As a teenager, Ralph Lazo was angered by the incarceration of his friends and decided to do something about it. Though a handful of inmates entered the War Relocation Authority camps voluntarily, because they were not Japanese American, Ralph was the only among them who was not married to a Japanese American. Taking action in a big way to express dissent against the injustice of his friends’ imprisonment, Ralph’s demonstration of support made a lasting impact. While in camp, he was a well-liked leader and was involved in many activities, even becoming class president.

• If you were in Ralph’s position, how would you respond to the incarceration of your friends?
• If you were in the position of his friends, how would you feel about Ralph’s presence in the camp?
• What insights can you gather from Ralph’s story about various ways of expressing dissent?