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When Can We Go Back to America? Voices of Japanese American Incarceration during WWII
In this dramatic and page-turning narrative history of Japanese Americans before, during, and after their World War II incarceration, Susan H. Kamei weaves the voices of over 130 individuals who lived through this tragic episode, most of them as young adults.
It’s difficult to believe it happened here, in the Land of the Free: After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States government forcibly removed more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from the Pacific Coast and imprisoned them in desolate detention camps until the end of World War II just because of their race.
In what Secretary Norman Y. Mineta describes as a “landmark book,” he and others who lived through this harrowing experience tell the story of their incarceration and the long-term impact of this dark period in American history. For the first time, why and how these tragic events took place are interwoven with more than 130 individual voices of those who were unconstitutionally incarcerated, many of them children and young adults.
Now more than ever, their words will resonate with readers who are confronting questions about racial identity, immigration, and citizenship, and what it means to be an American.
It’s difficult to believe it happened here, in the Land of the Free: After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States government forcibly removed more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from the Pacific Coast and imprisoned them in desolate detention camps until the end of World War II just because of their race.
In what Secretary Norman Y. Mineta describes as a “landmark book,” he and others who lived through this harrowing experience tell the story of their incarceration and the long-term impact of this dark period in American history. For the first time, why and how these tragic events took place are interwoven with more than 130 individual voices of those who were unconstitutionally incarcerated, many of them children and young adults.
Now more than ever, their words will resonate with readers who are confronting questions about racial identity, immigration, and citizenship, and what it means to be an American.
736 pages, Hardcover
Published September 7, 2021
43 people are currently reading
1316 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 27, 2022
This is an excellent overview of the Japanese American Incarceration as well as the movement for redress that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s. As with any overview, not every topic is covered extensively, but the book is not merely a surface level summary either. Kamei's work stands out for its analysis of the government decision making process that enabled internment, its inclusion of many Japanese American voices within the text, and its thorough breakdown of the slow political and legal process which led to the eventual passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
Including the words of many different Japanese Americans who experienced the incarceration is one of the best elements of the book. In particular, I appreciate the way that this format allows the author to demonstrate the disagreements within the Japanese American community about how to react to their imprisonment. Too often I think minority groups are seen to have one collective opinion on their shared experiences, and of course this is never the case. The book does well to show that the Japanese American community always had divisions, often very bitter ones, and that even those who agree about the existence of an injustice can have legitimate differences about the best ways to respond to it.
I also appreciate Kamei's focus on the details of the redress movement. Although its consequences may not be as far reaching as other Civil Rights bills, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was an impressive piece of legislation which is all the more remarkable because of the bipartisan support it ultimately received at the height of the Reagan era. Looking back, it can be easy to gloss over all the grinding political work that makes such legislation possible, and Kamei carefully excavates that history with all the compromises, deal-making, and personal appeals still intact.
Including the words of many different Japanese Americans who experienced the incarceration is one of the best elements of the book. In particular, I appreciate the way that this format allows the author to demonstrate the disagreements within the Japanese American community about how to react to their imprisonment. Too often I think minority groups are seen to have one collective opinion on their shared experiences, and of course this is never the case. The book does well to show that the Japanese American community always had divisions, often very bitter ones, and that even those who agree about the existence of an injustice can have legitimate differences about the best ways to respond to it.
I also appreciate Kamei's focus on the details of the redress movement. Although its consequences may not be as far reaching as other Civil Rights bills, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was an impressive piece of legislation which is all the more remarkable because of the bipartisan support it ultimately received at the height of the Reagan era. Looking back, it can be easy to gloss over all the grinding political work that makes such legislation possible, and Kamei carefully excavates that history with all the compromises, deal-making, and personal appeals still intact.
November 6, 2022
A powerful, powerful book. Each first-person account is painful to read--as it should be. Together, the weight of these accounts is an irrefutable condemnation of the incarceration.
Including a biography of each contributor was a good choice by Ms. Kamei. Since the accounts are told after the end of the incarceration era, it was instructive to know how the victim's lives developed after the war. Plus, I found it reassuring to know that many of these good people weren't completely stunted by their incarceration experience, though it clearly had a negative impact on all of them.
I am a better person for having read this book.
Including a biography of each contributor was a good choice by Ms. Kamei. Since the accounts are told after the end of the incarceration era, it was instructive to know how the victim's lives developed after the war. Plus, I found it reassuring to know that many of these good people weren't completely stunted by their incarceration experience, though it clearly had a negative impact on all of them.
