1942-1945

The US government forced Japanese Americans to live in US incarceration camps during World War II (1939-1945). Through photographs from the past and present, discover how fear and racism led to the incarceration camps, what life in the camps was like, and what happened after Japanese Americans left the camps. Then learn about US incarceration camps' connection to modern issues and see how people are making sure this difficult time in history is never forgotten or repeated. Read Woke Books are created in partnership with Cicely Lewis, the Read Woke librarian. Inspired by a belief that knowledge is power, Read Woke Books seek to amplify the voices of people of the global majority (people who are of African, Arab, Asian, and Latin American descent and identify as not white), provide information about groups that have been disenfranchised, share perspectives of people who have been underrepresented or oppressed, challenge social norms and disrupt the status quo, and encourage readers to take action in their community.

In 1942, Fred Korematsu was an average 23-year-old California native working as a shipyard welder. But when he refused to obey Executive Order 9006, which sent 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry into internment camps, he came something extraordinary - a civil rights champion.

Presents true stories of Japanese Americans who fought in the Army's 442nd Division during WWII while their families were forced to live in internment camps.