Chapters 5-8 of Nisei Daughter

The next four chapters (5-8) go into depth about Monica’s Japanese roots. She and her family go visit grandfather Itoi (Monica’s father’s father) in Japan. There, Monica feels like an outcast especially after being bullied by some Japanese children. Everything was a learning experience for the children; having to take off their shoes before entering a home, eating on the floor with their knees bent and also bathing in a public area in the home where people can see. Monica was not pleased with all the things that were unfamiliar. During their trip, two of her brothers, Ken-chan and Henry became very ill with “ikin” and Ken-chan unfortunately passed. As they left the children begged for their grandpa to return to America with them but he refused saying he was too old to travel. Monica later learned the real reason for him not wanting to go was because of the Immigration Law of 1924 which stopped Japanese immigrants from going into the country. As soon as Monica arrived to America, she mentioned how she felt like an alien in Japan and how America felt like home.

Chapter 6, Sumiko, Monica’s younger sister became very ill since her asthma was worsened. The family thought she had tuberculosis but then found out she didn’t. After they examined and realized Sumiko was better, the family wanted to move towards the beach where Monica and her mother were in search for a home to rent. They had the worst luck finding a home because everyone said their house or apartment was already rented out. Monica’s mother mentioned that it might be because of their ethnicity that they couldn’t find a home. Finally a nice middle aged lady gave them an apartment to rent which wasn’t too close to the beach but it was enough. At this point is when Monica was more aware of the sentiment felt in America about Japanese people.

Chapter 7

Chapter seven was about romance and education. When Monica was well on her way to high school, she had her first romance with some boy named Hauro. He was to go to a different public school but Monica and he kept in contact. One day they met and she realized he and her could not be; two years had passed and she grew in height while he stayed the same. At school she noticed how different her and her fellow Japanese classmates were very quiet and not as outspoken as everyone else, she realized it might be her culture that taught them these ways. She graduated high school expecting to move on to a university but her father wished for her to go to business school first. So she did, she graduated within a year in hopes of finally going to college but then she was struck by tuberculosis. As soon as she was better she returned home and went to college. Conflict between American and Japan are mentioned briefly in this chapter as well.

Chapter 8

Pearl Harbor happened in December and the war broke out. Sentiment against Japanese people was stronger than ever. People were taken away from their homes if the FBI thought they were spies or had some ties to the attack. Men that the family knew were taken away and interrogated. Monica and her family feared that their father would be next so they prepared. They soon found out that everyone with Japanese descent was not allowed by the Pacific waters and they were being sent away from the West coast. They did not want to let it go and tried to find someone to take over but the only problem was the hotel. They couldn’t find anyone to take over while they were gone. Monica had to leave everything she knew, the familiarity of her community. Though she herself was American, she was no exception to the evacuation.