Overview

"The ""whole mess"" as Stan put it, began on 7 December 1941, when the Japanese government attacked the United States Pacific fleet in Hawaii. On the following day the United States declared war on Japan and for those of Japanese decent, most of whom were American Citizens, life would never be the same. Stan's diary serves as witness to a dark time in our history and is told through the eyes of a teenager who will soon be expected to take up the responsibility of a man. As you read his diary, you will discover Stan's creative talents, as well as his idealism, his optimism, and his aspirations. He has a quirky sense of humour, along with a more serious side, and dreams of a ""United Nations of Earth"". He talks to his diary as a confidant, a safe place to express his opinions and record the everyday events of his life. No one told him he had to keep a journal. He wrote because he needed a private place to keep his ideas and think through the contradictions of his life. Stan and his family were swept up in the largest mass roundup in our country's history. On 14 May 1942 the Hayamis, along with thousands of others, were taken to the Pomona Fairgrounds, one of 16 Assembly Centres where the Nikkei (people of Japanese ancestry) were temporarily imprisoned until more permanent Relocation Centres were built. The Hayamis were moved from Pomona to Heart Mountain in Wyoming. In November 1942, Stan Hayami began keeping a diary that captures the harsh reality of Wyoming and his personal struggles as a student, son, brother, friend, and citizen of the world, who despite all obstacles, holds onto his dreams of the future. It is his optimism that continues to shine through his diary, and his determination to improve himself as well as the world. His dreams will continue to inspire those who work to build a world where differences are not met with racism and war, but with respect for others and kindness that allows all people to live in harmony and with dignity."

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9781883283674

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Reviews

This slender book, deftly annotated by Joanne Oppenheim with a stirring Foreword by Senator Daniel Inouye, is also one for the ages. Without question, this... will quickly become a minor classic. --Arthur A. Hansen, Professor Emeritus, History & Asian American Studies, California State University, Fullerton Rare indeed are glimpses into the mind and heart of a boy as he becomes a man, but even more intriguing about Stanley Hayami's story is that it is told in his own voice, penned as his sixteen-year-old life of innocence and idealism unfolded in an American concentration camp and ended, still in his teens as a new recruit, trying to help a buddy in one of the fiercest and last battles in Europe in World War II. Author Joanne Oppenheim gets title page credit as annotator, but has done much more than the word implies, weaving a gripping tale that will hold the interest of the young adults at whom it is aimed and will be appreciated by general readers as well. Oppenheim educates Americans through a journey of words, pictures and illustrations - a journey of our past as an American people. This book belongs in the library of every American historian. Book Description Joanne Oppenheim painstakingly reconstructs the experience of Stanley Hayami, a real-life teenager whose attention was focused on school, sports, and hope for the future, and who then joined the Army to fight for freedom for all. Oppenheim sensitively contextualizes Hayami's words with background comments.

Author Information

Joanne Oppenheim is the author of over 50 books for and about children. In addition she is the president and co-founder of Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Inc. One of the country's most highly regarded child development experts, Oppenheim is seen regularly on NBC's Today show, where she is a contributor. She lives in New York City with her husband and is the mother of three grown children and the grandmother of seven.

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