This blog post is dedicated to the Japanese-Americans (citizens and non-citizens) that were evacuated to internment camps by Executive Order 9066 of 1942. Over 110,000 people of Japanese descent, at least 2/3 of them American citizens, were labeled as "alien enemies" by the American government. Among these Japanese-Americans were those who had been born and raised in America, and/or educated and holding a job in America. Some of them had never even visited Japan in their lifetime, let alone couldn't possibly be spies. Their property (from radios to homes to life savings) was taken by the government, and with what little they could carry they were imprisoned for two and a half years. Then, they were thrown back out into society, forced to start over for crimes they had never committed. The book I am recommending to you today is a memoir of one of these Japanese-Americans.
TODAY'S BOOK: CITIZEN 13660 BY MINE OKUBO
Citizen 13660 is a God-send for those of us who love a quick read-- I remember picking this up for class and expecting a excruciating night of homework, but after flipping through it breathed a sigh of relief because the pages consist of short and sweet paragraphs with quirky illustrations. So basically, a picture book for adults. And wonderfully written, too.
What strikes me, not only in this book but in numerous accounts of experiences in Japanese internment camps, was the ability for the Japanese-Americans to make this into the least negative experience they possibly could. The conditions were clearly terrible-- no air conditioning or heating, no privacy, and no freedom. And the idea that even if there was a way to escape, what would they have left? The government had taken their hard-earned money and homes... and of course, facing the hatred of American society.
But as is recorded in Okubo's book, the Japanese-Americans worked hard to develop a place for themselves within the walls they were trapped in. They created schools and churches, fell in love and got married, had dance parties and parades, and found things they could do with what they had. Reading such things reminds me of the power of staying positive.
Okubo stresses in her preface that people of all ages need to be educated about this unfortunate event in American history, and learn from it. Hopefully, this would help it from ever happening again. I completely agree with her statement that "some form of reparation and an apology are due to all those who were evacuated and interned."
What strikes me, not only in this book but in numerous accounts of experiences in Japanese internment camps, was the ability for the Japanese-Americans to make this into the least negative experience they possibly could. The conditions were clearly terrible-- no air conditioning or heating, no privacy, and no freedom. And the idea that even if there was a way to escape, what would they have left? The government had taken their hard-earned money and homes... and of course, facing the hatred of American society.
But as is recorded in Okubo's book, the Japanese-Americans worked hard to develop a place for themselves within the walls they were trapped in. They created schools and churches, fell in love and got married, had dance parties and parades, and found things they could do with what they had. Reading such things reminds me of the power of staying positive.
Okubo stresses in her preface that people of all ages need to be educated about this unfortunate event in American history, and learn from it. Hopefully, this would help it from ever happening again. I completely agree with her statement that "some form of reparation and an apology are due to all those who were evacuated and interned."
I hope you enjoyed my last post of June!
Until next time,
justajae