Henry And Keiiko Letter Analysis

During the Japanese War, Henry is a Chinese American, that goes to an only white school and was forced to work in the kitchen during lunch and clean after school because that was how his scholarship was being paid for. It’s unfair that Henry has to labor to pay for his scholarship when the white kids don’t. He meets a Japanese girl named Keiko and become friends instantly. Henry’s father is not fond of the Japanese but it does not stop Henry from being her friend. Henry’s father does not like the Japanese because of the war which isn’t right but Henry sees past it. (pg. 15, para, 4-6)(pg.20, para, 1-5.)

Henry and Keiko sneak out together and go to a jazz club. Henry’s friend Sheldon is playing there and so was Oscar Holden a famous jazz player.

Henry agrees to go if his father saves the Panama Hotel where Keiko’s family stored a lot of their belongings when they were sent to the camps. While sending letters back and forth to Keiko, that is how he meets Ethel, who he ends up marrying. She worked at the post office and they became friends. As the war went on, Keiko letters stopped coming. The reason why Keiko letters stopped coming was because Henry’s father interfered with the delivery of the letters because he thought it was for Henry’s own good. It was not Henry’s father’s place to make it so that he would not get the letters.(pg 167, para 1-4)

Henry moves on with life and finishes school and marries Ethel, but never forgets about Keiko. When Ethel gets cancer she fights it for a long time but she ends up passing away, dealing with the death of his Wife, Henry decides to go to Panama Hotel (pg, 260 para 2-4).
He never forgot about Keiko, she was his first love. Even though Henry’s son, Marty and him are not very close he eventually tells him about Keiko. Marty tries to find Keiko, and he does. She was living in New York, Henry couldn’t believe that he was going to see her again. He flew to New York and went to where she was staying. He knocked and as she opened the door Henry’s heart felt warm. The first thing he said to her is a Japanese phrase he had learned as boy that meant