Segregation

Segregation, or the separation of people based on their ethnicity, race, or culture, is at the heart of Nisei Daughter. The internment camps created by the War Department are designed to separate Japanese Americans from their non-Japanese counterparts. The interned Japanese are forced to leave the communities they know well, and are taken to areas far removed from other human activity.

When a group of people is segregated from the larger society, it generally does not receive access to the same quality of amenities or services as the rest of the population. In Nisei Daughter, each family of internees is required to live in a single room within larger barracks, devoid of insulation or plumbing. Although the internees staff their own schools and medical facilities within the camp, they are routinely denied basic supplies like lumber and tools. For instance, when Henry's fiancée wants to purchase a...