BooksBarbecue
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

A RIDER CAME BEARING A TELEGRAM FROM AMARJEET, IN THE MORNING, when Kishen Kaur was wrapping their lunches for the field. Amarjeet sent telegrams so rarely that Karak tore it open and read: “Supreme Court decision Bhai B. S. Thind-ji’s citizenship rescinded because of his race. Hindus are not white.”

They had been about to go out in the field, to prepare the ground for planting. But now they sat back down at the table. Finally, Jivan spoke. “They think they are telling us who we are,” Jivan said. “Instead, they have told the world who they are.”

At work in the fields, Karak spoke to no one. Later, Ram drove into town and brought back the evening’s newspapers. For a few hours, the papers sat abandoned on the table on the porch. Jivan and Karak returned from the fields. They bathed. They ate. The lamps were lit and Jivan played the phonograph.

“Father of Leela,” Kishen finally said, looking at Jivan, “we must read it.” Jivan did not meet her eye. Kishen nudged her daughter forward.

The girl picked up the paper and held it under the circle of lamplight. Her voice was low. Her accent was American. “Supreme Court rules that high caste Hindus are not free white persons within the meaning of the naturalization law.” Leela cleared her throat. “Therefore, under a recent decision of the court excluding the Japanese, they are not entitled to citizenship. Hindus will now come under the Alien Land Laws and are subject to all the restrictions that apply to an Alien race.” She put down the paper. For a moment she looked merely puzzled, then tears welled in her eyes. “I am sorry, Pita-ji,” she mumbled.

“For what are you sorry, Leelu?” Jivan asked.

“I— I don’t know.”

“It is not your fault.”

The cicadas droned in the night. “We are in the same position as the Japanese now,” Jivan finally said. But Ram could see the guilt conveyed in his eyes. Jivan was not in the same position as Ram and Karak or Tomoya. His acres had been bought before the land law was passed and were held in Leela’s name. Leela had been born in Fredonia; she was a citizen by birth. Leela could not be stripped of citizenship. The law would not affect Jivan at all.