Voices+-+Dear+Ryota

Dec 11, 1900 = =  = Dear Ryota Kato  =  Hi Ryota! How is your life in Japan? I want to see you. I’m spending good life in New York, America. I did not talk to you about why I decided to leave Japan.

At that time, the government had set up the tax too high for us. Father and mother were working, but they could not feed all of us by their salary. So I decided to leave Japan. Luckily, I was living near by the port, Yokohama, where very famous in Japan’s ports. So I could go to port by walk, and I could get ship’s ticket to California easier. I bought the ticket by my money that I keep for the ticket until long time since I decided to immigrate to the America. When I left Yokohama by the ship, my family came to the port for send-off. I felt sad and worry, so actually, I sobbed.

But the voyage was very hard and dangerous. My ticket was steerage. The steerage area is below the deck, and it was the lowest level of the ship. Usually, people brought many things that they could carry. And there were many people in the steerage. I had voyage with 150 people. Even there was not enough food and water with no flesh air in long, long time. And also there was only one bath room for steerage passenger, with sink faucets that frequently did not work. We ate lukewarm soup, boiled potatoes, and stringy beef were often the only items on the menu. Some people got sick in the voyage (I saw someone got seasick, and　spew up by the seasick) because of the condition of the ship, but I did not get sick. It was because the Japan’s government did check health of person who wants to go America for image of the Japan. When I took the trip to America, there were not steamships, so that trip took 1and half month.

When I arrived to the port called Ellis Island in New York, I surprised, because there were many immigrants in the port. And I saw that many other ships at the port. At the Ellis Island, the immigrants had to go to 4 stations for check that the immigrants are good for become alien or not. But there were too many people who came to America before I arrived, so I had to wait for those people at port for 2 days. The first station was checking for their background. I did not understand much, but I got perfect in this station. I studied English in Japan secretly. And 2nd station was vocation. At this station, I had asked about my job, education, and family in Japan. After I passed two stations and I worried about I can go through all of station or not. The questions became harder to harder. And I went to station 3 with those worry. At the station 3, I had asked about my history in Japan, and how much money did I bring.

I said that “I want to go to California and work on farm” to the processor. But I had just 10 yen, so processor said “I’m not sure about you can go to California by 10 yen or not” I was disappointed, but I did not have time for think about that, so I made haste to the way of the last station. The last station was about health. In this station I did not have to talk to doctor at most of time. Doctor was just checking that I am healthy or not. And luckily I got perfect score in station 4. I was not sure about I can through “Golden Door” or not. The golden door is Ellis Island, named by the immigrants, because all immigrants had to stop at Ellis Island, if immigrants through this island, they can become to alien. So immigrants called “door”. I worried about it too much, so I got stress. But the outcome of the check was good, so I could become to America’s alien!

I got passport of America and I went to the town with new aliens. I was very surprised! Because there were too many people in the town, which I had never seen like that much people. And also I was surprised by the buildings. A short while, other immigrants and I were inspecting the town. And I found the railroad station so I went to the railroad station because I wanted to know how much the cost for taking the train to California. But the cost was very expensive that I had never thought. And then I remembered that what processor said at the station. So I went back to the street again. I just walked around. And I found publicity of the job on the street. It had a picture of the people who are working on the weave. I had worked at a loom with my mother before, so I thought that maybe I can work on weave. Even if I earn the money, I can go to California by the train I thought. So I went to the owner’s office to get a job. It was hard to understand about what owner saying to me, but luckily I got job in that factory. Most of workers were immigrants. I am working at that factory now. And I found Japanese who had immigrate to America. This Japanese taught me how to speak English, so that I can speak English much better than before. I am working very hard, but the salary is low, so it is hard to even eat. So my saving money is a little bit now. I want to send money to my family, but I do not know when I can send the money to them. When I will move and begin a farm in California someday, I will send money to them. And then I will call my family to America and live together. Tell my family about I’m fine. They might be worried about me. Good bye!

 From

Taro Yamada