Santa Anita Assembly Center
District 7
Barrack 7, Unit 1, 2nd Stop
Arcadia, California
July 22, 1942
Mr. William Fleet Palmer
U.S. Attorney
Federal Building
Los Angeles, California
Dear Mr. Palmer,
I would appreciate it very much if you will take a few minutes to read this letter which I have written from my desperate situation.
Mr. Palmer, I am Midori Wada, the youngest daughter of Rev. Masahiko Wada now in Lordsburg, New Mexico and Mrs. Kuni Wada, stationed at Seagoville, Texas, who are both detained for the duration of the war. Here at Santa Anita Assembly Center, I am confined alone with my relatives patiently waiting for my parents' quick return from their interned camps. My family has been broken up into five different camps since evacuation took place.
Mr. Palmer, as you know, my parents were suddenly taken into custody on Friday, March 13, 1942 during my absence from home being in school, Pomona J.C. I could not even say "good-bye" to my parents. When I came home from school and found out the true fact of my parents' arrest, I became very ill from the shock. The reason for my parents' arrest and internment for the duration of the war is beyond my knowledge. In as much as I believe they are both innocent of the charges and feel that they should both have been either paroled or released, I cannot reconcile my knowledge of the true reason for their internment.
My home has always been a Christian family. Ever since I could remember, my parents used to sing hymns and joined in prayers. Truly my home was a pure Christian home where there was a firm Christian foundation.
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My father has been a Christian minister of Baptist Church for somewhat thirty years. Even in Japan, my father has been a valued minister who worked in Y.M.C.A. organization as well as being a minister.
In 1928, my father received a call from the So. Calif. Baptist State Convention of America to come to this country to be an assigned minister of Garden Grove Japanese Baptist Mission. Since his immigration into this land, his connection with the Japan Ministers' Board in Japan was entirely cut off then. Of course, my father loved this country of freedom and determined to stay here permanently. A couple of years after his coming here, his whole family was called to come and join with him in America. May I tell you here that I was born in Japan and came to America at the age of 2. When we came to America, my father had a position in Moneta as the pastor of the Moneta Baptist Mission. My father's high ideal was to educate himself to become Americanized although citizenship paper was not available for orientals. Naturally, he wished all of us to become Americanized. He sent all of us to schools to get American education and ideals. All of us children went through high school and my older brother, Mike, is a graduate of Redlands University. My younger brother Yasushi has been studying to become a minister taking my father's foot steps and has recently finished his first year in Redlands University.
My father and mother were very faithful and active Christians all these years. Even in these trying days for them being put in their camps, they are standing up upon the firm rock of Christian faith. My mother happens to be very ill who was in hospital about a month already in Seagoville, Texas.
Our family lived in Moneta, Calif. For ten years and moved to Pomona where my father
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was called to be the pastor of Japanese Baptist Mission there about 22 months ago. Both of my parents were really loyal to America all these years. Please let me give you one little incidence showing their loyalty to America. It was when the war broke out, and we had blackout practices. Every time during our blackout practices, our family was the first ones around our neighbors to darken the house always, and my parents were extremely strict about the blackout practice. My parents told us day after day to abide all laws and rules and otherwise to help out America.
I don't believe you know this fact, but my father was receiving $125 a month for his salary to support us five. What can you do with $125 for five people? But out of it my father and mother used to contribute to Red Cross as much as their income allowed them to whenever they had an opportunity. All of our American friends used to say that our family is more Americanized than the Americans themselves doing kind deeds and showing loyalty to America. Unfortunately, my parents were not able to speak English fluently as those who were born here, but their intention and determination to master that handicap was great. My mother has been going to night school in Moneta (now called Gardena) for a long long time to learn English and my father also studied it at home.
Mr. Palmer, I do want you to understand my father and
mother. It is my plea that you might grant my father and mother a rehearing and
let our broken family be re-united again. As you can see for yourself, I have
been very very extraordinarily lonesome without my parents have had mental
sufferings from disappointments. Won't you please have a rehearing for my
father and mother?
I heard from one of my father's American friends that my father's rehearing date was already been set for 28th of this month? Could this statement be true at all? Please verify this statement clearly.
I have enclosed in this letter important affidavits for my father.
I am praying each day for their quick return, though, I'm very happy to tell you that I am a Christian who have full faith in the Lord who gives me a comforting assurance. I thank my parents for their Christian teaching for me.
In closing, I wish to express my appreciation and gratitude in advance for your time and trouble which will be taken to answer this letter. I trust that I will be favored with early reply.
God bless you and keep you always,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Midori Wada