Life in Topaz necessitated adjustment to harsh conditions and often, separation from loved ones.
This week Topaz Stories presents “Better Than Crystal City,” by Tom Kawakami. Harsh though conditions may have been in Topaz, there were even worse places to be, as we discover from Tom’s story about his wife’s family’s experience in Crystal City, Texas, a family detention camp run by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Seiji Aizawa writes of his family’s separation in “A Family Torn Apart,” as he and his brother remain in Topaz to finish high school while his mother and younger sister join their father in Crystal City Family Detention Camp in Texas.
In “Topaz Birth,” Jeanie Kashima shares her stunning collages inspired by photos taken in Topaz and reveals what happened when babies were born before the Topaz Hospital was completed.
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Topaz Stories Podcast
On June 2, Ruth Sasaki (Topaz Stories editor) and Jonathan Hirabayashi (exhibit designer) were interviewed by Brad Westwood of the Utah Department of Cultural and Community Engagement as part of its ongoing series, “Speak Your Piece.”
Listen to the podcast.
Technical note: We will generally try to release new stories on Saturday; This means that there may be a window of time (about 30 minutes) on Friday evenings after 9 pm when a certain amount of maintenance is going on. If you see any unlinked content, or links that appear to be broken, please be patient. Thank you!