"I have always had jobs that paid a minimum wage. I will never have a good job because of my past sufferings at the Manzanar concentration camp."

This was said by Honda in his testimony before the government commission. Honda, now a man at the age of 62, was one of the orphans who lived in the "Children's Village". The "Childrens Village", a orphanage,was a part of the Manzanar internment camp. About 100 Japanese American foster children, some with as little as one eight of Japanese ancestry, were sent to Manzanar in March 1942.

"It was a very lonely place,with babies crying and nothing to do." This is what Honda still remembers about his years at the orphanage. He was moved to Manzanar at the age of 7 years. But he was not even the youngest one. Some orphans were as young as 6 months.

The reason why all these innocent children were brought to the internment camp was according to Ralph Merrit, the director of the camp that "they might be a threat to national security". The former American Government thought that everyone of Japanese ancesty could be involved in espionage and sabotage due to the bombing of Pearl Habour in 1941.

Today many former orphans still suffer from their years at Manzanar. During the last 50 years they rarely talked about the hardest years of their lives.

Now scholars at California State University Tullerton started to write a report about "Children's Village". But their job is not easy. The few remaining documents about the orphanage are in vault of the National Archives in Maryland, and many of the former orphans they could have talked to are too old now, or even dead.

But the few ones who remained want to see the history of "Children's Village" written before it is too late.

It is important not to forget our past mistakes, so that they will not be repeated in the future!

Alicia and Anna-Laura

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