BREAKING SILENCE – JANICE MIRIKITANI

 

BREAKING SILENCE – JANICE MIRIKITANI

 

            Janice Mirikitani (1942-2021) is a great Japanese American writer and the founding president of the Glide Foundation.  Her dedication to community activism and advocacy has received worldwide recognition.  She is the author of four collections of poetry and has edited numerous literary anthologies.  In 2000, she was appointed Poet Laureate of the city of San Francisco.

            Mirikitani’s poem ‘Breaking Silence’ focuses on the experiences of Japanese-Americans, when they were put into internment camps during II world war.  The commission on wartime relocation and internment of civilians was appointed by the US Congress in 1981 and it concluded that the incarceration of Japanese-Americans had not been justified.  In this poem Mirikitani’s mother testifies about her experiences in front of the commission after her remaining silent for 40 years.  Thus, this poem is an appreciation and admiration of a daughter for her mother who testifies against wartime injustices done to the Japanese-Americans.

            The poet’s mother used to say earlier that silence was better and was golden like their skin.  But her testimony was like a container of boiling water flowing through the coldest bluest vein.  She revealed that the US Army signal corps confiscated their property.  It was stolen and destroyed.  It was subjected to vandalism and ravage.  She was also forced to sign documents giving them the authority to take their everything.  Actually, she was soft as animal fat.  But, when she opened up her words were like slivers of yellow flame. 

            The Japanese American had come to America from their land to seek a better life.  They laboured hard to make the ground fit and fertile.  Their neighbours were of German and Italian descent.  Though they were not even citizens of America, they were spared.  Only Japanese Americans were singled out for incarceration.  There, the colour, shape and race were taken into consideration.  Everything came to an end with the announcement, “take only what you can carry,” “you are incarcerated for your own good”.  Thus they were bolted in barracks and silenced.

            The Poet’s mother and all Japanese-Americans kept silence and put their anger in the coffins.  She proclaimed that she was coming out of the coffin to say that words are better than tears when time comes.  Her youth was buried in Rohwer camp whereas the ghosts of her aunt and niece were visiting Amache Gate and Tule Lake camps respectively.  They had to die in the camp.  Thus they have nothing to say but about the misery and humiliations.  It was actually the power of silence that strengthened the mother and others.  When she broke the silence it also made her declare boldly to the Commissioner, “We recognize ourselves.  We are a rainforest of colour.  We hear everything.  We are unafraid.  Our language is beautiful.”

           

--------Thulasidharan V