In June 2019 Yoneo Kawakita and Yae Wada met for the first time at the Topaz Stories Exhibit at J-Sei in Emeryville, CA. They were both Tanforan and Topaz survivors. Both had told a story about the 1942 high school seniors at Tanforan who had missed their graduations because of the forced removal–Yae, as an observer, and Yon as a graduating senior.
Yae’s story came first. She remembered how the rather depressing affair held in Tanforan’s grandstand had been transformed by an act of kindness on the part of San Mateo High School band members, who showed up to play “Pomp and Circumstance.” She never knew who had organized the gesture, but remembered for decades how it had lifted the spirits of the graduating seniors.
Through online research, we tracked down Yoneo Kawakita, class of ‘42, and got the inside story. Yon had been in the band, and it was the band teacher, Eugene Brose, who initiated the visit, pressing into service not only band members, but the principal and PTA members, who brought cupcakes and carnations.
Yon and Yae are no longer with us; but thanks to them, every year at graduation time, we can be reminded of a simple act of kindness that was remembered for decades after. Read their stories, “The Band’s Visit” and “Pomp and Circumstance.”
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)