A project-in-progress about the Japanese American incarceration experience during World War II that involves personal family history, literary excavation, resource sharing, essays, poetry, site visits, presentations, pilgrimage organization, photography, and more.

In the summer of 2021, my wife and I took a road trip that included a stop in Arkansas to visit the site of the Rohwer concentration camp. This was where my grandparents, and their extended families, were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. It was an incredibly moving and resonant experience. I took in a great deal while wandering the site, but what hit me hardest was how much I didn’t know about my Grandparents’ story. I was inspired to learn more, and to get more involved in documenting and creating awareness of the Japanese American incarceration experience during World War II.

Since this initial road trip, which also included visiting the Jerome site, my wife and I have visited three more of the ten concentration camps: Tule Lake in California, Minidoka in Idaho, and Topaz in Utah. I’ve made multiple trips to the National Archives to do research on the War Relocation Authority’s concentration camp photo collection, which includes photographs taken by my Grandfather. In 2024, I was a member of the Jerome/Rohwer Pilgrimage committee. And I’ve also had the good fortune on working on the campaigns for Satsuki Ina’s memoir The Poet & the Silk Girl, as well as Emiko Omori and Barbara Takei’s documentary film Defiant to the Last. Much more to come as I continue to explore and share this vital and resonant history.

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