Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature

“In this moving graphic novel, George Takei shares his childhood experience growing up in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. During that time, the loyalty of Japanese Americans was questioned, they were unlawfully detained, racism was legalized, they were threatened with deportation, and subjected to other de-humanizing situations. Takei recounts his family’s imprisonment from a child’s perspective, including the confusion and fear of leaving their home at a moment’s notice. He depicts the long-term effects that internment had on his parents, his struggle to fully understand what they went through once he reached adulthood, and how his experiences propelled him into a career in acting and fighting injustice through social activism. The committee found that this graphic novel has significant historical value and it is a perfect fit among resources in the Asian American culture due to current immigration controversy.”