Traci Obata (Undergraduate Admissions) took first place in the "Community" category of the Inside Poetry contest sponsored by James M. Smith, Fresno State professor emeritus, held in May during the Madden Library Special Collections 9066 Exhibit, Japanese American Voices. Her poem was about the deep sadness felt between a family pet and its owner when the owner is packing a suitcase in preparation to be relocated to a Japanese internment camp in the United States — both knowing that they would never see one another again.

"Sad Eyes"

You sat in my suitcase and somehow you knew,
You would never see me again,
You sat on my bed and somehow you knew,
You would never sleep here again,
You stared at my face and somehow you knew,
You were on your way to an unfamiliar place,
You whined with fear and somehow you knew,
You could see your sad eyes in my tears.

Behind the poem: Born in Fresno to Lester and Mack Obata, Traci feels she owes the successes in her life to her parents and grandparents, who suffered hardship to ensure that she would have a better future.

Both of her parents were born in Japanese relocation camps during World War II. Her dad was born in Poston, Arizona and her mom was born in Colorado. Both of their families were Japanese American and were living in the Central Valley in California during the time of WWII. Shortly after the war broke out, their families were deemed a security threat to America because Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and any persons of Japanese ancestry, American or foreign, who resided in the United States at that time were ordered by the United States Executive Order 9066 to be relocated to interior regions of the United States. Families had to only take what they could carry with them to the relocation camps and they had to leave their family pets behind.

"As a person who has always had a dog or cat as a family pet, I could not imagine how hard it must have been for families to leave their pets behind and the heartbreak that must have been felt at that time," said Obata. "I wrote my poem not only in honor of all of the beloved pets that were left behind, but also in honor of the strength, courage and faith in mankind and America that my parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents displayed during such a difficult time in their lives."

Traci Obata's grandmother and grandfather just prior to being relocated to an internment camp. Her grandmother was pregnant in this photo and her mother was born in an internment camp in Colorado.

Traci's parents

Traci with Victor E. Bulldog III