The Utah Tour Guide Association, in its mission to continually improve the services provided by tour guides in the state, organized a group visit to the Topaz Stories Exhibit at the Utah State Capitol on November 4.
Kevin Earl, the President of the UTGA, reached out to us via our website to ask if a Topaz survivor or descendant could be present to talk about their family’s experiences during the War. He said the group had read Miné Okubo’s Citizen 13660 and was also planning a visit to the Topaz Museum in Delta.
Topaz Museum Board member Sherrie Hayashi referred us to Karie Minaga-Miya, a Salt Lake City resident and Topaz (as well as Tule Lake) descendant. Karie’s family lived in Washington state before the War and was sent to Puyallup, then Tule Lake, before landing in Topaz. Karie kindly agreed to act as docent and guide for the group. Brad Westwood of the Utah Dept. of Culture & Community Engagement also took time from his day to join the group.
Many thanks to Kevin and the UTGA for its interest and efforts to improve tour guides’ understanding of the incarceration experience, to Brad for his unflagging support, and to Karie for meeting the group at the exhibit and sharing her family’s experiences!
The Topaz Stories Team
Plan to visit the Topaz Stories Exhibit in Salt Lake City before it closes on December 31, 2022.
Contact us if you have a Topaz Story to share.
Follow us on Instagram @topazstories
Media Coverage:
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)