clothes, and they always made her feel so naked.
“What do you want?” Anne Spencer snapped at her, still furious that they had refused to move her.
“Nothing, Anne-san,” she apologized, bowing before she thought of stopping herself. “I am very sorry if I disturbed you.”
“I just can't believe that they d put us in the same room.” Anne stood glaring at her, unaware of how rude she was, or that she had no right to speak that way to Hiroko. She could be very charming when she wanted to be, but she didn't think Hiroko was worth it. “What are you doing in this school?” she asked, sitting down on her bed in total frustration.
“I came here from Japan because my father wished it,” Hiroko said simply, still unclear as to why Anne was so angry that they were roommates.
“So did I, but I don't think he had any idea who I'd be going to school with,” she said meanly. She was a pretty girl, but she was spoiled, and she had all the prejudices of her class, against all Orientals. In her mind, “Japs” were all servants, and far beneath her.
To Hiroko, this was something new, and she didn't completely understand it. But that day she had felt the same cool reception from other girls at school, and no one seemed anxious to include her. Even Sharon, who had been effusive to her at first, didn't go to meals with her, or offer to sit next to her, although they were in many of the same classes. Unlike Anne, she was friendly to her in their room, but beyond that, she always acted as though she didn't know her. Anne was truer to her feelings and never spoke to her at all, and in some ways her persistently chilly ways wounded Hiroko less than Sharon's hypocrisy, and sudden unpleasantness, when they were around others.
“I don't understand,” she said sadly to her Aunt Reiko the next time she went to Palo Alto for the weekend. It was very puzzling. Everyone seemed to keep their distance from her, and Anne and her friends were outright rude to her, and looked right through her. “Why are they angry at me, Reiko-san? What have I done to them?” Tears filled her eyes as she asked, because she had no idea how to fix it. And Reiko sighed in dismay. She knew Hiroko would have had the same problem anywhere, but at least Stanford was bigger and less exclusive. St. Andrew's was a very small world to exist in, although it was a wonderful school, and Reiko knew that she'd get an excellent education. But she was wondering if Tak should write to Masao and suggest that Hiroko transfer to Stanford, or even to the University of California at Berkeley.
“It's about prejudice,” Reiko said sadly. “It has nothing to do with your school. This is California. Things are different here. There are negative feelings about the Japanese. It's not easy to overcome. You can keep to your own kind,” she said, hating what she was saying, and the fact that she even had to explain it. But the poor girl looked distraught, and she was completely undone by the rejection of her fellow students and roommates. “It'll stop eventually. If you're lucky, they'll get to know who you are, and forget their prejudice. They can't all be like that there.” She looked at Hiroko, and reached out to hug her. She looked like a child with a broken heart, and as Reiko looked at her, she reminded her of Tami.
‘Why do they hate me so much, Reiko-san? Only because I am Japanese?” It was incredible, but Reiko nodded.
“Snobbism, racism, prejudice. It sounds as though the Spencer girl thinks she's too important to room with you, and the other one probably thinks the same thing and won't admit it. Are there any other foreign students there?” It would have been nice if there was another girl from Japan, but that was too much to hope for.
“One from England and one from France, but I don't know them. They're both juniors.” It was going to be a long year, living with Anne Spencer and being shunned by the others.
“Have you said anything to anyone? Maybe
“What do you want?” Anne Spencer snapped at her, still furious that they had refused to move her.
“Nothing, Anne-san,” she apologized, bowing before she thought of stopping herself. “I am very sorry if I disturbed you.”
“I just can't believe that they d put us in the same room.” Anne stood glaring at her, unaware of how rude she was, or that she had no right to speak that way to Hiroko. She could be very charming when she wanted to be, but she didn't think Hiroko was worth it. “What are you doing in this school?” she asked, sitting down on her bed in total frustration.
“I came here from Japan because my father wished it,” Hiroko said simply, still unclear as to why Anne was so angry that they were roommates.
“So did I, but I don't think he had any idea who I'd be going to school with,” she said meanly. She was a pretty girl, but she was spoiled, and she had all the prejudices of her class, against all Orientals. In her mind, “Japs” were all servants, and far beneath her.
To Hiroko, this was something new, and she didn't completely understand it. But that day she had felt the same cool reception from other girls at school, and no one seemed anxious to include her. Even Sharon, who had been effusive to her at first, didn't go to meals with her, or offer to sit next to her, although they were in many of the same classes. Unlike Anne, she was friendly to her in their room, but beyond that, she always acted as though she didn't know her. Anne was truer to her feelings and never spoke to her at all, and in some ways her persistently chilly ways wounded Hiroko less than Sharon's hypocrisy, and sudden unpleasantness, when they were around others.
“I don't understand,” she said sadly to her Aunt Reiko the next time she went to Palo Alto for the weekend. It was very puzzling. Everyone seemed to keep their distance from her, and Anne and her friends were outright rude to her, and looked right through her. “Why are they angry at me, Reiko-san? What have I done to them?” Tears filled her eyes as she asked, because she had no idea how to fix it. And Reiko sighed in dismay. She knew Hiroko would have had the same problem anywhere, but at least Stanford was bigger and less exclusive. St. Andrew's was a very small world to exist in, although it was a wonderful school, and Reiko knew that she'd get an excellent education. But she was wondering if Tak should write to Masao and suggest that Hiroko transfer to Stanford, or even to the University of California at Berkeley.
“It's about prejudice,” Reiko said sadly. “It has nothing to do with your school. This is California. Things are different here. There are negative feelings about the Japanese. It's not easy to overcome. You can keep to your own kind,” she said, hating what she was saying, and the fact that she even had to explain it. But the poor girl looked distraught, and she was completely undone by the rejection of her fellow students and roommates. “It'll stop eventually. If you're lucky, they'll get to know who you are, and forget their prejudice. They can't all be like that there.” She looked at Hiroko, and reached out to hug her. She looked like a child with a broken heart, and as Reiko looked at her, she reminded her of Tami.
‘Why do they hate me so much, Reiko-san? Only because I am Japanese?” It was incredible, but Reiko nodded.
“Snobbism, racism, prejudice. It sounds as though the Spencer girl thinks she's too important to room with you, and the other one probably thinks the same thing and won't admit it. Are there any other foreign students there?” It would have been nice if there was another girl from Japan, but that was too much to hope for.
“One from England and one from France, but I don't know them. They're both juniors.” It was going to be a long year, living with Anne Spencer and being shunned by the others.
“Have you said anything to anyone? Maybe
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