This new year, 2022, marks the 80th anniversary of the incarceration of Japanese Americans living in the western United States after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
Joseph Nishimura, pictured at far left with his brother Jon; friends Ronnie and Skippy and pet dogs in Berkeley, California, had no inkling of how that event would change not only the tenor of his childhood, but the trajectory of his life.
In “Leaving Topaz,” Joseph documents the Nishimura family’s incarceration and subsequent efforts to get out of camp. It was by no means easy for a family of six to leave camp and resettle in a completely new place. It took a lot of moving pieces, many helping hands.
And even after the elation of attaining his freedom, an incident occurred en route to New York City that made Joe realize that, while Japanese Americans could leave Topaz, it would not be so easy for Topaz to leave them.
To view raw video footage of Joe reading his story at the Topaz Stories reception in the Utah State Capitol on April 22, 2022, click here.
The Topaz Stories team
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