Patterns of Communication

Abstract

This Sansei describes what other Japanese American scholars have observed, a marked silence surrounding the topic of the internment within the families of internees (Hosokowa, B., 1969; Kashima, 1980; Miyoshi, 1980). Yet silence represents more than the absence of communication; silence itself may carry significant meaning (Saville-Troike, 1985). In what ways and to what extent have the Sansei experienced the silence of their parents? How was the injustice of the camps conveyed across the generations? To answer these questions, the Sansei Research Project examined the communication patterns of Sansei respondents.

When I first learned of the internment as a youth I found that it was a difficult matter to discuss with my parents. My perception of them was that they did not speak honestly about the camp experience. Positive aspects were mentioned, if anything at all, but there always seemed to be something that was left out. My feeling was that there was much more to their experience than they wanted to reveal. Their words said one thing, while their hearts were holding something else deep inside. And for me, it was as if there was a void in my personal history.