Yoshiko Uchida writes the story ,“The Bracelet”, to describe her experiences of her own childhood as a Japanese-American girl, Ruri, who was sent to the internment camp during World War II. On April 21, 1942, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The United States had declared war on Japan and considered each Japanese could possibly be spies, or support Japan in the war. Ruri and her family then were sent to a place called an internment camp, where all Japanese-Americans must go even though they were United Citizens. Laurie, Ruri’s best friend, gave her a goodbye gift, and hoped that Ruri would remember her. After arriving at the internment camp, Ruri was scared and nervous; they were placed in a dirty apartment. Soon, Ruri discovered that the bracelet was gone. She was very distraught about that. Her mother comforted Ruri by saying that things are carried in the heart, even without the bracelet.
It was unfair, during or after the war, to judge people by their nationality or race, and give them discriminatory treatments for something they did not do. War created massive impacts on innocent people, not only causing them to be discriminated against and receiving unfair treatments but also forcing them to leave their home and stay in low-quality living places. After the bombing of Pearl harbor, Ruri and her family were forced to leave home and sent to the concentration camp because Americans thought any Japanese could be spies. Ruri and her family were assigned to an apartment that previously “housed the horse of Tanforan”, and “it still smelled of horses. “ Just because of a major attack from another country doesn’t mean that immigrants from that country would support their menacing country and take the action of invasion. People should not mistakenly assume that all immigrants with that nationality are cruel. Those immigrants have done nothing wrong. Sadly, they have no options to do anything about their nationality. Immigrants should not be judged or mistreated by their nationality or the leader of their country. War already brings hardship on the immigrants; discrimination and hostility toward the immigrants even puts more burden on their living.
Family love and support toward each other is essential when facing hardship during the war, as family provides a safe place to freely express their emotions for what they have suffered. When war is raging on, staying in touch by whatever means possible is very important to families, who have been separated from their loved ones, to ease the feeling of loneliness, isolation, or unfair treatments. Ruri, the sister, and mama were forced to be separated from papa and stayed in different camps. After arriving at the assigned apartment with poor living conditions in the camp, mama said “It won’t be so bad when we fix it up.” Mama began sweeping out the dust and dirt with a broom. Ruri and her sister helped mama to transform the apartment into a “home”. Ruri and mama are forced to be separated from papa, and they receive unfair treatments in camp, which fuels the need for family love and support even more. Mama tries to be strong and supportive for her daughters in camp where the living conditions are poor. Mama wants to build a “home” in a camp for Ruri and her sister to feel love during the hardship of war time. This shows that no matter what the obstacles are, family always comes first and always provides love, support, and comfort. Family is the only place where people always could look forward to receiving comfort, support, companionship, and love unconditionally, especially during wartime.
No matter how far people are separated in different places, true friendship is an unbreakable bond between one and another and always lives in people’s hearts forever. Even though people may feel sadness when friends are leaving, true friendship will have people imprint everything about their friends in their mind and bring back nostalgic memories they had experienced together. While packing, Ruri received the bracket, “a thin gold chain with a heart dangling on it.”, from Laurie, hoping not to be forgotten. While unpacking in the internment camp, Ruri found the bracelet was lost and felt sorrowful. Mama consoled Ruri that some things, like friendship, are carried in the heart. Obviously the bracelet symbolizes keeping their friendship in her heart forever. Sometimes unplanned mishaps happen in life, causing people to separate with others whom they have strong connection with. Being physically isolated from close friends would be difficult to see, but the solid friendship still keeps people mentally connected no matter where they are. Seeing a particular thing to think of a good friend won’t be necessary because his face, smiles, talking, and everything are already brand in mind and won’t be forgotten. True friends are connected heart to heart without being reminded of things. Distance and time cannot break them apart.
“The Bracelet” is very touching and eye-opening for me about the experience as a Japanese American going to concentration and internment camps along the west coast. The author’s writing is full of emotions with detailed information about the camps that the United States forced the Japanese into, making me cannot help but think about issues of discrimination, family, and friendship. Back then, Americans should try to calm down and think clearly who was the true enemy while they were angry and hostile toward the bombing event of Pearl Harbor. Just because the army from Japan invaded the Naval Base in Hawaii, America, does not mean the rest of the Japanese in America are bad people or they will do the attack. Sending Japanese Americans to the camps is an discrimination. Moreover, war causes a lot of family separation and losing loved ones, which emphasizes the importance of the family ever more than ever because family love is like the spiritual food to comfort the feeling of loneliness, isolation, and unfair treatments. Furthermore, true friendship does not need material things to remember memories to keep the ones we love with us in our hearts.
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