Communities Transformed: Families from Seattle Share Stories of the Internment
Saturday, January 21, 2006 -- 2:00 PM
Japanese American National Museum

Join us for a conversation with authors this Saturday afternoon - each presenting a different perspective on the experience of leaving the Pacific Northwest for Minidoka during World War II.

Varied in style, authors Mary Matsuda Gruenewald, David A. Neiwert, and Toshiko Shoji Ito share poignant stories born from the diverse experiences of Japanese American individuals and communities from Seattle during World War II.

Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps by Mary Matsuda Gruenewald is an autobiographical account of Gruenewald and her family’s incarceration at Minidoka, Idaho. Gruenewald captures the emotional and psychological essence of what it was like to grow up in the midst of profound dislocation and injustice, and of struggle for survival, growing up in the midst of profound dislocation and injustice.

Strawberry Days: How Internment Destroyed a Japanese American Community by David A. Neiwert tells a moving tale of the creation and destruction of Bellevue, Washington, a Japanese immigrant community renowned for its strawberry farms. Combining compelling storytelling, interviews, and newly uncovered documents, Neiwert weaves together the community’s history and the racist schemes that prevented the immigrants from reclaiming their land after the war.

Endure by Toshiko Shoji Ito is a story of courage and triumph based loosely on Ito’s experiences. The novel follows 17-year-old, Tomi, who was forced to leave a carefree life in Seattle for Minidoka. Tomi’s indomitable spirit prevails, despite the burden of shame that her familylike so many othersshouldered because of their unjust incarceration.

Moderated by Lisa Itagaki. Book signing to follow.