I have lived for a long time, no. 2 / Amache Concentration Camp, near Granada, Colorado – Request for hair dye

About this artwork

There are many requests for hair dye in the T.K. Pharmacy letter archive. Black hair is valued in my culture, and there were many parents of young children – all of whom were incarcerated. The hair dye requests are really asking for a measure of dignity – a longing for life on the outside. In Japanese culture, the koi fish symbolizes the ideas of perseverance and longevity.