Paper Wishes

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.



Manami decides that one way to take care of Miss Rosalie for Ron is to bring her to her family’s house for a visit. She leads Miss Rosalie from the school to the Tanakas’ barracks, and Mother and Grandfather are welcoming and try to comfort Rosalie. Father, however, is angry, as he believes that Ron only stayed at Manzanar for Rosalie. When Rosalie explains that she begged Ron to return to college, Father relents. Father warns Rosalie to be careful, and Mother asks that she pass on any news she hears. 

After walking Miss Rosalie home, Manami sees a new camp dog that she has not seen before. The dog looks like Yujiin, but it quickly vanishes. Outside her family’s barracks, she sees graffiti painted on their wall: “Watch out, traitors” (148). Manami leads her family outside to show them. Father cleans off the letters and says that, from now on, none of them should be outside alone.

The next morning, Father says that the family is going to visit Ron. At the jail, a soldier tells them that they are ready to release Ron.