Citizen 13660

Citizen 13660 is a first-person graphic memoir documenting the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Through 189 pen and ink drawings accompanied by text, artist Mine Okubo records her experiences from the evacuation order in 1942 through life in the relocation centers. The narrative follows Okubo and her brother as they move from their Berkeley home to the San Francisco Assembly Center at Tanforan racetrack, and later to the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. The illustrations capture daily routines, living conditions, and social dynamics within the camps, presenting both factual observations and personal perspectives. Citizen 13660 stands as a historical document and artistic work that examines themes of identity, citizenship, and resilience in times of discrimination. The combination of visual art and written narrative creates a record of this period in American history while exploring questions about civil rights and democracy.

Readers find this firsthand account of Japanese internment camps compelling due to its simple line drawings paired with matter-of-fact descriptions. Many note how the artwork brings humanity and personal details to a dark historical period. Readers appreciate: - Accessible art style that clearly conveys daily life - Calm, observational tone without anger or bitterness - Effective balance of text and illustrations - Historical value as one of the only contemporaneous accounts Common criticisms: - Some find the emotional distance frustrating - Writing can feel detached or clinical - Readers wanted more personal reflection - Minimal historical context provided Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (180+ ratings) "The simple drawings pack more punch than photographs would," notes one Amazon reviewer. A Goodreads reader comments that "the straightforward presentation makes the injustice hit harder."

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When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka The story follows a Japanese American family's journey from Berkeley to a Utah internment camp during World War II through multiple perspectives.

Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese American Family by Yoshiko Uchida A personal account documents the author's family's forced removal from Berkeley to Tanforan Assembly Center and the Topaz concentration camp.

No-No Boy by John Okada This novel depicts the struggles of a Japanese American man who refuses to serve in the U.S. military while his family is imprisoned in an internment camp.

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei This graphic memoir recounts Takei's childhood imprisonment in American concentration camps through illustrations and first-hand memories.

🔷 Mine Okubo created over 2,000 drawings and paintings while interned at Tanforan Assembly Center and Topaz Relocation Center, documenting daily life through her art despite the camps' prohibition of cameras. 🔷 Published in 1946, "Citizen 13660" was the first personal account of the Japanese American internment experience told through illustrations and text by a former internee. 🔷 The book's title refers to the family number assigned to Mine Okubo and her brother at the internment camps, effectively replacing their names with a dehumanizing numerical identifier. 🔷 The author used her artistic skills to earn a living in the camps by painting murals and teaching art classes to fellow internees, experiences she depicts in the book. 🔷 Mine Okubo's sketches from the camps were exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Art in 1942 while she was still interned, making her work one of the few contemporary public records of life inside the internment camps.