I am a better person for having read this book.
August 26, 2022
When Can We Go Back to America by Susan H. Kamai
Title: When Can We Go Back to America
Author: Susan H. Kamai
Narrated by: Allison Hiroto, Kurt Kanazawa, Andrew Kishino, and Mizuo Peck
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 21 hours and 42 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster. Thank-you!
What historical period of time would you like to learn more about?
I knew a bit about the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent, but When Can We Go Back to America is a full deep dive into this period of history. I learned a lot. This was a great audiobook experience as the stories were told in first person accounts from the people who lived it. As my college history professor has always said, it is best to learn history from first person accounts.
One item I learned that surprised me is that American citizens of Japanese descent and Japanese American citizens that were prominent were arrested on December 7th and taken away. I didn’t know that it had happened so fast. The FBI had been compiling lists well before December 7th and were ready. It was heard to listen to the stories of the American citizens taken away from their homes, giving up everything to life in what was termed as that time as concentration camps. An image that really stuck with me is that the children that were Boy Scouts wore their uniforms and helped everyone out.
The audiobook also focused on the 442nd Infantry unit that was put together of the American citizens of Japanese descent. This until became one of the most decorated units in World War II and fought on the European front. The stories of bravery were inspiring.
The story told through the end of the war and when the American citizens of Japanese descent returned home. They no longer had homes, farms, or anything and had to start over. It was hard, and especially hard for the decorated soldiers who returned home to find they and their families had nothing. It took forty years, but in the 1980s, the people who were interned received compensation from the government.
At this point, I thought the audiobook was finished, but there was still seven hours left. It was seven hours of biographies of all of the people whose stories were used in this book. They were riveting, sad, inspiriting, and truly the story of America. I also enjoyed that George Takei of Star Trek fame was included. I read and loved his graphic novel about his internment experience, They Called Us Enemies, with my son Daniel.
I first really learned of the Japanese internment when I read Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson in the 1990s. This book was mentioned as was the real-life person who the story was based on.
When Can We Go Back to America got its name from a child who asked this question as they couldn’t believe they were still in America as they lived in a concentration camp. This story is important for all Americans to read or to listen to. We need to make sure we remember the rights of American citizens and ensure that this never happens again.
This book was intriguing and told a very important story in American history. I highly recommend it.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2022...
Title: When Can We Go Back to America
Author: Susan H. Kamai
Narrated by: Allison Hiroto, Kurt Kanazawa, Andrew Kishino, and Mizuo Peck
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 21 hours and 42 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster. Thank-you!
What historical period of time would you like to learn more about?
I knew a bit about the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent, but When Can We Go Back to America is a full deep dive into this period of history. I learned a lot. This was a great audiobook experience as the stories were told in first person accounts from the people who lived it. As my college history professor has always said, it is best to learn history from first person accounts.
One item I learned that surprised me is that American citizens of Japanese descent and Japanese American citizens that were prominent were arrested on December 7th and taken away. I didn’t know that it had happened so fast. The FBI had been compiling lists well before December 7th and were ready. It was heard to listen to the stories of the American citizens taken away from their homes, giving up everything to life in what was termed as that time as concentration camps. An image that really stuck with me is that the children that were Boy Scouts wore their uniforms and helped everyone out.
The audiobook also focused on the 442nd Infantry unit that was put together of the American citizens of Japanese descent. This until became one of the most decorated units in World War II and fought on the European front. The stories of bravery were inspiring.
The story told through the end of the war and when the American citizens of Japanese descent returned home. They no longer had homes, farms, or anything and had to start over. It was hard, and especially hard for the decorated soldiers who returned home to find they and their families had nothing. It took forty years, but in the 1980s, the people who were interned received compensation from the government.
At this point, I thought the audiobook was finished, but there was still seven hours left. It was seven hours of biographies of all of the people whose stories were used in this book. They were riveting, sad, inspiriting, and truly the story of America. I also enjoyed that George Takei of Star Trek fame was included. I read and loved his graphic novel about his internment experience, They Called Us Enemies, with my son Daniel.
I first really learned of the Japanese internment when I read Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson in the 1990s. This book was mentioned as was the real-life person who the story was based on.
