Journey to Topaz

This is probably one of the best-known fiction books that deal with the internment of people of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast at the start of World War II.

In the prologue, the author points out that the times were very different from what they are now. There was no civil rights movement, no marches, no group of people willing to help others who suffered discrimination.

Also, and I'm adding this, people of the time trusted their government much more than they do now. The fact that the government did what it did to the Japanese Americans in full violation of the Constitution and with no regard at all to established criminal procedures didn't seem to bother many people at the time. The Issei, first-generation, non-citizens (they couldn't become citizens because a law wouldn't allow them to) and the second-generation Nisei (who were American citizens) were gathered up without any due process being followed at all. They were not charged with anything; they were not given any trials, not allowed to defend themselves. They were just gathered up and shipped out like so much cattle to internment camps.

Yuki is eleven. She and her family live in Berkley. She has an older brother. The story opens on December 7th with them eating dinner and listening to the radio when the report of Pearl Harbor comes on. The rest of the story deals with her father being taken away by the F.B.I., she, her mother and brother having to store their items and be moved to Tanforan Assembly Center, and their life there. After that, they end up being moved to Topaz Internment Camp.

The fiction book is based upon reveal events, and the author does an excellent job describing the surroundings at the assembly center and at Topaz. She also brings into the story various factual happenings, including the shooting of an elderly man by a sentry.

For those who want to learn about the internment of the persons of Japanese ancestry, this book will serve as an excellent summary introduction.



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