southlandprojectwm
Southland Project
English 101 Southland Project Blog
32 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
insoslaw
–_–^
tech-tbb
Edits and More; maybe
shuashuagirl
Shua's Little Sl**
amberandomly
I conga in pain
Photo
Even though the Japanese American’s were citizens of the United States, they were still forced into a new rough life in containment camps for the privacy of America. During this time, Frank, his mother Masako, and his sister Kumiko, where put into a barrack with another family of five. Kazuo, Frank’s father, was arrested previous to his family’s departure for questioning, and communicated with his family through letters during this rough period. Masako missed her husband very much, and even though they were communicating over time, she had anticipated he would come to their camp soon. After a hopeful year in the miserable camp, Frank’s dad was pronounced dead due to a heart attack. They shipped Kazuo’s body to the camp where his family was living, and they buried him there. Shortly after the unfortunate death of Frank’s father, Kumiko died due to an illness and childbirth complications, leaving Frank and his mother alone in the camp. In Frank’s desperate search for freedom, he signed up for the army, later fighting and returning home fallowing the victory of the war. Along with the end of the war came the closing of the internment camps, giving all of the Japanese Americans back their freedom that was stripped from them.
0 notes
Quote
A storyline ranging from family, race, identity, and change to the history of Los Angeles, and the history of Japanese American’s. The captivating story of Southland written by Nina Revoyr, mainly takes place in Los Angeles varying from the 1940’s to the mid 1990’s. Jackie, the main character, takes us on a journey as she learns about her deceased Japanese grandfather Frank, in addition to other important people and events in her family and history’s past. Race, along side with oppression and discrimination, is a huge theme we grasp within the winding story. Throughout Southland, we see the different incidences where race plays a significant role in each of the character’s lives, as well as the history of Jackie’s Japanese American family.
Overall Concept of Southland
0 notes
Text
Golden Line: Chapter 10 plus a Breakdown: Theme
One of the themes we see throughout the book Southland, is the history of the Japanese Americans. In 1942, during the time of World War Two, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered that the Japanese Americans be put into internment camps, also known as the Japanese American Internment. Directly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government put the Japanese people into containment camps to prevent spying and other possible actions, which could have been helpful to Japan during this time of war. “During the last week of April, 1942, the Japanese of Los Angeles awoke to find that evacuation orders had sprouted, overnight, from trees and poles all over the city. They had a week, the orders said, to prepare for their departure; they were being moved inland, away from the coast. All over L.A.-all over the coast- Issei and Nissei rushed frantically around their homes and neighborhoods. They didn’t know if they were coming back, so they had to get rid of everything. Houses and farms were sold to white men wearing soft felt hats and hard smirks. Furniture, and boxes of books, dishes, plants, clothing, were dragged out to front lawns for emergency sales. Some neighborhoods were so choked with beds and tables and clothes that it looked like Japanese America was simply moving outside.”(Revoyr, 107). In this passage, we see what it was like for the Japanese Americans during this time of change, originally living in LA. Frank experienced this first hand, and even though he was angry, at that moment, he was filled with some relief to know there was a conclusion to the racial controversy. This paragraph is so important to the story because it focuses on the struggles that the Japanese American’s faced during this time, while living in the United States.
0 notes
Photo
Japanese Internment Camp: San Bruno, California. 6/16/42
0 notes
Text
Chapter Nineteen (Frank, 1976) [What Jackie Doesn't Remember]
"Frank and Lois were stunned. Jackie looked puzzled for a moment, not knowing how she'd been insulted, and then ran back towards the store, unconcerned. But her grandfather stood there, fuming. Lois looked at him incredulously, and his ears were beet red. He didn't return her look, though, because he was staring at the woman, who was briskly striding out to the parking lot. He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times as the woman moved further away. And then he commenced the slow, deliberate walk of a man of is trying to keep himself from murder." --Chapter Nineteen, page 207
Frank takes over as brownie leader helping Jackie and some of her Girl Scout friends sell cookies. The sales are going relatively well until a woman, described as having dark hair and wearing a navy blue suit, walks out of the store where the girls are selling cookies. Jackie runs over to the woman and asks her if she'd like to buy some cookies, to which the woman sneered and said no. Immediately after, another girl runs up to the woman and asks, to which she accepts and buys two boxes of thin mints. Although Jackie is too young to understand what just happened, the scene infuriates Frank, whose ears are now beet red. Frank runs over to the woman's car and stands in front of it, preventing her from leaving until she buys a box of cookies from his granddaughter. The woman keeps refusing until Frank pulls out a key and keys her hood. This motivates her to get out and reluctantly buy some cookies from Jackie.
