Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Warfare Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"They just listening to music. Why you taking them away?" The old man in his white, sweat-stained shirt hoisted his suspenders, casting a long shadow across the dance floor from the halcyon lights behind him, like God yelling down from the mountain. In his shadow lay the Japanese patrons, both men and women—facedown on the dance floor, guns pointed to their heads. (12.73)

But the war even finds them when they're listening to music at the Black Elks Club. The FBI swarm the place and forces all the Japanese people lying facedown on the floor—even though they're just teachers and businessmen and other ordinary, law-abiding citizens.

Quote #5

Henry sat and listened to his father read from the daily newspaper, citing each new arrest of Japanese locals. All of them now bound for federal prison. Henry didn't understand. They were taking schoolteachers and businessmen. Doctors and fishmongers. The arrests seemed random, and the charges were vague. (15.2)

To Henry, the arrest of Japanese American citizens doesn't make any sense. It seems like the FBI doesn't have any real reason for taking these people away other than the fact of their ancestry.

Quote #6

"Henry, the entire West Coast has been designated as a military area." Henry listened, not understanding what this meant. "Half of Washington, half of Oregon, and most of California are now under military supervision." (15.14)

You'd think that finding out their hometown was designated a military area would scare Henry's father, but in fact, he's delighted. He knows what this really means: It's only a matter of time before the government forces all Japanese American citizens to evacuate.