Getting the book published

The only Japanese family in Ocean Park Impact of Pearl Harbor on her family Initial impact on life at camp Mixed blood people at camp from a child's point of view Embarrassed to talk about camp The birth of a novel through a conversation with her nephew Documenting family history for future generations Getting the book published Her father as a typical Issei East First Street the hub of Japanese American community California housing shortage after the war Farewell to Manzanar not a bestseller, but is steady Being involved in every aspect of the film Controversy over the film Trick in developing the film Unexpected positive reviews and an Emmy nomination Not a "camp story" but a human story Racism doesn't end

Transcripts available in the following languages:

When Jim and I wrote this book and we got the book out…and it was very difficult to get published and it certainly never would’ve been published if it wasn’t Jim because he was Caucasian, he was a published writer…I mean in those days, in ’73, you know, they had signs down in the New York underground that said, you know, American flags saying “Made in Japan” because that’s when they were very hostile about Japanese goods. It was a wave of anti-Japanese feeling even then. So we were very fortunate to have Houghton-Mifflin and San Francisco Books have the courage to bring it out.

Date: December 27, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: John Esaki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

farewell to manzanar