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Back Passage West
Chapters (59)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Cast of Characters
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. Letters
  14. Part Two
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. Letters
  26. Part Three
  27. 18
  28. 19
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. 23
  33. Letters
  34. Part Four
  35. 24
  36. 25
  37. 26
  38. 27
  39. 28
  40. Letters
  41. Part Five
  42. 29
  43. 30
  44. 31
  45. 32
  46. 33
  47. 34
  48. 35
  49. 36
  50. 37
  51. 38
  52. 39
  53. 40
  54. 41
  55. Epilogue
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. About the Author
  58. Also by Rishi Reddi
  59. About the Publisher

Five days I stayed there on American soil, in the filth of that jail. I don’t know how I withstood the sadness of boarding the ship again. I think I did only because Santosh was with me, and because I was always under my brother’s watchful eye. It is still not clear why he was not allowed in. Perhaps he was, but he refused to enter because I would be all alone. I have not asked him, and he has not told me. It is not clear, my husband. Did you not say that I would be allowed to enter because I am your wife? I should be able to join you whether I could read or no? Whether I walk with a limp or no? Two days after we left, a Chinaman jumped off the ship into the water. Do you know a secret, my husband? Despite Santosh, despite you, I wanted to jump too. I am ashamed to say it. And probably Shankar felt the same, although he did not confide it to me.

I will not tell Uncle when I return. I can no longer tolerate that house. I will go straight to my parents’ home. Please forgive me. Santosh will miss his cousins but how would they treat me in Lyallpur now? Everything has been spoiled and I do not know how to fix it. I can only ask, as a supplicant, can you inquire if anything can be done? I feel this has the finality of death, and that your inquiry will be in vain.

Your hapless wife,

Padma

Part Four

With tears in my eyes

I turn back to my homeland

taking one last look.

—Author unknown, from The Japanese American Family Album

When all the Japanese are forced out of the country, the cantaloupes may thrive as they do today, and a lettuce ranch may be as green as today and the American nation will prosper with great power, but the American history will not be so glorious as it is today with the words of Liberty.

—M. Shigematsu, Secretary, Japanese Farmers Association of Imperial Valley, 1920

24

November 1918

AT FIVE O’CLOCK ONE MORNING IN NOVEMBER, THE FREDONIA POWER Company blew its emergency whistle and the fire department rang its bell in the cool dawn. People knew what that meant. They had been eagerly awaiting the end of the war; the United Press had made a false announcement four days earlier. By sunrise, paperboys had situated themselves on street corners around town, holding bundles of the Fredonia News, shouting its headline: PEACE! and in smaller letters underneath: KAISER IS OUT! GERMANY SURRENDERS! GREATEST WAR OF ALL TIME OVER!