Response: “Manzanar, USA”

In the short story “Manzanar, USA” by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, the entire family cope with living in the detention camp by helping each other by growing crops such as corns, tomatoes, etc. and accepting the facts of being forcefully captured at camp through saying “Shikata ga nai” which means “it cannot be helped.” “It must be done.” Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston mentions that Japanese people who are forcefully moved to camp, tend to accept the fact of being captured at camp and try to make the best of a bad situation. “My parents and older brothers and sisters, like most of the internees, accepted their lot and did what they could to make the best of a bad situation. “We’re here,” Woody would say. “we’re here, and there’s no use moaning about it forever.” (page 111). In addition, authors mentioned in order to survive, Japanese people have to contain their rage. “In such a narrowed world, in order to survive, you learn to contain your rage and your despair, and you try to re-create, as well as you can, you normality, some sense of things continuing.” (page 111) These facts are important because it illustrates how the entire family cope with living in the detention camp by helping each and accepting the fact of being moved into the camp. They accept the fact of being forcefully moved to the camp. Therefore, they try to make the best of a bad situation by accepting their lot and contain their rage to