Japanese American National Museum, Gift of Mollie Wilson Murphy (2000.378.5F)
Transcript
Dec. 25, 1942
Dear Mollie,
Merry Christmas! I’m writing to thank you very, very much for the sweets. Certainly was sweet of you to send them. How are you spending this great day? I suppose you’ll go to parties and of course church. We had quite a nice day. Turkey dinner yo. How swell néh! Our block had a swell program and they gave everyone a present. We’re having a weeks vacation plus New Years Day. We were in doubt of not having any vacation but good thing we did or else.
Tonight I’ll be going to church where we’ll have a program. Gosh but anything held at night is awful account of the cold. It’s cold enough now and just might it snowed for the first time in a long time.
There isn’t much cooking around here to write about. Camp life is pretty boring, honest! I’ll close ‘til next time with the family all sending their オネガイ(remember) Happy New Year.
Love,
Mary
This object is part of the story A Friend Back Home, which is about Loyalty.
A Friend Back Home, Loyalty, Poston
Carefully read this letter and consider the following questions:
- Who wrote this letter?
- To whom was the letter written?
- What information can you gather about who Mollie is? Where is she?
- What information can you gather about who Mary is? Where is she?
- What are some of the topics written about in this letter?
- Based on the content of this letter, what kind of camp is Mary referring to?
Mollie Wilson lived in Los Angeles and attended Roosevelt High School. Many of her Japanese American friends were forced to move during World War II. She would often write to her incarcerated friends, such as Mary Murakami.
