Days of Waiting (1991) User Reviews

a brief but valuable reminder

[mjneu59 · 6/10 · 13 November 2010]

The true story of one of the few Caucasians to suffer "protective arrest" in a Japanese internment camp during World War II is recounted in the words, artwork, and photography of the victim herself: Estelle Ishigo, an Oakland born LA resident who married a Japanese American (in Mexico: interracial marriages were outlawed in California) and, rather than face separation during her husband's wartime internment, submitted herself to the same humiliation. In its brief, thirty minute length the film gives only a slim account of her experience, but while it may not shed any new light on the subject it provides at least another small reminder of a less than glorious episode in American history, one which shouldn't be swept under the carpet and forgotten, as its victims were. Long after the war, the US government settled its moral obligation by reimbursing the Ishigos for the loss of all their worldly possessions and property with a check for $102.50.

Public Memory

[yusufsimitci37 · 11 March 2017]

The film "Days of Waiting" by Steven Okazaki follows the life of Estelle Ishigo. Estelle Ishigo grew up with many troubles. With parents that worked so often and had no time to spend with her, Estelle thought she was a mistake. After she turned 18 she left her home and found Arthur, a Japanese American man. She married him and as a result her family disowned her. Estelle felt accepted by the Japanese American community. The day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor she felt like Americans viewed her and the Japanese Americans as enemies. After executive order 9066 Estelle and Arthur were faced with the decision of going to the concentration camps together, or Estelle staying at home. She did not want to be separated from her husband so she went to the camps. The Japanese American community was the only place that she felt accepted so there was really no choice in her mind. She was taken to the Pomona Assembly Center. She lived in horse stalls that were surrounded by towers with soldiers. The community learned that their food supply was being sold. But the community did not just wait around, they put together a camp bulletin, Pomona Center News. There was a wonderful part of the film that highlights life still had to go on in the camps. People gave birth to their children, people fell in love, people went to war, children made friends. All people wanted was to be able to live their own lives with dignity once again. There were thousands of people where all they could do was go to community service, whether Christian or Buddhist. Then there was not much else to do than wait for the next day to relive it all again. Some people did not want to go on living in the camps and took their own lives. Because of this Estelle began to draw what she saw happen in the camps. But the community did their best to keep spirits high. Estelle joined a band and played music. The war ended August 1945, the War Relocation authority announced that Heart Mountain would close as well as all other camps. The Japanese people were told that they could go anywhere that they wanted. But they had nowhere to return to, nowhere would they likely be accepted. The community was given $25 and transportation. Estelle said the day she left "We marched like prisoners onto the waiting buses and trains. I felt like I was part of a defeated Indian tribe." (Steven Okazaki, Days of Waiting). Even after the camps were taken down the community still stayed strong, still playing music and attending community gatherings. Then the attorney general was set to pay back the community for the loss of all of their property during the time spent in the concentration camps. Estelle made a list of all she lost and she estimated that the worth was around $1000. But the government only offered $100. Estelle sent letters to every politician that she could to get them to act against this injustice. However no one acted. Some solace was found as The California Historical Society took Estella's drawings for a show displaying the works of artists in the concentration camps.

Days of Waiting is very much a personal story with a close up view of the life in the Concentration camps. Most of the video is spent talking about Estella's life with Arthur, as well as the personal stories of the other internees. Due to this kind of direction the intended audience is those that want a closer view of the life in the Concentration camps, or those that may not believe that life was so terrible in the camps. Hearing about the stories of people wanting nothing more than to go back to their normal lives outside the camps. Understanding the abuse that the community had to go through from the guards as well as the people outside of the camps is important. With all the personal stories, as well as Estella's drawings, and the stories of the community coming together we see a view of what life was really like in the camps. This is a balanced view for people who never knew anything about the concentration camps to see just how terrible it really was. We also get to see this through the eyes of someone that was raised in a white household. This lets the viewer that may not accept the terrible situation of the camps see just how horrifying it really was. However a personal story does make it so that we can't learn much about the political movements that influenced the dissent in the camps. We don't hear about how the JACL encouraged the Japanese American people to be compliant with the forced relocation of the Nikkei.