End of Innocence by Yoshiko Uchida, Class of 1942 THE WORLD was such a different place in the '40s, going to college then was a carefree experience, possibly comprising some of our happiest days. The Japanese Men's and Women's Student Clubs were the center of all our social activities and gave the Nisei a sense of community we couldn't find elsewhere. We enjoyed frequent dances and other social functions, and like the rest of the student body, most of us had little awareness of the world beyond the campus. But Pearl Harbor put an abrupt end to our "days of innocence" and instead of attending the Cal Commencement, I received my diploma from the mailman in my horse stall at Tanforan — a prisoner of my own country. Editors note: Yoshiko Uchida wrote about the WWII concentration camp experience for youngsters in her books Jouney to Topaz and Journey Home. Her adult book on the subject is Desert Exile. She also wrote about the Issei pioneer spirit in Samurai Gold Hill and Picture Bride. Her last book before she passed away in 1992 is a personal memoir entitled The Invisible Thread. Photo courtesy of Keiko Kakutani.