Citizen 13660 is a book about internment of Japanese Americans written by Miné Okubo. It is a graphic novel completely illustrated by Miné that depicts the life and community within the Japanese internment camps in the United States. Miné was placed in two camps, first Tanforan Assembly Center and then moved to Topaz War Relocation Center. The book was published in 1946 [1]and was a first real look into the camps because cameras were not allowed.[2]
Background
editExecutive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it legal for the US government to create exclusive internment zones for US citizens of Japanese descent.[3] Before entering World War II, the US government used the term "illegal alien" when referring to US citizens of German, Italian and Japanese descent that were under special supervision because the government identified them as a threat. [4] This grew stronger after the Pearl Harbor attack, and made the internment of Japanese Citizens legal.
Legacy
editMiné Okubo testified about her experience within the camps and showcased her book in 1981.[5] This novel helped the public understand what happened within Japanese Internment and what it was like. Okubo was an artist and this book has been used in education to teach about women studies, art, and historical contexts.
Summary
editCitizen 13360 by Miné Okubo is a graphic novel that displays a first hand account of being a prisoner in the Japanese Internment Camps during WW II. The book goes through details of the transportation, daily life, infrastructure and protocols that prisoners had to live with on a daily basis. Okubo is initially sent to the Tanforan Assembly Center in San Bruno, CA. This book shows the devastation of being uprooted from one's home, family and future.
References
edit- ^ "Citizen 13660 (book)". Densho Encyclopedia.
- ^ Okubo, Miné (1946). Citizen 13660 (Introduction to 2014 Version ed.). University of Washington Press. pp. VIII. ISBN 9780295993546.
- ^ Stanutz, Katherine (2018). "Inscrutable Grief: Memorializing Japanese American Internment in Miné Okubo's Citizen 13660". American Studies. 56 (3): 47–68. ISSN 2153-6856.
- ^ "Japanese-American Incarceration During World War II | National Archives". www.archives.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ Kraut, Lauren. "Documenting the Internment Experience: Miné Okubo and Citizen 13660". Daily Art Magazine. Retrieved 12 April 2024.