Ma and Pa Kettle - and Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
first Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's book The Plague and I would celebrate her 96th birthday today.
Monica Sone passed away in 2011 shortly after her 92th birthday.
To me it's quiete a shock to learn the depressing facts of internment of Japanse, Japanese Americans, European and European Americans in a democratic society.
Over 31.000 people were kept interned until July 1948 - more than three years after the war in Europe had ended.
I hope we can learn from the past and we are willing to.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club honor member Monica Sone was furious at the blatant disregard of her civil rights.
Monica Sone said to Betty MacDonald Memorial Award winner Wolfgang Hampel:
I didn't move from Seattle - they moved me away and I never came back.
( only for family visits )
Of course everybody can understand Monica Sone's feelings.
A democratic society has to protect the civil rights of their people. Otherwise it's no longer a democratic society.
A simple fact.
In the camps, internees were seen more as prisoners of war than as civilians.
To name such camps for example Camp Harmony is simply awful.
Just imagine the loss of property, the personal insults, the barbed wire, armed guards, the dust storms, horrible food, unfinished barracks, barren land, shared huts, inadequate washing and toilet facilities, green uniforms, military work details, snapping to attention at an officer's approach.
Therefore Monica Sone's Nisei Daughter is a very important book.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club founder, author, poet and Monica Sone's good friend Wolfgang Hampel told us that Nisei Daughter belonged to the very few books he was rereading. I know many of us do the very same.
Betty MacDonald encouraged her friend Monica Sone in publishing her book 'Nisei Daughter'.
Betty MacDonald said:
'Nisei Daughter ' is a very remarkable book, humorous and delightfully readable, that takes you into the heart of a Japanese-American family and into the mind of the sensitive, perceptive eldest daughter.
The internment of the American born Japanese during World War II is handled with honesty and rare dispassion.
It is certainly to Monica Sone's credit that she she still sings God bless America.
Betty MacDonald was right. Having Monica Sone's experiences I'm not sure I would.
I agree with John Heitman "In a world where there are lots of smoke screens and J. Edgar Hoovers, an individual can really be hurt."
Take care,
Lasse
Vita Magica
Betty MacDonald fan club
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Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
