Alavandi1

Prasanna Alavandi
Beth Fowler
Honors 1000
19 October 2015
Drones to the Machine: The Diary of Asuka Hitsugaya
October 4th, 1909
My name is Asuka Hitsugaya. My story isnt much different from the many other women
aboard this vessel. Many of us came in order to rejoin our families, I was lucky enough to come
to the United States along with my five-year old son Ichiro and my widowed sister, to reunite
with my husband. My husband, like many others, came to California to seek work as a farm
laborer.1 Many say he was lucky to have left for the Americas when he had since the restriction
of the immigration of Japanese males was soon to follow due to the Gentlemans Agreement.2
Because we were allowed to come to join our families, the population of women moving to the
Americas was steadily increasing.3
I watched many of my friends leave our town for the Americas, but I had to wait for my
chance. You see, my sister Chiyo and I were busy caring for our ill father as well as providing
for Ichiro, my seven-year old son. Soon after the unfortunate passing of our father, we were left
with no alternatives. We ended up losing everything, our parents were gone and the ability to
support our home was proving to be difficult. I knew seeking a better life and rejoining my
husband Renji in the United States was the only option. As we grew closer to the island where
1

"Japanese Americans." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit:
Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 173-175. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
2 Chan, Sucheng. "Japanese and Korean Immigration before 1924." Reviews in American History. 3rd ed. Vol. 17. N.p.: Johns
Hopkins UP, n.d. 423-28. Print.
3 Ichihashi, Yamato. Japanese Immigration Its Status in California. San Francisco: Marshall, 1915. Print.

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we were to be admitted, I felt the cold chill of the wind kiss my cheeks and the salty scent of the
sea. I could see our destination, the immigration center known as Angel Island showed itself
nestled between the frosty rolling hills behind it.4 The port itself was in front of many smaller
buildings growing closer from the distance.4 I remember growing anxious as our ship was
received by the dock.
As we were admitted onto the island my sister, Ichiro and I underwent many medical
examinations.4 Ichiro and I passed as healthy and were allowed to enter the mainland, however
Chiyo was diagnosed with an intestinal disease and was required to stay on the island. It was a
cruel thing leaving her behind, but I had no choice. We didnt have the money to send her back to
Japan as required, so I had to abandon her there.4 Bitterly I grit my teeth and prayed that in time
she would find me and that I would find Renji.

April 14th, 1912

Three years had passed and I have not seen my sister. As hard as it is, I have to accept the fact
that she passed to the next world. Certain sacrifices were made to come here yet losing her was
not one that I had never imagined. Despite this I had found Renji two years ago, his face strewn
with the wrinkles of hard farm labor. He looked to have aged fifteen years in just six and
continues to age that way. I however, am now busy caring for our two-year old boy Kouta.
Renji suggested attending classes for English grammar and writing with Ichiro in an attempt to
better assimilate into American culture.5

"Angel Island." Immigration and Multiculturalism: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner,
and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 152-154. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
5 Ichihashi, Yamato. Japanese Immigration Its Status in California. San Francisco: Marshall, 1915. Print.

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Learning English was not easy and I began to grow homesick, longing to return to our
homeland, to return to the soil that raised me. However, Renji believes our economic stability
being better in America, and quickly adopted the United States as his new home. His efforts
began to fall short as the low-paid seasonal jobs of farm labor provided us with little to support
our family of four.6 With the birth of my second son, Kouta, I knew eventually leaving
California was inevitable. Later this month we plan to move east to a more promising industrial
city named Detroit.

April 21st, 1913

Its nearing almost a year since we have moved to Detroit. Ichiro is now a young man and is
now taller than I am. Some time ago he brought home a beautiful young girl, Sakura who works
in her familys oriental restaurant a couple blocks from where we live. They have grown
increasingly close, spending time together whenever they can, and I can see Ichiro has grown
fond of her.
Renji and Ichiro took up a job with the Ford Motor Company in the Highland Park
factory working on the assembly line not far from where we live.7 The loud machinery and
constant clanging of steel from the monotonous work have caused Renjis hearing to deteriorate,
I can only hope Ichiro doesnt lose his hearing before he begins his own family.7
I spend most of my time caring for Kouta and tending to the home. I can somewhat
speak English now although I still continue to take classes. Ichiro picked up the language almost
instantly and a mix of Japanese and English is used in the house although Ichiro teases my
English as being broken. At night Ichiro and Renji return home each five dollars in hand,
6

Chan, Sucheng. "Japanese and Korean Immigration before 1924." Reviews in American History. 3rd ed. Vol. 17. N.p.: Johns
Hopkins UP, n.d. 423-28. Print.
7 Martelle, Scott. Detroit (A Biography). Chicago: Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. 2012.

