Welcome to Litsy!

#middlegrademonday @karisimo

From facinghistory.org: FAREWELL TO MANZANAR is the true story of Jeanne Wakatsuki's family‘s attempt to survive the indignities caused by forced detention, and of a native-born American child who discovered what it was like to grow up behind barbed wire in the United States during WW2.

I couldn‘t have read this book at a scarier time. The author creates an all too familiar story of hate and violence in the United States when a fascist is in power. Echoes of the past, and current times. Who will speak up when nationalists and fascists take control? We are days away from an extremely consequential election in America. Days away from deciding if we will continue to be a ‘democracy‘. Fascism is here. Choose wisely. We do not⬇️

We made a stop at Manzanar on our way to Lake Tahoe. I picked up this memoir of a Japanese girl's experience in Manzanar.

This is my second time visiting this national Monument and I still get emotional.

#MiddleGradeMonday
@karisimo

Setting: the Manzanar Internment Camp during WW2. “FAREWELL TO MANZANAR is the true story of one spirited Japanese-American family's attempt to survive the indignities of forced detention—and of a native-born American child who discovered what it was like to grow up behind barbed wire in the United States“ (Goodreads).

A powerful book to read and to teach.

This is a worthy topic, but unfortunately a poor execution. The stories are piecemeal and disjointed. There is far too much telling and not enough showing - the graphic format was badly underutilised. The excessively small print in portions provided further friction to the reading process.

Read They Called Us Enemy (Takei) instead.

This book is amazing. Not sure I was in the head space for something that punches you in the gut in the first section but that does not make this less amazing. The author has a unique narrative style that I appreciate.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks (it's possible that I am behind and this was a January book)

Over the long holiday weekend, my husband and I decided to drive to California and visit Manzanar. This was one of the ten Japanese relocation camps in the US during WWII. I was profoundly moved by this place and I picked up a couple of books to help me understand what happened there. Both “Farewell to Manzanar” and “Only What We Could Carry” give firsthand accounts from the people who were unjustly taken to these camps at that time.

An excerpt from Seen & Unseen. Toyo Miyatake smuggled a camera into the camp and had a friend smuggle him film.

#quotes
#art
#photography
#graphicnovel
#history
#WWII
#ToyoMiyatake
#DorotheaLange

An excerpt from Seen & Unseen.

#quotes
#art
#graphicnovel
#photography
#DorotheaLange
#history
#WWII

Continuing with my stack of Dorothea Lange books, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this was a graphic novel with beautiful yet haunting illustrations. It goes into detail about the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII and should be required reading for students. It also includes photos by Toyo Miyatake (who was imprisoned in a camp) and Ansel Adams. A part of American history that should not be forgotten. 5⭐️

#art
#photography