Let's Rejoin American Stream Of Life, Says Winning Essayist

By Helen Yamamoto

Why should we relocate? The key to this problem lies in the comparison of a sheltered life in camp against the normal life in some American community.

For those who have lost the courage to face the realities of life, the easy-going and carefree existence in a relocation center is a haven. However, for others, the one thing worth fighting for counteracts this belief -- that is the sanctity and dignity of human life.

It was indeed a blow to our pride when we were momentarily stemmed from our normal life by the rude hand of evacuation. All that we had loved, cherished and struggled for was uprooted -- our true progress in life stalemated. We thought to ourselves, "Could this be possible in an American democracy?" We were perplexed, unsettled, and at times showed bitterness and resentment. But out of this haze came one thing that distinguishes American democracy most sharply from other forms of government -- and that is the regard fur human life.

Through the relocation program of the WRA the government made obvious the fact that they wanted us to continue our existence in the American stream of life. Also, with the relocation program came a challenge to our courage -- to our dignity as a self-supporting people. Some of us will fail to answer this challenge because our perspective has been distorted by the seemingly simple existence of camp life -- a life where one is furnished necessities and required to expend relatively little effort.

Others cannot answer the challenge, not for the lack of courage, but for personal problems such as old age, illness and financial difficulties. For those of us who will answer this challenge, compensation will come threefold in the sensation of real solid living, normal pursuit of life's ambition and restoration of our civil rights.

True, the struggle for existence on the outside may not be a rosy path as we must go through the various stages of resettlement -- finding jobs and housing and becoming assimilated into our new surroundings. But when a person thinks of the alluring rewards of complete relocation, he cannot help but get that odd sensation -- like the jabbing of a thousand needles. It brings back the corner drugstore, the neighborhood movie, the hamburger stand and the countless other American standbys. Once again we stop for the traffic lights, hail taxis and go shopping. We also discover the use of ration stamps, OPA regulations and the manpower shortage. But all these things add up to the same thing -- we've discovered ourselves -- our stalemated existence in camp is once again progressing in life's battle for humanity. We are once again a part of the new, faster moving and more efficient America.

Thus, as we relocated ourselves we bind our wounds, restore our faith and bring on new hopes. Moreover, we attain the one thing above all others worth fighting for -- the sanctity and dignity of human life.