Displacement
by Kiku Hughes
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Description
"Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when suddenly she finds herself displaced to the 1940s Japanese-American internment camp that her late grandmother, Ernestina, was forcibly relocated to during World War II. These displacements keep occurring until Kiku finds herself stuck back in time. Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American citizens in internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class. She witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans show more who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive."--Publisher's website. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
bibliovermis Similar story mechanic to teach about the same period of history
eo206 Graphic memoir about WWII Japanese concentration camps. Written by a Japanese American, actor and LGBTQ leader George Takei, who was incarcerated as a child.
Member Reviews
With a nod to Octavia Butler, Kiku Hughes imagines her teenage self getting cast back into time, literally following the footsteps of her teen grandmother into an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II.
This is an excellent companion to George Takei's They Called Us Enemy, showing how these events can reverberate through the generations that follow. Hughes also ties those past events to the modern politics of Donald Trump, demonstrating the importance of remembering, sharing, and educating everyone about this dark chapter of American history in order to keep it from repeating.
Its a thick book, but it reads quickly with an emphasis on emotional impact over pedantic history in order to draw you in and make you want to show more learn more after you finish. show less
This is an excellent companion to George Takei's They Called Us Enemy, showing how these events can reverberate through the generations that follow. Hughes also ties those past events to the modern politics of Donald Trump, demonstrating the importance of remembering, sharing, and educating everyone about this dark chapter of American history in order to keep it from repeating.
Its a thick book, but it reads quickly with an emphasis on emotional impact over pedantic history in order to draw you in and make you want to show more learn more after you finish. show less
Based on the author's family history with the American incarceration of the Japanese. While traveling with her mother, Kiki experiences a sort of time traveling "displacement," finding herself in 1940s America as it is on the verge of rounding up Japanese families. Her longest displacement takes place at Topaz where she experiences what her grandmother and everyone else went through: terrible living conditions, harsh weather, loss of privacy and agency, and some good times such as new friends and social events. Kiku comes out of it with a greater understanding of the few stories her family has shared, and sees how the incarceration is very similar to Trump's policies on building a wall, caging children at the border and anti-Muslim show more travel ban. Most telling line about the impact: "But seeing how she and other nisei shied away from the issei's outdated traditions made me understand a little more just why there was almost no connection to Japan left by the time I was born." show less
A beautiful story about generational trauma and the scars that discrimination leaves behind for years to come. Kiku is reluctantly visiting San Francisco with her mother to research her grandmother's interment during WWII. Kiku knows very little about her family history when she finds herself thrown back in time. At first she thinks it was just a delusion but then it happens again. And then another time. The last time, she is stuck in the past for over a year.
She finds herself confined in the same camp and her grandmother. Although she feels out of place, she realizes that everyone around her is feeling the same way. They have all been displaced. They are all uncertain if they have a home to return to and what their future will be show more like. She learns to survive and draws strength from the friendships she makes there.
When she finally returns to her time, Kiku discovers that her mother was similarly displaced. They go on to travel together, visiting moments in their mother and grandmother's past. They decide to let these powerful experiences direct them towards making the world a safer place for marginalized people. show less
She finds herself confined in the same camp and her grandmother. Although she feels out of place, she realizes that everyone around her is feeling the same way. They have all been displaced. They are all uncertain if they have a home to return to and what their future will be show more like. She learns to survive and draws strength from the friendships she makes there.
When she finally returns to her time, Kiku discovers that her mother was similarly displaced. They go on to travel together, visiting moments in their mother and grandmother's past. They decide to let these powerful experiences direct them towards making the world a safer place for marginalized people. show less
Spectacular graphic novel by debut author Kiku Hughes, writing from the heart about her grandmother's experience with incarceration at the Topaz camp in Utah during WWII. The visual storytelling is extremely eloquent, and I think that the juxtaposition of a modern girl time traveling works incredibly well to emphasize the parallels with current events. It left me wanting to know more about Ernestina's life after the camp and how she became a single mother of 4, but somehow that omission created a necessary boundary, a reminder that this is a real person's story, and her privacy should be real as well. I also absolutely loved the unremarked-upon lesbian relationship that Kiku's character formed with another woman from camp. Really strong show more work. I look forward to seeing more from this author. show less
*reviewed by uncorrected egalley (netgalley)*
diverse children's middlegrade/teen graphic novel (recommended for 4th grade through 10th grade) - 16 y.o. mixed race (half Japanese) girl travels back in time and experiences years of Japanese-American "internment"--forced incarceration alongside her grandmother's family; juxtaposed with the Trump administration's Muslim travel ban and other dangerous discriminatory policies. She also develops a romantic relationship (dancing, hand-holding, kissing) with another teen girl. #ownvoices author.
