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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

FREDONIA, California., January 12 – Plans for a night school class in Americanization are under way, John N. Beattie, in charge of night school classes at the high school, announced today. “We would like to have in the class those people who need to be taught the requirements of American citizenship, Japanese, Mexican, Spanish and Hindu people,” says Mr. Beattie. “In the class, we will teach reading, writing and civics, so they will understand the language, laws and ideals of the United States.”

Letters

Mr. Bhagat Singh Thind

Gurdwara House of Worship

1930 South Grant Street

Stockton, CA

January 13, 1921

Esteemed Bhai Bhagat Singh Thind-ji,

Greetings. Perhaps you recall our meeting in Camp Lewis about 18 months ago? At the time, I had just returned from France and was awaiting discharge from the army. We were sworn in together as new citizens in the large hall. While the rest of us were clapping to the band’s music, tossing hats in the air, you sat quiet and somber in your army uniform, wearing the dastar with such dignity. You said something curious to me at the end of that ceremony—that we should be on guard for losing the citizenship that we had just gained, that sometimes all is not as it appears on the surface. At that time, I did not know what you meant. But clearly through your age and experience you knew better than I.

This week, a Japanese family who have long been our neighbors moved away because of the new California land law. It is a tragedy. Their only son, my closest friend, died in France just after the peace. He had saved the lives of two fellow soldiers during the war. He was a citizen of this country by reason of his birth. If he had survived, they could have kept their farm and livelihood through him. Now they are without either. In the high school I attended, Americanization classes are now being offered to teach the ideals of this country. I read of this with so much bitterness. Of which American ideals do they speak? There are two Americas. I know this now.

You had asked me to write to you if ever I was unhappy with my life after the war. What had you meant by that—“unhappy with my life”? In these dark times, what is to be done? For those of us who risked life and limb to save the world for democracy, what can we do now?

You spoke so strangely to me at that moment after we took our oath. When others were celebrating, you seemed to see the future.

Sincerely yours,

Amarjeet Singh

January 17, 1921

Mr. Amarjeet Singh

Rural Route 9

Fredonia, CA

My dear Amarjeet,