When Can We Go Back to America got its name from a child who asked this question as they couldn’t believe they were still in America as they lived in a concentration camp. This story is important for all Americans to read or to listen to. We need to make sure we remember the rights of American citizens and ensure that this never happens again.
This book was intriguing and told a very important story in American history. I highly recommend it.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2022...
October 11, 2021
This is a wonderful weave of historical events and very personal experiences, which touches the heart, makes an impression, and leaves more than a little food for thought.
These pages take a look at the WWII incarceration of Japanese-Americas and cover the time before, during and after the experience. The author starts with a few notes, explaining the research and methods used as well as laying out the foundation for the basis of the read. Then, the foreword gives the personal insight from Secretary Norma Y. Mineta, before leading into the author's own background and thoughts. From there, the book takes a chronological look at the events, always sliding and staying close to those effecting the theme. The individual recounts and thoughts are then sprinkled between the facts to create a well-knit look into the entire event.
I was looking forward to reading this one, since it's always interesting to learn history from those who lived it. My only fear was that it'd be too dry, even though it is intended for the young adult audience. This fear was completely unnecessary. The author does do a masterful job at laying out the facts...and this in an easy-to-read manner...and allowing the accounts and thoughts to slide right in between. These accounts are never too long, but offer just the right glimpse into the situation. They flow right along, letting the history come to life and not stay an arm length's away.
This is a read which will pull in more than just history-buffs. It draws the reader to thought and makes it clear that history is the experience of real people, and not just notes on a page.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this book.
These pages take a look at the WWII incarceration of Japanese-Americas and cover the time before, during and after the experience. The author starts with a few notes, explaining the research and methods used as well as laying out the foundation for the basis of the read. Then, the foreword gives the personal insight from Secretary Norma Y. Mineta, before leading into the author's own background and thoughts. From there, the book takes a chronological look at the events, always sliding and staying close to those effecting the theme. The individual recounts and thoughts are then sprinkled between the facts to create a well-knit look into the entire event.
I was looking forward to reading this one, since it's always interesting to learn history from those who lived it. My only fear was that it'd be too dry, even though it is intended for the young adult audience. This fear was completely unnecessary. The author does do a masterful job at laying out the facts...and this in an easy-to-read manner...and allowing the accounts and thoughts to slide right in between. These accounts are never too long, but offer just the right glimpse into the situation. They flow right along, letting the history come to life and not stay an arm length's away.
This is a read which will pull in more than just history-buffs. It draws the reader to thought and makes it clear that history is the experience of real people, and not just notes on a page.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this book.
December 26, 2024
Fantastically done! I learned so much and thought that the inserts of actual people's experiences was an excellent idea. The only thing that I would change is having the biographies available through a website or QR code rather than including them in the book proper; the size of the book is so daunting but most of it is information about people included in the book; not the book itself. It will make it harder to get teens to read it (the market audience). Still, excellently done and such an important part of history to tell, especially now
July 24, 2025
Rounded up to 3. This is a good book for a research project or as a reference book, but I wouldn't recommend reading as a selection to learn some or more about the subject. All Americans should learn about the way we treated Americans with Japanese heritage in the 40's. This book has some great stories from people but isn't arranged or written in a way that flows. Several redundant mentions because of the way it's arranged.
May 4, 2025
This is an absolute must read for all Americans. My American History classes never covered the Internment of Japanese Americans and it’s frightening to realize that I didn’t know any of this. This book is so well-written and thoroughly researched, the stories of the people and families are absolutely heartbreaking which makes it all the more important to read about especially during this time.
July 17, 2025
Round up in honor of the travesty!
January 2, 2026
A través de testimonios directos, construye un relato íntimo y contundente sobre el encarcelamiento de personas japonesas-estadounidenses (de diversas generaciones) durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, revelando con claridad el racismo estructural que atraviesa la historia de Estados Unidos. Es bastante impresionante, personalmente no sabía sobre esta parte de la SGM y fue tremendo leer cómo el miedo y la discriminación pueden convertirse en política de Estado.
November 5, 2021
This book was different from what I expected. Considering that it is called "Voices of Japanese American Incarceration..." I expected extended narratives. Instead, it was a traditional historical monograph that included lists of short quotations from people who experienced incarceration during WWII. None of this is bad, it just forced me to shift my expectations.
