My 7th grade teacher was “Miss Ella”—Ella Honderich, the sketch artist. Our classroom was two apartments that had had the dividing wall removed. There were no books or blackboards. All we had was paper to write on and pencils.
I spent most of my time in Topaz playing with friends. We generally stayed within our own block and didn’t venture out of it. But my younger brother Toru was mischievous and used to sneak out of camp to explore the desert.
I was born in Topaz, raised in Japantown, San Francisco, at 1661 Post Street. I remember the tofu, the manju, and the sembei shops, all in walking distance. Little by little I’ve learned about our history–and since uniting around the Wakasa Memorial Stone, discovered at Topaz by archaeologists Mary Farrell and Jeff Burton, I learned that the teacher, Mrs. Honderick, was married to the man who smuggled the movie camera into camp for Dave Tatsuno. She was an artist, and friend, who made many drawings of daily life in the barracks.
I’m glad May’s story evoked those memories for you, Masako! For those interested in Ella Honderich’s story and Topaz sketches, see our Topaz story “The Lost Sketches of Topaz” by Cynthia Wright.