Yoshiko Uchida （1921─1992）出生於美國加州，一九四一年十二月七日日軍轟炸珍珠港，日裔美國人被迫撤離家園集中住到營區，她將這段經歷寫在「手鍊」這篇故事中。

美日開戰後，父親因為任職日本商社被關入獄，一九四二年四月二十一日這天，母親、姊姊和我必須離開住家，我擦著眼淚看著空蕩蕩的屋子。突然門鈴響了，我最好的朋友Laurie站在門口手上拿著禮物，沒等我拆開盒子，她就說：「這個手鍊送妳，希望妳趕快回來。」那是條細細的金鍊有心形的垂飾。她幫我戴上，我說我會一直戴著。我望著Laurie離去的背影，她金黃色的長馬尾左右搖擺著，我真的想知道以後教室裡坐我的位子的人會是誰呢？
Laurie was holding a package wrapped like a birthday present. "Hi," she said. "I came to say good-bye." "It's a bracelet," she said before I could open the package. It was a thin gold chain with a heart dangling on it. She helped me put it on, and I told her I'd never take it off, ever. I watched Laurie go down the block, her long blond pigtails bouncing as she walked. I wondered who would be sitting in my desk at Lincoln Junior High now that I was gone.

門鈴再度響起，鄰居Simpson太太開車帶我們去市政所報到。我看到上千名日本男女老少已經聚集，大家都很惶恐，不知道要去哪裡？更教人害怕的則是門口的士兵，他們的槍上架著刺刀，是要射殺我們嗎？坐上了巴士，我們被帶往軍方改為營區的賽馬場。巴士經過母親常去買豆腐和醃製蘿蔔的日本小店，窗戶已經用木條封住，門口的招牌上仍寫著「我們是忠誠的美國人。」
A long line of buses waited to take us to camp. The bus went down Grove Street and passed the small Japanese food store where Mama used to order her bean-curd cakes and pickled radish. The windows were all boarded up, but there was a sign still hanging on the door that read, "We are loyal Americans."

賽馬場營區四周圍繞著鐵絲網像個大監獄，斜坡一排狹窄、黑暗、空洞的馬廄就是分配給我們的「公寓」。門上只有兩扇小窗，佈滿灰塵的地上放著三張摺疊行軍床，一盞小燈垂在天花板上，公寓裡還散發著馬的味道。
The stall was narrow and empty and dark. There were two small windows on each side of the door. Three folded army cots were on the dust-covered floor and one light bulb dangled from the ceiling. That was all. This was our apartment, and it still smelled of horses.

母親借來掃帚，姊姊和我幫忙架起行軍床。整理好時，我突然發現手鍊不見了，我急得要哭，我告訴Laurie我連洗澡時都不會拿下手鍊，怎麼第一天就弄丟了！母親說只要我牢記心中，無論在何處，沒有了手鍊我依舊會想念Laurie。沒錯，直到今日我仍記得她。
I thought of what I'd promised Laurie. I wasn't ever going to take the bracelet off, not even when I went to take a shower. And now I had lost it on my very first day in camp. I wanted to cry. But Mama told me never mind. "Those are things we can carry in our hearts and take with us no matter where we are sent," she said. And I guess she was right. I've never forgotten Laurie, even now.