At first this did seem a lot like Octavia Butler's Kindred (which I've only read in graphic format, but heartily recommend for teens/adults), and similar to George Takei's They Called Us Enemy (which I show more also recommend for its thoughtful first-hand account for teens and adults).
However, Displacement deserves recognition on its own--I appreciate the author's #ownvoices perspective (mixed race and queer) and also how the story delves into the aftermath of incarceration as Kiku follows her grandmother's life in NYC after the war (suspicious cancer rates, dealing with racism), how it strengthens Kiku's connections with her mother and grandmother, how it points to the dangers of racist and religious discrimination during the Trump presidency, and creates a direct, emotional connection between the reader and the modern-day victims of such policies.
I was expecting this graphic novel to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised at how excellent it turned out, in so many ways. Very highly recommended. show less
diverse children's middlegrade/teen graphic novel (recommended for 4th grade through 10th grade) - 16 y.o. mixed race (half Japanese) girl travels back in time and experiences years of Japanese-American "internment"--forced incarceration alongside her grandmother's family; juxtaposed with the Trump administration's Muslim travel ban and other dangerous discriminatory policies. She also develops a romantic relationship (dancing, hand-holding, kissing) with another teen girl. #ownvoices author.
At first this did seem a lot like Octavia Butler's Kindred (which I've only read in graphic format, but heartily recommend for teens/adults), and similar to George Takei's They Called Us Enemy (which I show more also recommend for its thoughtful first-hand account for teens and adults).
However, Displacement deserves recognition on its own--I appreciate the author's #ownvoices perspective (mixed race and queer) and also how the story delves into the aftermath of incarceration as Kiku follows her grandmother's life in NYC after the war (suspicious cancer rates, dealing with racism), how it strengthens Kiku's connections with her mother and grandmother, how it points to the dangers of racist and religious discrimination during the Trump presidency, and creates a direct, emotional connection between the reader and the modern-day victims of such policies.
I was expecting this graphic novel to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised at how excellent it turned out, in so many ways. Very highly recommended. show less
“Being from the future meant very little when my education on the past was so limited.”
“The persecution of a marginalized group of people is never just one act of violence — it’s a condemnation of generations to come who live with the ongoing consequences. We may suffer from these traumas, but we can also use them to help others and fight for justice in our own time.”
I don’t think I can write a review that expresses how I feel about this book better than Kiku Hughes‘s own words. The forced incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II is yet another horrific event from our nation’s history that occurred recently enough that there are people alive today, right now, who lived it, are still reckoning with the show more trauma, and whose descendants will continue to be affected by it for the foreseeable future. And just like other events that fit this description, there are those who would dare to take the concept of these camps, drag them into the 21st century, and force other groups to suffer similar injustices. That’s truly sickening, and Hughes highlights these unfortunately currently relevant parallels very well.
However, seeing Hughes taking her grandmother’s experiences in the camps, and the effects they’ve had on her family, to heart and using what she’s learned to try to support and elevate the voices of those who are suffering now was really wonderful. I’m glad she chose to share this story by creating this book, because unfortunately it is a topic that’s been very much glossed over in any history class I’ve ever taken. show less
“The persecution of a marginalized group of people is never just one act of violence — it’s a condemnation of generations to come who live with the ongoing consequences. We may suffer from these traumas, but we can also use them to help others and fight for justice in our own time.”
I don’t think I can write a review that expresses how I feel about this book better than Kiku Hughes‘s own words. The forced incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II is yet another horrific event from our nation’s history that occurred recently enough that there are people alive today, right now, who lived it, are still reckoning with the show more trauma, and whose descendants will continue to be affected by it for the foreseeable future. And just like other events that fit this description, there are those who would dare to take the concept of these camps, drag them into the 21st century, and force other groups to suffer similar injustices. That’s truly sickening, and Hughes highlights these unfortunately currently relevant parallels very well.
However, seeing Hughes taking her grandmother’s experiences in the camps, and the effects they’ve had on her family, to heart and using what she’s learned to try to support and elevate the voices of those who are suffering now was really wonderful. I’m glad she chose to share this story by creating this book, because unfortunately it is a topic that’s been very much glossed over in any history class I’ve ever taken. show less
Displacement by Kiku Hughes uses a concept usually associated with science fiction (time travel) to tell the story of the detention of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco when she first finds herself transported back in time to the internment camp to which her own grandmother had been relocated. At first, the time travel episodes are short, but eventually Kiku finds she is stuck in the past, taken away from all she knows with no certainty about when or if she will ever return home. She begins to realize her situation isn’t so different from the Japanese-Americans in the camp, who have also been removed from their homes against their will and face an uncertain future. Through her experience, show more Kiku learns about her own family history and builds a community among the citizens living in the camp. She discovers the ways her new friends and neighbors have adapted to their circumstances and begun to resist their oppression.
