Journey to Topaz: A Story of the Japanese-American Evacuation

Content Warning: This guide contains descriptions of racism, incarceration, violent death, injustice, and violence toward a minoritized population. The source text includes racist slurs against Japanese Americans.

Ten-year-old Yuki Sakane eagerly anticipates Christmas. She daydreams about the only time she remembers it snowing in Berkeley, California, and tries to think of a present for her 18-year-old brother, Ken. Mrs. Sakane tells her to call her father in for lunch. Yuki’s father spends most of his time gardening, and Yuki suspects that he likes it even more than church. Yuki gives her dog, Pepper, a biscuit, and tells her canary, Old Salt, that she is glad there are no lunch guests. At lunch, the family sits in disbelief as news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor comes across the radio. Mr. Sakane tries to reassure the family, but his nervousness is evident.

After dinner, there is a knock at the door. Yuki opens the door, thinking it will be her friend, Mimi Nelson. Instead, three FBI agents and two police officers are there. They take Mr. Sakane away for questioning. The two police officers and one of the FBI agents remain behind.