Martha Walrath Riley

Look to the Mountains Martha Walrath Riley

Look to the Mountains is the story of two immigrant families, one Japanese and the other German, and their different experiences during World War II. Mike Iwata immigrated from Japan to the United States early in the 20th Century. Despite intense anti-Asian prejudice he managed to save money, send for a bride and obtain a farm. Gus Gerhardt immigrated from Germany in order to keep his sons from serving in the Kaiser's army. Although he worked hard, his road to a successful farm and a large family was much easier than Mike's. The story is told through the eyes of two children, Mike's daughter, Sumiko, and Gus' granddaughter, Ruthie. The two girls become inseparable friends, but are torn apart by the incarceration of the Japanese during World War II. Shortly after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the US declared war on both Japan and Germany, President Roosevelt signed executive order #****. The original action would have incarcerated Italians and Germans along with the Japanese, The order was amended to exclude the first two, but incarcerate all Japanese-Americans, even those born in the United States. The book covers the immigrant experiences of both men, as well as the wartime trials of both families.