0 notes
Text
Chapter Eighteen (1994)
"[Jackie] realized that she had always kept things from Laura. Little things, like her occasional flirtations with other women; things she should have shared, like her near constant worries and doubts about their relationship; personal things, like what she thought about her family, and how thrilled she felt over her success at becoming a lawyer. Most of these things she refrained from telling not because she didn't want Laura to know, but for the simple idea of having things that Laura didn't know. By keeping so much to herself, by having this secret, private storehouse of her own memories and thoughts, she kept Laura outside of her, and made herself safe." --Chapter Eighteen, page 197
Jackie visits Little Tokyo and discovers who she believes to be the Akira Matsumoto she is looking for writing for the "Japan Times". Jackie remembers going to a Nisei festival with her grandfather twenty years ago, freezing her in place as she recollects how the event came to be. She remembered how Frank looked, handsome with mostly black hair, his body straight-laced and lean. She recalled how her parents' generation of Japanese Americans were more wealthy than the previous, and how, with each new generation, the divide between Japanese and American ancestry blurred more and more.
The next day, Jackie takes Rebecca out for drinks at El Torito. There, she tells Rebecca about her journey so far, of Lanier and Angela and the four kids killed in her grandfather's store thirty years earlier. Jackie finds her relationship to Rebecca growing, although Jackie still remains convinced that she doesn't have any feelings for her. Jackie ponders her relationship with Laura, realizing how strained it has become and realizing that while they may love each other, there is secrecy between them. Jackie drives to Laura's house, determined to confess everything she's been hiding, but decides against it at the last minute and drives home.
0 notes
Text
Chapter Seventeen (Curtis and Angela -- 1962, 1963)
"There [in Birmingham, Alabama], during a peaceful demonstration, the police had set dogs and fire hoses on the crowd of black marchers. Sitting next to his mother in the living room, Curtis watched unbelievably the images on the screen. A young black man smashed flat against the wall by a hurricane force of water. A mother losing hold of her child, the stream prying it loose, as invasive and precise as an ice pick. Two children, sitting down, being beaten by three policemen..." --Chapter Thirteen, page 182
Kenji Hirano provides Curtis and his friends a sheet of plastic ten feet wide by thirty feet long to use as an improvised slip-n-slide during a particularly hot summer day. The image the hose used to make the water slide wet is juxtaposed with the image of hoses being used against blacks in Alabama during a civil rights protest. Yet again, attention is brought to the growing racial tensions between blacks and whites in the United States, particularly the South. Seeing these protests on TV visibly affected Curtis, as he's described as "moody and distracted" the next day.
0 notes
Photo
The Holiday Bowl- Coffee Shop: Where Frank would spend time with his friends (introduced to us in chapter 15).
0 notes
Text
Chapter Sixteen (1994)
"And then after Derek saw them... you know...in the store, he came back home and told us. He was crazy that day, ready to kill someone. He scared us all. I mean, I was crazy too-but my brother, its like he never came back." Liner spoke again, his voice gentle. "Did he say anthing else?" Angela brought herself back, and met his eyes. "He said it was that motherfuckin cop. It was that motherfuckin cop.' Over and over and over." (Page 176)
Jackie had met up with her good friend Rebecca as she shared the exciting news about getting a new job. Later on we see that Jackie and Lanier decide to meet at the Winchell's. They were going to meet a lady by the name of Angela Broadnax. Angela was Curtis's girlfriend at the time of his murder. Angela reflected on the day of Curtis's death and how his brother had discovered the boys. They discussed a possibility of others who would know about the murder of the boys. And after all was said and done, they exchanged information, thanked Angela for all of her help, and they parted their separate ways.