I actually very much appreciated the in-depth consideration of exactly how the decisions were made to round up people for concentration camps, life in the camps, responses to camps, legal challenges, participation in combat, and the aftermath. I had only a very general sense of how it happened or how it's been dealt with historically, so it clarified a lot of the history. I also got used to the brief snippets of the voices that I expected, although I still would have liked a bit more of the human element (not necessarily overall, but just because of the title and expectations).
I actually very much appreciated the in-depth consideration of exactly how the decisions were made to round up people for concentration camps, life in the camps, responses to camps, legal challenges, participation in combat, and the aftermath. I had only a very general sense of how it happened or how it's been dealt with historically, so it clarified a lot of the history. I also got used to the brief snippets of the voices that I expected, although I still would have liked a bit more of the human element (not necessarily overall, but just because of the title and expectations).
January 30, 2022
This book had a lot of potential and certainly had parts that were very well written. It’s such an important part of history waiting to be told but unfortunately, it was confusing to keep track of all the events. The audiobook might not have been the best way to get through this book tho. Also, half of the book is bio and references which I skipped since they weren’t well connected to the rest of the book. It would’ve been wonderful to intertwine these bios within the events. Adding them to the end of the book seems like an afterthought rather than honoring the contributors to the book. Finally, there were political biases in this book which I saw as a distraction to the importance of remembering these events. I’m sure this will turn some people away from wanting to read or finish the book, which is a sad outcome as this part of American history needs to be remembered.
May 3, 2023
The book "When can we go back to America?" sets the setting as the beginning of WW2 with the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor, with Americans who look and who were Japanese being discriminated against, and sent to incarnation camps. Within the setting, it switches from the people in different camps around America. The cultural significance is that Japanese families were spread out to places like Idaho that they wouldn't normally go to. Families were moved from the coasts to more into the mainland. They became more spread out and didn't move back. In the book, it says "As poet and philosopher George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."(Susan H. Kamei xxiv) This shows part of the theme in the beginning. It shows that we should know about what happened in America History, though it is not the pretty part of it. We need to know about it so it doesn't happen again. From inside one of the Assembly Centers, it says "THINKING OF MY FAMILY FROM THIS PLACE OF EXILE" Leavin a city of everlasting spring, I am buired in the snow of Montant. In the northern country, you in san diego, I in Montana. The path of my dream, is frozen."(Susan H. Kamei 10) This shows part of the theme in the beginning too. It shows what the Japanese Americans that were sent to the Assembly Centers or the Incarceration Camps, had to go through. They had to go from beginning safe in their warm homes, to crowded, damp, and sad Camps. At some point in time, there was a moment when the government would use the Japanese Americans. This is where the theme would open next. "If there had ever been a chance the government would believe that Japanese Americans were loyal, the moment had passed. Instead, the political cards were stacking against them." (Susan H. Kamei 25) This is when the government would use America's own people. This statement opens to other points in America's history. At some points of time during the point were the Japanese Americans were in the camps they got a little freedom. "When their labor contracts ended, some Issei migrated to the mainland to work as crop pickers, domestics, lumber mill workers, and cannery workers. They saved their money and became entrepreneurs. In Dan Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Denver, they open boardinghouses, hotels, shops, restaurants, nurseries, and other small enterprises." (Susan H. Kamei 32) This part of the theme shows that more than the idea of freedom can come true for the people inside the camps. That they can have a chance if small to come out of their situation and become well off afterward. Inside of this book, there seems to be a different theme for each chapter in the book. In "Whe can we go back to America?" There aren't really any characters that you can analyze but you can analyze the different Assembly Centers or Incarceration Camps. The camps I'm gonna go over are the Santa Anita Assembly Center, Puyallup Assembly Center, and Fresno Assembly Center. Starting off with Santa Anita Assembly Center was made at the Santa Anita Racetrack. It was also the Center that was the longest camp that had people living in it, from March 27, 1942, to October 27, 1942. It was also the largest camp, with a total of 19,348. People stayed in the horse stables and parking lot, as their homes. The next one was the Puyallup Assembly Center. It was outside of Seattle in the area of farms and daffodils. The homes where people had to stay were in the Western Washington State Fair On the side of the Western Washington State Fair they had to stay inside the stables, racetrack, and outbuildings like a rollercoaster. The last one is the Fresno Assembly Center. It was located on the site of the Fresno County Fairgrounds just east of downtown Fresno. It was opened from May 6 to October 30, 1942. It held a total of 5,344 evacuees (with a maximum of 5,120 at a time). With my rating coming to an end I give it 4 out 5 stars. I really enjoy how it gave you the facts, but also an opening of an inside of the lives of the Japanese Americans before the camps, during the camps, and after the camps.
