Read the excerpt from a letter about the Minidoka Relocation Center. It was written by Japanese American Kenji Okuda, who was re
located during World War II. Which two statements represent the central idea of the passage? The camp is still very far from completed. They had to interrupt movement for a week because of lack of housing facilities—in fact the last group of 500 which left had to sleep in mess halls, laundry rooms, and any available bed space. The W.R.A. officials were trying hard enough to have the Army stop the wholesale movement—but the Army waited until they were absolutely certain that the camp over there could hold no more. There are about 4,500 there now—and no running hot water as of the latest reports. The sewage and lavatory facilities are still uncompleted—residents are using outhouses until all construction is completed. The dust out there in the midst of the Minidoka desert, the sagebrush and bugs, must be terrific. Most of the people there suffer from sore throats, and dust storms are terrific—can’t see more than a couple of feet ahead. Many of the residents get nosebleeds—the fine sand seems to wreak havoc with almost everything. It is entirely possible that if we are there long enough and get water on the soil, we will be able to make a veritable “Garden of Eden.” The first two years will be hard—how many will be able to live through it and come through triumphant? Housing facilities at Minidoka were inadequate because the camp was overcrowded. The US Army and the War Relocation Authority disagreed over the number of evacuees to be moved into the camp. People in the Minidoka Relocation Center did not even have a place to sleep. Living conditions in the Minidoka relocation camp were poor and unhealthy. It was possible to convert the arid Minidoka desert into a fertile farmland.
