Licensing

Letter to Clara Breed from Tetsuzo (Ted) Hirasaki, Poston, Arizona, October 3, 1942

Tetsuzo often went by the name, Ted. His letters were slightly cynical and longer than most. Being already 21 when he was relocated, Ted had known Miss Breed for a very long time, and his family was close with hers.

Transcription:

322-14-D / Poston, Arizona / October 3, 1942 / Dear Miss Breed, / How are you? Thanks ever so much for the wonderful letter. (would you mind if I showed it to some friends?) I have just written a letter to Mrs. Lila McArthur asking her to bring you to Poston on her next trip. She has been here to see some of her friends. At Santa Anita she was a very frequent visitor. Which reminds me, people are allowed to come right into the camps here and mingle with the people. It is very rarely that we see a caucasian face. Now that the caucasian school teachers are here in camp we see a few more caucasian faces than before where two-four days even a whole week went by without sight of a caucasian face. The first impression of them (the teachers) is rather disappointing. Oklahomans -- Texans it seems as if the children will be all drawling "Suthun' Style." Several of the nisei teachers seemed pretty well disgusted with a few of them. However the "proof of the pudding is in the eating" and school starts Monday. I hope to meet some of them personally so that I can be more sure of what to think of them. / Life is beginning to settle down to the monotonous regularity that is truly depressing. People have gotten so that they don't leave their own block. Let alone leave their "home." (apt) Not much sociable visiting going on at all. The afternoons are still too hot to do so. And who wants to walk in dust up to the ankles. Canteens are not so crowded as they used to be 'cuz the people haven't the money they used to have. You see we have to buy what we used to get free from the W.C.C.A at S.A.A.C (Japanita) Brooms, buckets, baby food, fresh fruit, mattress, (spoons, forks, none in Mess Hall) Soap for Mess Hall (Dishwashing) / At the present time soap is being delivered to the mess halls since we fought for it. After all the dishes had to be washed clean. There's quite a bit of graft going on and I think we're going to get rid of that now that we "agitators" from S.A.A.C. are waking the people of Poston. / We're having quite a "labor shortage" here now that many of the able-bodied fellows are going out to relieve the beet sugar workers' shortage in Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska. It's certainly lonely here after the young fellows left. / Five or six years ago I met a young fellow in Los Angeles and became good friends. After the second meeting I didn't see him until a week ago Only to say hello and goodbye for he was outward bound to Colorado to go to work on a sugar beet farm. Such is the working of Fate. / Well my time is growing short and I have to go to work again in the mess hall. I hope to have more "inside dope" soon. / Sincerely yours / Tetsuzo