October 29, 2024
A really thorough historical look at the incarceration of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II, with emphasis on the legal (or rather, illegal), aspects of the entire ordeal. The narration portion is chronological, starting with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the immediate arrest of 1st generation Japanese (who were not allowed to become US citizens) by the FBI, to the incarceration of all people of Japanese ancestry living on or near the West Coast of the U.S. via Presidential Proclamation 9066, through camp life, heroic military action of Japanese American soldiers in the war, the closing of the camps and resettling of lives that had been interrupted and stolen (along with stolen or sold-for-peanuts property), finishing with the redress movement in the latter years of the 20th century. I loved the quotes from real people who were there, told through all the stages of the disaster. By the end we got to recognizing many of their names and felt righteous indignation on their behalf.
The 2nd half of the book is all supplementary material, including biographies of many of the incarcerated. It was fascinating to learn of all the amazing work they went on to do in their lives following internment.
I've also heard the author speak about the book, more than once, and I have a signed copy! I read this with my two young teenagers for our World War Two studies. We took turns both reading the physical book and listening to the audio recording. What is fun about the audio recording is that, in addition to the main reader, there are 4 other voice actors reading the quotes and biographies of the different people in the book, which makes it feel very personal.
While reading this book we visited the Topaz Camp site and the nearby Topaz Museum in Delta, Utah. It was fascinating to see with our eyes some of the places and artifacts spoken of in the books. Whenever Topaz was mentioned, we would give a shout out that we had been there, which eventually turned into cheering for Topaz. This was not without recognizing the ridiculousness and irony of cheering for the concentration camp. We hate that the camp and the entire situation existed! But we love that there is such a great museum to learn about the camp. It was meaningful to visit the sites while reading the book.
I told my kids that, because of time, they would only need to read up to the appendices, but they did hear more as I continued to listen on my own. My husband also heard a few hours of the audiobook on a family road trip :) The book is written at a high school level, but adults and preteens will find it equally insightful. I highly recommend this book. I've learned so much, but now I want to continue my study by reading books, short stories, and poetry by the incarcerees themselves.
Thank you, Susie, for this significant work.
The 2nd half of the book is all supplementary material, including biographies of many of the incarcerated. It was fascinating to learn of all the amazing work they went on to do in their lives following internment.
I've also heard the author speak about the book, more than once, and I have a signed copy! I read this with my two young teenagers for our World War Two studies. We took turns both reading the physical book and listening to the audio recording. What is fun about the audio recording is that, in addition to the main reader, there are 4 other voice actors reading the quotes and biographies of the different people in the book, which makes it feel very personal.
While reading this book we visited the Topaz Camp site and the nearby Topaz Museum in Delta, Utah. It was fascinating to see with our eyes some of the places and artifacts spoken of in the books. Whenever Topaz was mentioned, we would give a shout out that we had been there, which eventually turned into cheering for Topaz. This was not without recognizing the ridiculousness and irony of cheering for the concentration camp. We hate that the camp and the entire situation existed! But we love that there is such a great museum to learn about the camp. It was meaningful to visit the sites while reading the book.
I told my kids that, because of time, they would only need to read up to the appendices, but they did hear more as I continued to listen on my own. My husband also heard a few hours of the audiobook on a family road trip :) The book is written at a high school level, but adults and preteens will find it equally insightful. I highly recommend this book. I've learned so much, but now I want to continue my study by reading books, short stories, and poetry by the incarcerees themselves.
Thank you, Susie, for this significant work.
September 20, 2021
"But they were considered inferior to White people, incapable of assimilating into society as a whole, and unfit for citizenship."
"The term 'evacuation' usually refers to the process of removing individuals for their own protection from an area in which they face imminent danger, such as a bomb threat or an approaching wildfire or hurricane. Given that Japanese Americans were perceived as the threat to be removed, the reference to the government's plan as an evacuation, whether voluntary or mandatory, was bogus; it was actually the forced removal and imprisonment of persons, including American citizens."
"Ancestry is not a crime."
