them were used as warmth for the night, because theirsingle blanket was not enough to keep them from shivering.Numerous unhappy, uneasy experiences are depicted in reference to any aspect ofthe interment camps for the Japanese-Americans placed there. Min explains thatbecause of the poor conditions, she had a cold most of the time she spend in internment.Serious conflicts in the descriptions of these such camps between the governmentand the internees occur. Governmental views of these camps depict decently designed,safe shelters with many opportunities and healthy surroundings. Min’s views arecompletely opp...