Kiku Hughes makes excellent use of the graphic novel format to bring the story of this shameful part of America’s past to life. In particular, the images of the Topaz camp in Delta, Utah, evoke feelings of desolation and desperation (https://topazmuseum.org/). Through her placement of the “present” as the summer of 2016, Hughes connects the events of the past with the campaign promises of Donald Trump and the precarious position immigrants still hold in the U.S. This book hits so many genres - I would recommend it to YA fans of graphic novels, historical fiction, social issues, and sci fi. They Called Us Enemy (https://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/george-takei-they-called-us-enemy/1011) and Farewell to Manzanar (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17380544) would be great companion reads! show less
Kiku Hughes makes excellent use of the graphic novel format to bring the story of this shameful part of America’s past to life. In particular, the images of the Topaz camp in Delta, Utah, evoke feelings of desolation and desperation (https://topazmuseum.org/). Through her placement of the “present” as the summer of 2016, Hughes connects the events of the past with the campaign promises of Donald Trump and the precarious position immigrants still hold in the U.S. This book hits so many genres - I would recommend it to YA fans of graphic novels, historical fiction, social issues, and sci fi. They Called Us Enemy (https://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/george-takei-they-called-us-enemy/1011) and Farewell to Manzanar (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17380544) would be great companion reads! show less
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- Original publication date
- 2020-08-04
- People/Characters
- Kiku Hughes; Mrs. Hughes (Kiku Hughes' mother); Ernestina Teranishi (Kiku Hughes' grandmother); Donald Trump; Aiko Mifune; Ben Nakamura (show all 29); Mr. Teranishi (Ernestina Teranishi's father); Mrs. Teranishi (Ernestina Teranishi's father); Masako "May" Ide; Mr. Matsuzawa; Haruko Yoshimoto (mother of Sachiko and Emiko Yoshimoto); Sachiko Yoshimoto (daughter of Haruko Yoshimoto); Emiko Yoshimoto (daughter of Haruko Yoshimoto); George Kimura; Seiji Sato; Mrs. Yamada (teacher); James Hatsuaki Wakasa; Carl Higbie; Megyn Kelly; Stephen Miller (Donald Trump advisor); Gordon Hirabayashi; Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga; Ina Sugihara; Fred Korematsu; Yuri Kochiyama; Mitsuye Endo; Norman Mineta; Aki Kurose; Miné Okubo
- Important places
- San Francisco, California, USA; Seattle, Washington, USA; Tanforan Assembly Center, California; Topaz Internment Camp, Millard County, Utah, USA; Juilliard School of Music, New York, New York, USA; New York, New York, USA (show all 8); Delta, Utah, USA; San Bruno, California, USA
- Important events
- Japanese-American Internment; World War II
- First words
- It was June 2016 when I first traveled through time.
- Quotations
- Further reading:
Citizen 13660 by Miné Okubo
Jewel of the Desert: Japanese American Internment at ... (show all)Topaz by Sandra C. Taylor
Un-American: The Incarceration of Japanese Americans During World War II by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams
The Long Afterlife of Nikkei Wartime Incarceration by Karen M. Inouye
"Army Recruiting Team Coming," Topaz Times, February 4, 1943 (not a LibraryThing link)
"Administration Statement," by Lorne W. Bell, Topaz Times, April 12, 1943
"The Tanforan High School" by Henry Tani, Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Records, BANC MSS 67/14 c, the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
"The First Month at Tanforan: A Preliminary Report" by Haruo Najima, Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Records, BANC MSS 67/14 c, the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Memories are powerful things.
- Publisher's editor
- Taylor, Whit; Brill, Calista
- Blurbers
- Jennings, John
- Original language
- English US
Classifications
- Genres
- Graphic Novels & Comics, Tween, Teen
- DDC/MDS
- 741.5 — Arts & recreation Drawing & decorative arts Drawing and drawings Comic books, graphic novels, fotonovelas, cartoons, caricatures, comic strips
- LCC
- PN6727 .H836 .D57 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Collections of general literature Comic books, strips, etc.
- BISAC
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- 442
- Popularity
- 68,991
- Reviews
- 29
- Rating
- (4.36)
- Languages
- English, French, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 1
