In June 1945 eight-year-old Jon Yatabe and his mother left Topaz and returned home to Berkeley, CA. There they awaited the safe return of Jon’s father, who was fighting in Europe with the 442nd RCT.
When Jon’s mom told him that they were going to spend a few days at Hidden Villa, a camp in the Los Altos Hills, Jon wondered why, since they had just gotten out of a camp. What he found there gave the word “camp” a whole new meaning.
We are pleased to share a new story, “Two Camps,” based on Topaz survivor Jon Yatabe’s memories of the Duveneck family of Hidden Villa. Now in his 80s, Jon pays tribute to Quaker allies who helped Japanese Americans during troubled times.
Read “Two Camps” by Jon Yatabe and Ruth Sasaki
The Topaz Stories Team
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Media Coverage:
Read Internee’s story told with ‘Topaz Collages’ (Wheel of Dharma, Vol. 5, Issue 3, March 2023).
Watch Topaz survivors tell their stories (abc4 news, 4/22/2022)
Listen to the “In the Hive” podcast with interviews with Ann Dion, Jonathan Hirabayashi, and Topaz survivors Jeanie Kashima and Joseph Nishimura (KCPW, 4/28/2022)
Read How a Utah exhibit about Topaz Camp looks to find empathy in ‘an ugly stain on American history (ksl.com, 4/22/2022)
Read “Topaz Stories rise from the dust,” (Department of Culture & Community Engagement, 4/2022)
Listen to KQED Forum, Day of Remembrance interview with Ruth Sasaki, 2/15/2022
Listen to Max Chang and Ruth Sasaki interviewed (KRCL RadioActive, 2/9/2022
Read On Topaz Stories and ‘Authentic Voice’, the Discover Nikkei interview with Ruth Sasaki (10/14/2022)
Listen to Remembering the Japanese American Incarceration, the Topaz Stories podcast with Ruth Sasaki and Jonathan Hirabayashi (6/2/2021)