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completely exhausted and filthy.8 Renji and I grow dreary of this monotone way of life we have
been forced to adopt, but it keeps food on the table and our children optimistic of their future.
Detroit however, proves to be much different from what I expected it to be. Being Asian
Americans in California, we did not receive much compassion.9 Rather, the slew of racial
comments followed us wherever we went, sometimes even being mistaken for being Chinese
was a constant burden we had to bear.10 Here in Detroit however, we do not face much
discrimination as before, only minor inconveniences.
Other than the lack of discrimination, Detroit is a city filled with wonder, a city that is
growing to an enormous size both literally and industrially. Walking through the city streets the
profane smell of exhaust from the newborn automobiles creeps up my nose, the loud crowds of
busy people coursing through the city like blood in an artery.11 The large buildings erect in the
sky loom down upon me like the figures of giants.10 Its a time of great opportunity here and
masses of immigrants flock to the city each to gain a chance to make their own destiny. Many of
my Japanese friends however found their place as merchants or restaurant owners, each taking
advantage of exploiting our exotic culture to the otherwise unknowing Caucasians.9

July 9th, 1917

Renji is gone. The most unfortunate accident at the factory was the cause of my beloved
husbands demise. A falling car chassis crushed his body, pinning him underneath. By the time
8
9

Martelle, Scott. Detroit (A Biography). Chicago: Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. 2012.

Liu, Haiming. "Reception of Asians to the United States." New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Ed. Maryanne Cline
Horowitz. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 1999-2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
10 Ichihashi, Yamato. Japanese Immigration Its Status in California. San Francisco: Marshall, 1915. Print.

11

Bak, Richard. Detroit, 1900-1930. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 1999. Print.

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they got it off of his mangled body, he had exhaled his last breath. I was in shock when I
received the news, my body was unable to move paralyzed by the deep piercing pain in my heart.
Renji kept the Ford safety manual at our bedside yet it did not save his life in such a situation.12
The irony burned hotter than the embers of the manual that are now lying in the fireplace. What
am I to do now that he is gone?
Despite this, Ichiro and Sakura are now married and it has been two months since the
time of Renjis death. At least he was there to see them united in holy matrimony. Recently I
have had to take up a job at Sakuras familys restaurant in order to help sustain the house in
Renjis stead. Kouta now attends school and is seven years old. He never knew his father like
Ichiro did and it saddens me that he did not spend more time with his father before he had
passed.

January 8th, 1920

Life continues and I feel trapped in this city more then ever. My will to participate in
everyday activities continually diminishes as the days go by and I have become a drone to this
laborious lifestyle. Ichiro and Sakura are now expecting their own child and have even bought
their own house. The two are more robust and full of energy than ever. They represent a true
nuclear family much different from the crippled one Ichiro has left. It feels like only yesterday I
was holding him close as we both stepped into this country and now he is off making a name for
himself. Now only Kouta and I remain, and soon in come time he will leave me too and I will be
alone.

12

Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints and Advice for Ford Employees. Detroit: Ford Motor, 1915. Print.

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I look upon Ichiro and Sakura every now and then with joy, with an eerie recollection of
how Renji and I began our lives together so young and full of life. We talked of our future
together with great optimism for a better tomorrow. We have achieved what we have come for
but at what cost? To lose my happiness? To lose the ones I loved? The lose our culture to the
relentless industrial machine? I ask myself these questions everyday now, if it was all worth it in
the end.
Despite this turmoil, I look upon my sons and see that their smiles hold some truth to the
hardships Renji and I had to endure. That the legacy our our hard work and an undying
motivation to survive will continue to inspire later generations. These values served us well to
gain the wealth of opportunities Renji and I dreamt of. In the end I have earned everything but
have lost nearly everything. In the end I survived.

Works Cited

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"Angel Island." Immigration and Multiculturalism: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee
Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 152-154.
Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Bak, Richard. Detroit, 1900-1930. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 1999. Print.
Chan, Sucheng. "Japanese and Korean Immigration before 1924." Reviews in American History.
3rd ed. Vol. 17. N.p.: Johns Hopkins UP, n.d. 423-28. Print.
Ford Motor Company. Helpful Hints and Advice for Ford Employees. Detroit: Ford Motor, 1915.
Print.
Ichihashi, Yamato. Japanese Immigration Its Status in California. San Francisco: Marshall, 1915.
Print.
"Japanese Americans." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity,
Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 173-175. Gale Virtual Reference
Library. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Liu, Haiming. "Reception of Asians to the United States." New Dictionary of the History of
Ideas. Ed. Maryanne Cline Horowitz. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 1999-2001.
Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Martelle, Scott. Detroit (A Biography). Chicago: Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. 2012.