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, in which people of Japanese ancestry, including people born in the United States, to be removed and placed in internment camps. Some have called this concentration camps, which is also true because these people were basically forced to leave their entire lives because of their heritage in a prison. Many of these people had lived in the US most of their lives and had nothing to do with the Japanese government anymore. They called this an "evacuation," but in truth, which is kind of a joke. These people weren't going to attack the United States, they couldn't even become citizens under racist laws that stated that the Japanese (or anyone else of Asian heritage) could not possibly assimilate into American culture. The author describes this as a catch-22, they were forced to live in neighborhoods with other Japanese--hence the myth that they couldn't assimilate--and couldn't be citizens, which further made them seen like the "other" and the "enemy."
This is an important book because it has some oral history of people who were in the camps, referred to as the incarcerated. Some of these people were small children at the time, who have done nothing to anymore, like the actor George Takei and author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. The stories from inside the camps are somewhat horrifying, from not having running water a lot of the time, to schools not having teachers or supplies. I think this book is important for everyone to read, from children to adults.
"The term 'evacuation' usually refers to the process of removing individuals for their own protection from an area in which they face imminent danger, such as a bomb threat or an approaching wildfire or hurricane. Given that Japanese Americans were perceived as the threat to be removed, the reference to the government's plan as an evacuation, whether voluntary or mandatory, was bogus; it was actually the forced removal and imprisonment of persons, including American citizens."
"Ancestry is not a crime."
After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, in which people of Japanese ancestry, including people born in the United States, to be removed and placed in internment camps. Some have called this concentration camps, which is also true because these people were basically forced to leave their entire lives because of their heritage in a prison. Many of these people had lived in the US most of their lives and had nothing to do with the Japanese government anymore. They called this an "evacuation," but in truth, which is kind of a joke. These people weren't going to attack the United States, they couldn't even become citizens under racist laws that stated that the Japanese (or anyone else of Asian heritage) could not possibly assimilate into American culture. The author describes this as a catch-22, they were forced to live in neighborhoods with other Japanese--hence the myth that they couldn't assimilate--and couldn't be citizens, which further made them seen like the "other" and the "enemy."
This is an important book because it has some oral history of people who were in the camps, referred to as the incarcerated. Some of these people were small children at the time, who have done nothing to anymore, like the actor George Takei and author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. The stories from inside the camps are somewhat horrifying, from not having running water a lot of the time, to schools not having teachers or supplies. I think this book is important for everyone to read, from children to adults.
January 20, 2023
This was a really amazing book. The author put a lot of effort into her research and writing about a subject that needs to be talked about. She tells the true story of the forced removal of several thousand Japanese Americans and their relatives during World War II to imprisonment camps scattered throughout the western USA. Scattered throughout the book are quotes from many, many individuals who wrote about their experiences. These effectively emphasize the dignity and suffering of real people.
The book covers all angles of Executive Order 9066, including events leading up to it, the betrayal of politicians, the concentration camps, the dramatic influence of the media in stirring opinions, the changes in family structure, what happened in the Wyoming court hearings and imprisonments, the 100th/442nd, the decades that followed, redress, and what led to government admission many years later.
I appreciated the author's thoroughness. She told both sides of the issues and showed how there were problems on both sides. There was so much more to the creation of the camps than fear of the enemy, and the book is abundant in sources for chapters and contributors (p. 585-688)!
From pages 363-525, the author gives a brief biographical sketch of contributors, which is like reading a book on its own. It shows how American these contributors truly were in their families, dreams, education, occupations, and rising above difficulty, and yet they were treated differently because of how they looked, in spite of anything they could do.
The book also includes a timeline (p. 539-558) and lists of assembly centers and camps. This would make a great resource for history teachers and students, including young adult. The book does a good job covering all the issues in one place.
The book covers all angles of Executive Order 9066, including events leading up to it, the betrayal of politicians, the concentration camps, the dramatic influence of the media in stirring opinions, the changes in family structure, what happened in the Wyoming court hearings and imprisonments, the 100th/442nd, the decades that followed, redress, and what led to government admission many years later.
I appreciated the author's thoroughness. She told both sides of the issues and showed how there were problems on both sides. There was so much more to the creation of the camps than fear of the enemy, and the book is abundant in sources for chapters and contributors (p. 585-688)!
From pages 363-525, the author gives a brief biographical sketch of contributors, which is like reading a book on its own. It shows how American these contributors truly were in their families, dreams, education, occupations, and rising above difficulty, and yet they were treated differently because of how they looked, in spite of anything they could do.
