This week, I got the opportunity to read various letters sent to Clara Breed: an American librarian who supported many children of the Japanese American community during World War II. These letters captured the reality of a dark period in American history, where innocent people were persecuted based on their race.

3 Surprising Points:

Clara Breed’s Impact:

I was surprised how Breed not only provided books and letters to children in Japanese Internment Camps, but she added a sense of stability into their lives. She stayed committed to maintaining relationships with all of them, even while they were stuck under such terrible conditions.

Specific Example:

One letter written to Ms. Breed from Margaret Ishino on December 26, 1943 read: “You have played Santa to us, and given us many gifts making it a truly Merry Christmas”. This sentence holds an immense amount of meaning, as it shows how much of a generous character Clara Breed had. Another part of this letter read: “It is folks like you who bring peace closer and a better understanding of mankind”. This part of the letter highlights just how grateful all of the children were for just having someone kind to write letters to and get a small gift from.

The Children’s Silence
Many of the children, such as Ellen Yukawa, who lived through the internment camps, never spoke about their experiences to their peers. It shocked me to realize how deeply this trauma was buried, even among friends, and how the impact of the camps shaped the identities of many individuals.

The role of Clara Breed’s Correspondents

The letters from the children themselves showed that despite the many hardships they faced, many of them (such as Katherine and Louise), maintained hope and even humor. All of these individuals show their bravery through their writing, by staying positive through their diction. This resilience was both inspiring and heart-wrenching, knowing that many of their dreams and plans were delayed or destroyed because of their circumstances.

A question I would pose:

Why didn’t more people stand up like Clara Breed?

It was particularly interesting to understand that while Clara Breed fought for justice, many Americans were silent or complicit in the face of this injustice. I am interested in understanding what societal pressures and fears prevented more American citizens from standing up for fellow Americans who were Japanese.