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

With Mr. Sakane back home and Emi discharged from the hospital, Yuki’s life gains a semblance of normalcy that helps her with the process of Coming of Age under Extraordinary Circumstances. However, another historical event, the formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, brings yet another change to Yuki’s life. Historically, the 442nd was a segregated, all-Nisei army unit. While Japanese Americans were initially barred from military service, the creation of the unit would, according to the Army recruiter, allow them to “prove their loyalty as a special group in a very dramatic way” (132). No other group had to prove their loyalty during the war, but despite the prejudice against them, the Nisei soldiers of the regiment went on to perform great acts of bravery, sustaining many losses and earning many medals. However, Uchida uses the varied responses to the recruiter’s offer as a way to address the complex issues associated with the idea of sending the young Nisei men to war. Chief among the mixed reactions is Mr. Toda’s pointed question: “Why should our boys be asked to fight for a country that has put them behind barbed wire?” (132). Uchida uses the character of Mr. Sakane to voice the opposite side of this debate, for the character contends that this is a question that each young man must answer for himself. At this moment,  Ken’s decision to enlist is framed as the logical culmination of his months of bitterness and discontent, for he states, “There comes a time when you have to stand up and be counted for what you believe in, and I’ve got to go” (135).

Mr. Toda, who has struggled with the situation more deeply than other characters, finds it difficult to accept Ken’s position and continues to struggle with Overcoming Bitterness in the Face of Injustice. While he previously agreed with Yuki that America is in the right, this belief does not mean that he is against Japan, and he does not believe that the young men who were imprisoned solely because of their ethnicity should be willing to fight for the country that wronged them. His bitterness is also fueled by the fact that the death of Mr. Kurihara, his close friend, is still a fresh wound, making it difficult for Mr. Toda to sympathize with the Americans. As the narrative explains, Mr. Toda is “torn between two loyalties. He could no longer feel proud to be a Japanese, and yet he could not become an American because a law forbade it” (133). His inner dilemma further emphasizes The Generational Struggle between the Issei and the Nisei, for he is caught in the crossfire of two countries that he loves. He therefore believes that he is protecting Ken by attempting to dissuade him from enlisting, but he ultimately comes to accept Ken’s point of view and supports the young Nisei men’s decision to enlist in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

While other Japanese concentration camps—such as Manzanar in central California—experienced incidents in which prisoners rioted and protested the harsh conditions, Topaz remained relatively peaceful and had less unrest. However, Uchida uses Mr. Sakane’s community-minded talents as a method to showcase the growing divisions between different groups of prisoners. Toward the end of their imprisonment, the Sakanes become the targets of agitators because Mr. Sakane has chosen to work with the administration and as a deacon in the church. In addition to being on parole, he is also reluctant to leave the camp because he sees it as his duty to improve life for the prisoners. Mr. Sakane has a deep commitment to his community, so he does not wish to leave as long as his services are needed. Although this determination demonstrates the nobility of his character, it makes him a target of the agitators, which is the family’s impetus to leave Topaz and seek their fortunes in Salt Lake City. In this way, the Sakane family’s fortunes become a vehicle through which Uchida illustrates many of the common hardships that beset the imprisoned Japanese American citizens during this moment in history. Likewise, Yuki’s eager anticipation of her return to the outside world foreshadows the continuation of the family’s story in the sequel, Journey Home (1977), in which Uchida continues to spread awareness of the injustices perpetrated upon Japanese American citizens during this period.