The book also includes a timeline (p. 539-558) and lists of assembly centers and camps. This would make a great resource for history teachers and students, including young adult. The book does a good job covering all the issues in one place.
October 3, 2021
Do not let the 700+ pages in this volume scare you. It is an amazing and thorough compilation of some of the voices of Japanese-Americans who were incarcerated in the United States during World War II. The first half of the book (pages 1 – 360) is a linear timeline of narratives beginning with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and then moving swiftly into the horrifying recollections of Japanese-Americans as they were forcibly removed from the West Coast of the United States and put into, as Susan Kamei explains it, concentration camps. The book follows the incarcerees as they endure the camp hardships, make a life and a community for themselves, protest their imprisonment, work outside the camps, enlist in the US Armed Forces, and are gradually released at the war's end. The stories continue through 2015 with former inmates bringing wrongful imprisonment suits against the United States government, an apology in 1988 by then President Ronald Reagan, and the final court hearings as the prisoners grow older and continue their pursuit of reparations. The second half of the book presents short biographies of the contributors, including their lives after release.
October 8, 2023
Despite being somewhat familiar (likely far more so than the average American) with the story of the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, I learned from this book many details that I hadn't known--particularly regarding the way these Americans were treated by their "friends" and neighbors immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. This book made my blood boil, my stomach turn, and my eyes water, as I read how this country failed--through hateful bigotry, naked greed, and misguided bureaucracy--to live up to its lofty ideals. (And unfortunately, not for the first, or last, time.) Kamei tells the story well, and does well in letting the victims tell their own story. Nit-picking time: the book includes some information that I'd consider extraneous, such as the glossary and the timeline, but as they're relegated to the appendices, I can't complain too much. Worse, however, is that this is a book that screams out for a photo section, yet it contains not a single image.
January 19, 2022
Susan Kamei has taken the voices of Japanese Americans who experienced the events after the bombing of Pearl Harbor to give us a personal story of the trauma that occurred to innocent Americans. For more than 40 years, many of the Issei and the Nisei would not speak about their experiences with their children, the Sansei. Karen Korematsu whose father, Fred challenged the constitutionality of the incarceration by refusing to "evacuated" lost his suit at the Supreme Court, never talked about what happened with his daughter. She was sitting in her high school history class when one of her classmates said oh, someone with your last name is mentioned. Karen went home and demanded to know if it was true and her father reluctantly shared his experience. What the Sansei heard were oblique references to "camp" and "What camp were you in?" Ms. Kamei brings to light what it should mean to be an American.
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December 16, 2023 This book was extremely powerful. It was a heavy topic of course, however was still an amazing read. Like any other book with a similar writing style, not every topic goes into full depths, but is more of a mere overview. It is as though everything is sort of being scraped at the surface, but not going to into full detail on everything.
To add on, the book was a wonderful wave of historical events, and very personal experiences were told and shared through this book. It really leaves a strong message, and is very impactful.
(POSSIBLE SPOILERS) A downside to this book however was the way the other organized some things. There were lots and lots of events, and it got a bit difficult to keep up with at times. There were also about 200 pages at the end of a event sequence (etc.) which honestly just made things a bit more confusing.
Other than those relatively small downsides, it was still a good read, and I would recommend it to people into history or biographies.
To add on, the book was a wonderful wave of historical events, and very personal experiences were told and shared through this book. It really leaves a strong message, and is very impactful.
(POSSIBLE SPOILERS) A downside to this book however was the way the other organized some things. There were lots and lots of events, and it got a bit difficult to keep up with at times. There were also about 200 pages at the end of a event sequence (etc.) which honestly just made things a bit more confusing.
Other than those relatively small downsides, it was still a good read, and I would recommend it to people into history or biographies.
February 11, 2023
This book followed the historical events leading up to, during, and after the Incarceration of the Japanese Americans during world war 2. This was a very long book (22 hour audio book and about 750 page book) but only had the actual story/ book for about 13 hours into the audio book so a lot of the book is filled with the biography's of the people who contributed to the book which I did choose not to read. Despite how long this book is it definitely kept me interested. I love the way the narrator presented all the facts and to presents stories or anything to touch the readers emotions they used the quotes and stories told by the contributors who were mainly people of Japanese descent many who were incarcerated during WW2. I still think this is a good book for anyone to read just be prepared for a long book.