0 notes
Text
Chapter Fifteen ( Kenji, 1955)
"The nurse, who walked behind him, lowered her eyes, and Kenji decided it would be best to say nothing. As the doctor reached the side of the bed, through, Kenji caught a whiff of liquor, and he looked at the man uncertainly." (Page 167)
In the chapter, we are introduced to Kenji, the God loving character who was married to a woman by the name of Yuki. Kenji had signed up for the army, and Yuki was now pregnant. After Kenji returned to the barracks (five months later) to his pregnant wife, she began to go into labor. A drunken doctor was going to preform the childbirth, but after assessing her pregnancy, he decided that he needed to preform an operation. Yuki had a still birth, and then Yuki passed. After the death of his new born and his wife, Kanji was left empty handed. Twelve years later he decided to take up bowling, and here is where he had asked Frank to help teach him how to bowl.
0 notes
Text
Chapter Fourteen ( 1994)
"The woman looked startled. "Frank Sakai" she said. "Yes, a very nice man. I'm sorry, but he died a few weeks ago." "Yes, I know. I am his granddaughter. I came down here because I knew that he met friends here sometimes". (Page 158)
Here, Jackie decides to go down to "The Holiday Bowl- Coffee Shop and Bowling Alley". It struck Jackie, upon her arrival, that the majority of cliental in the coffee shop was elderly blacks and asians. It was important for Jackie to be in that coffee shop because that is where her grandfather Frank, would hang out. When Jackie asks her server if she knew Frank, this sparked conversation throughout the shop. They reflect on Frank's store, as Jackie's anger grew that she was not as involved with her grandfather's life. The server and Jackie continue to reflect on Frank and the area, discussing other people that Frank knew. After Frank left, Tina mentioned to Kenji that she had met Jackie. Kenji paid no attention to this comment, and when Tina mentions Jackie wishing to meeting with Kenji, he blatantly ignored that comment as well.
0 notes
Text
Chapter Thirteen ( Frank and Curtis, 1963)
"They kicked me in the back of the head, man, he said, voice quivering. And in my thigh , and in my face. And they punched me a couple of times, and I was just scared they were going to kill me. I don't know why they were trying to mess me up like that, I wasn't doin nothing, we were just hanging out." (Page 152)
The chapter opens with Frank reading, as he hears a knock at the door of his shop. He opens to find Curtis, beat up and bloody. Curtis begged Frank to keep it a secret from his mother Alma, and Frank convinced him that he will need to tell his mother, she is going to know. After this conversation, there is a reflection period about Curtis and Frank, and how Curtis was the best worker Frank had ever had working in the store. Frank later left the store to report the assault that Curtis had endured. When he finally flagged down a squad car, Lawson was the carless cop who practically laughed in Frank's face. He had mocked Frank, calling him grocery man, asking him why he cares if their was an assault play upon Curtis. Lawson took his finger the Frank's forehead and pushed him away, disregarding his request for help, to find the boys who assaulted Curtis.
0 notes
Text
Chapter Twelve ( 1994)
"I tell you, there were a lot of racist cops back then, but on the other hand, some of the first few black men on the force didn't do much to change their views. Some of those Negroes were so ignorant I don't know how they got through the Academy. They cam from nothing, you know, and acted like it. Made it real hard on the rest of us." (Page 136)
In this chapter, Lanier suspects that Robert Thomas may know some information about Nick Lawson and the murder of the boys, during the Watts Riots, and placed into Frank's store freezer. Thomas and Lanier spent a few minutes reflecting on Captain Ray who works at Southwest, and how Lanier had worked with him previously. They also discuss when Thomas was a cop in the mid 1960's, and touch upon Liver Paxton, Thomas's partner. The discuss the topic of race of how cops were back then, regarding race. Throughout this discussion, Thomas mentions that after the Watts Riots, his partner Paxton had quit his job in the force and moved. They then begin to discuss the Riots, and how the four boys were found in the freezer. Thomas question's Lanier about the murder, asking if Frank or another employee would have murdered the boys, but Lanier explained Frank's love for those boys. In conclusion to their conversation, Thomas mentions the relationship he help with Lawson, and not that it was a close friendship, but that he was an acquaintance. And with that said, he closes their conversation with the fact that proving Lawson guilty would be very hard, and that no cop would turn their back on another cop. Later in the chapter, we hear about Jackie's experience in the Northridge earthquake. Then Jackie has a meeting with Lanier to discuss his meeting, which he held with Thomas. During their meeting Laura shows up with a friend, and Jackie is concerned that Lanier will judge her of her relationship with Laura.
