After Yuk volunteered for the Army in August 1943, Junzo and Ito were alone. They were finally able to leave Topaz in March 1944. By this time, Yosh was married to Nobu Kumekawa and they were settled in Boston, so Junzo and Ito joined them in Massachusetts. Junzo was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1945 and passed away in 1946.
Yosh and Nobu remained in New England for the rest of their lives and raised their family there. Yosh vowed never to return to California because he did not want his family to experience the racism that he, his brother and parents had faced there.
About the contributor: Junzo’s letter was shared with us by his granddaughter–Yosh’s daughter, Jean Hibino. Jean is the Executive Secretary of the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund, a national scholarship program founded by a group of Nisei in New England, including Jean’s parents, Yosh and Nobu Hibino. The founders were all able to leave the WWII concentration camps to complete their college educations with the help of the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council. In the spirit of ongaeshi (repaying a kindness), they committed to “pay it forward” to students in overlooked and underserved communities.
Copyright Jean Hibino, 2022. All rights reserved.
thank you for doing this