November 17, 2021
This author did her research! That alone would prompt me to give the book more than 5 stars. I especially appreciated the many quotes from the Japanese Americans who were imprisoned in various camps by executive order 9066. These quotes tell their personal stories from experiencing Pearl Harbor; to the rulings by the Supreme Court; and their thoughts about the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, signed by President Reagan, which was what the soldiers of the 100th/442nd fought for.
The biographies of the voices, time line, and chapter sources are extensive and make this book look imposing. However, it deserves a place in all schools and libraries because of the extensive research about this shameful period in America which reminds us this could happen again.
The biographies of the voices, time line, and chapter sources are extensive and make this book look imposing. However, it deserves a place in all schools and libraries because of the extensive research about this shameful period in America which reminds us this could happen again.
December 6, 2021
I won’t claim to have read this cover to cover, bc it’s not really meant for that type of reading. It’s a reference work and should be treated as such. That being said, Big letters incoming: HISTORY TEACHERS NEED THIS BOOK IN THEIR CLASSROOM. If you teach the Japanese internment, and you should, this is an unbelievable reference material. The first half of the book is quotes, stories, and a complex and thorough history of the camps. The second half is all additional reference information to help flesh out the experience in the minds of students. This is a museum in a book and it’s absolutely astonishing in its thoroughness and heart. This was a horrific thing we did and it cannot be forgotten—this book more than guarantees that we won’t.
January 25, 2022
At first I wondered what this book could offer beyond the many other books on this same topic, but I was pretty amazed with the amount of quotes directly from the mouths/pens of people who were incarcerated in the camps. I wish some of them had been given more space and not cut down to such short blips, but they still wove together in a really effective way. This book also went into more detail about what happened after Japanese Americans were released from the camps, all the way up to the redress payments and apologies and the political maneuvering that was required to make that possible.
Also, the fact that about half of this book is dedicated to detailed biographies of every person mentioned is amazing on its own.
Also, the fact that about half of this book is dedicated to detailed biographies of every person mentioned is amazing on its own.
November 13, 2021
Disappointing that the author started the book with a heavily slanted opinion based on today’s political climate that was completely different than the one in which this story took place. It should be noted that the president behind the internment of the Japanese was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Not only a democrat, but also one of the icons of the progressive movement.
It’s a shame that this irrelevant opinion was injected and completely ruined my ability to finish the book.
Get your facts straight.
It’s a shame that this irrelevant opinion was injected and completely ruined my ability to finish the book.
Get your facts straight.
July 16, 2022
I learned so much valuable history reading this book that I wouldn't have encountered otherwise. This was a marathon, but 100% worth it, and there's several jumping-off points that I would love to research further. This text is a pretty comprehensive overview of documents and testimony regarding the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and all of its ramifications. I so appreciate the project of this book, and would recommend it as a resource for anyone wanting to dig more into this history that is woefully undertaught and under-interrogated.
January 9, 2023
I read this book to learn about the experiences of the Japanese American during WWII because my school failed to teach me about that important aspect of American history. This book was incredibly informative and it was interesting to learn about American history in an unfiltered way. This book showed that history is not just facts, history is actual events that have affected millions of people across generations. Susan allows each person’s narrative to speak for itself, and for that, I highly recommend this book.
December 30, 2024
While by far not my first read about the Japanese incarceration camps, I still learned new things from this book. It was very readable, due to the frequent quotes from camp survivors that were thematically interspersed with the scholarly text. It really is an homage to those who were in the camps, with nearly 200 pages dedicated solely to contributor biographies (which I admittedly skimmed). I highly recommend this to those wanting to learn more about the camps - don't be intimidated by the length!
October 28, 2021
An important and compelling read for all Americans to learn about the unconscionable internment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during WWII. The first person accounts portrayed in this book give a compelling voice to the injustices rendered against them. This should be required learning / reading for all American high schools and serve as a cautionary reminder of the rights of American citizens--lest it happen again.
November 13, 2021
I listened to this on Audible. A thorough and well thought out retelling of the history of Japanese Americans in the U.S., specifically internment, World War II military service, and the redress movement, along with its parallels to American policy decisions more recently. The author uses many first-hand accounts, which give life to this history. Comprehensive and well done.
May 18, 2022
Why aren’t books like this, where the Author has done extensive research and has obtained first-hand evidence, our textbooks? This will eliminate the issue of Texas being the only state that supplies textbooks, with their prejudices, to all of the public Schools in the states. If we had these books across our history as our required reading maybe just maybe we can not repeat our history.
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