0 notes
Text
Chapter Eleven ( Curtis and Alma, 1961)
"The two weeks were over in flash. Then Curtis went back to school, Cory back to his normal babysitter, and Jimmy to another babysitter, who Alma had found for Estelle. At first, Curtis talked of how relived he was to have Jimmy gone, and to be able to forget about Cory. But after a couple of days of seeing his friends again, he surprised Alma by declaring them "tired". (pageg 131)
Curtis was caught breaking into the school due to the negative influence of Ty and Jason. His mother was very disappointed and upset to see her son act this way, she always tried to provide structure for her child. She reflect on Crenshaw, and when she first moved there, it was not much of a city, but now it has developed with more people. A greater population meant more problems, more of a negative influence and tension. The chapter reflects on how lucky Curtis was to have the family he had, and Alma was so disappointed when her son was suspended for two weeks as punishment for his actions (breaking an entry into the school and tagging). In an attempt to influence Curtis back into his good ways, Alma separates Curtis from his friends, and allows him to spend time with his cousins, who would help to persuade him back into a positive and respectful lifestyle.
0 notes
Quote
Lois sighed. She’d heard all of this before. At twelve, she was a tomboy, usually outside and almost always dirty. To her, the greatest joy in life was running loose in the neighborhood. She loved the Crenshaw district, and she loved her father’s stories about how much it had changed over the years, since the time it was known as Angeles Mesa. It was filled with houses now, and crowded with all different sorts of families. But Frank described a neighborhood of huge, open spaces; of fewer and heartier people. For Lois, going down to Gardena, which was stiff and all- Japanese, was like going to church- something she knew she should do and appreciate, but which bored her to the point of sleep. (Page 35)
Lois 1994, 1963
0 notes
Text
Chapter Ten (Frank, 1942-1948)
"Frank's father wasn't there to see his family depart. The night after Pearl Harbor, as the Sakais were burning pictures in a trash bin near the shed, three large hakujin in dark suits appeared at the door. Frank was never sure weather they were from the police, or the state, or the FBI."
(Page 107)
Throughout chapter ten, we are taken on the journey with Frank and his family during the time of the Japanese Internment. Here in this passage, we see Frank's father, Kazuo taken into questioning, later being taken away from his family. Frank, his mother Masako, and his sister Kumiko were sent to the containment camps, later being put into a barrack with another family of five. Over the time that they had spent there Frank's father communicated with his family through letters. In hope that her husband would soon arrive at the containment camp to be with his family, Masako remained positive. Frank had received news that his father had died of a heart attack, after a year of them being in the camp. Frank had the body sent to the camp, where he pronounced that it was for sure his father, and they berried him. Kumiko, who was pregnant at the time, grew ill, and died shortly after her father, due to an illness and child bearing difficulties. After the loss of two members of his family, Frank decided to join the war in search for freedom. After the war, the Japanese Internment camps were closed, sending Frank's mother home. Frank later returned home from the war to be with his mother.
0 notes
Text
Chapter Nine (1994)
"Jackie felt the difficulties of the evening receding, the memories of Laura's misery lifting off of her. She wondered, for a moment, what it would be like if she could do this all the time--go out, not while leaving her girlfriend at home, but not having a girlfriend at all. She liked the feeling of sitting at a table, with good beer and good company, having nobody's tears to go home to." --Chapter Nine, page 106
The chapter opens with Jackie frantically looking for a lime green envelope with a letter inside of it. After a while, she finds it and spills the contents onto the floor. Inside are old family photos and documents related to Jackie's parents and Frank. One item of interest is a postcard from San Francisco that Frank sent shortly after retiring. He went there unannounced, without taking his wife Mary. Later on, Jackie goes with Laura to eat dinner at Laura's parent's house. There, Laura is constantly overshadowed by her older sister, Sarah. Laura leaves the dinner in tears and Jackie tries to comfort her, to no avail. Jackie invites Laura out drinking, but she declines. As she leaves the car, Jackie bemoans how strained their relationship has become and she heads off to the bar by herself. There, she coincidentally meets her friend Rebecca, a half-Japanese/half-Irish classmate of hers in law school. Rebecca and Jackie both tease each other about their sexuality. Even thought Jackie isn't attracted to Rebecca, she finds her much better company than Laura, who seems to be either depressed or angry any time they are together.
0 notes