Dad finally found a house in Berkeley and, in time, purchased it. How was it having a home of your own again? There you raised Aki, Seiji and Michi until they grew up, married and moved out. It was a lovely, warm and bright house and home. Dad tended to a beautiful garden. Your children and grandchildren have many wonderful memories of that 1628 Blake St. house. Thank you.
In the years that I have been writing, trying to recall my life growing up, I do have regrets that there was a long period of time when parents were not talking about the war years, nor were we, the children, asking questions. So the questions are going unanswered.
I can only hope to fill in the gaps by talking to others who may have had similar experiences. I also feel that mom and dad survived the best they could by their faith in themselves, the trust in and of their friends, but primarily because of their Japanese upbringing and culture. I am also blessed by people who knew them, and when they tell me how they touched their lives.
The questions I never asked remain, but the memories I do have, will remind me of my past, the years 1941 to 1950.
About the contributor: Kazuko Oyamada Iwahashi was born in Berkeley, CA and incarcerated with her family in Tanforan and Topaz from ages 12-15. Her junior high years were spent in Topaz. She returned to Berkeley and started Berkeley High in September 1945. Kaz became a registered nurse, working for San Francisco and Oakland Kaiser until retirement. She and her husband Mike have four children. She has been exploring her past through writing classes for over ten years.
© 2024, Kazuko Iwahashi. All rights reserved.