This site requires Javascript to be turned on. Please enable Javascript and reload the page.

Thanks for your patience during our recent outage at scalar.usc.edu. While Scalar content is loading normally now, saving is still slow, and Scalar's 'additional metadata' features have been disabled, which may interfere with features like timelines and maps that depend on metadata. This also means that saving a page or media item will remove its additional metadata. If this occurs, you can use the 'All versions' link at the bottom of the page to restore the earlier version. We are continuing to troubleshoot, and will provide further updates as needed. Note that this only affects Scalar projects at scalar.usc.edu, and not those hosted elsewhere.

Archives in Context: Teachable Topics from the CSU Japanese American Digitization Project Main Menu About this Guide Introduction to Archives in Context Lessons: Testing Loyalties Lessons: In the Courts Resources for Teaching & Learning Educational resources to assist teachers and students California State University, Dominguez Hills

Loyalties: Activity 7

38502

Letter from Masaru Teshiba to Virginia Lowers Read this letter from Masaru Teshiba to his former English teacher, Virginia Lowers, requesting a letter of reference and support to restore his citizenship after renouncing it. What do his words reveal about the pressures of life in the Tule Lake Segregation Center? What were his reasons for renouncing his U.S. citizenship? How did he and his family feel about their treatment? What do his revelations tell you about the difficulty of social relations at Tule Lake and how it affected his family life?

This page has paths:

Lessons: Testing Loyalties Steve Kutay
Contents of this path:

This page references:

Letter from Masaru Teshiba, to Virginia B. Lowers, January 24, 1946 In this letter, Masaru Teshiba writes to Virginia Lowers, his former English teacher from 1942. He describes his experience of being incarcerated first at the Manzanar incarceration camp and then to Tule Lake. The decision to move to Tule Lake was motivated, according to Teshiba, to reunite with his father who had already been brought to Tule Lake. He notes in this letter that the "majority [of people] it seemed were loyal to Japan." He then describes briefly how he became involved in an organization of pro-Japanese young men which eventually lead to him renouncing his American citizenship. Teshiba then explains that his purpose for writing to his former teacher is to request a character reference from her, as his lawyer explained, such a recommendation from a "Caucasian person" would be beneficial in making the case that he should be able to remain in the United States as a citizen. Also included is a short note to the censor requesting that this letter be mailed although it is perhaps too long.