In 1942, some 120,000 Japanese Americans, without benefit of due process, were removed from their homes & confined to stark internment centers in desolate areas of the United States. Of the Japanese Americans interned, 30,000 were school age children. For the first time, the writing & artwork of these young people have been compiled into a single volume to bring us their voices & visions. In this return to a historical time of racial stereotyping & hatred; war hysteria & paranoia, one finds the voices surprisingly ...
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In 1942, some 120,000 Japanese Americans, without benefit of due process, were removed from their homes & confined to stark internment centers in desolate areas of the United States. Of the Japanese Americans interned, 30,000 were school age children. For the first time, the writing & artwork of these young people have been compiled into a single volume to bring us their voices & visions. In this return to a historical time of racial stereotyping & hatred; war hysteria & paranoia, one finds the voices surprisingly restrained. There is little anger here--no bitterness or despair. Here are pages that are key to the young--vibrant with optimism & hope. Ray Franchi, a teacher at Poston (one of the ten internment camps) & Paul Takeda, a Red Cross worker compiled the original scrapbook of sketches & writings so that other school-aged children could become familiar with the plight of the Japanese Americans during the war. However, the scrapbook remained submerged until 45 years later. Keiro Services, a non-profit organization providing long-term care to the Japanese American elderly decided to make the collection available to increase awareness & education among the general public. Edited by Vincent Tajiri, the book contains the illustrations & sketches of fifty children along with contributing works by other known authors of the camp experience. Also included is a brief interview with the schoolteacher, Franchi.
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