Bump In The Road: John Suzuki on the Japanese American Experience in WWII

I’m delighted to share that I had the privilege of being a guest on the “Bump In The Road” podcast, hosted by Pat Wetzel. It was a truly enriching experience.

The Story of Japanese Interment Camps in WW II

John Suzuki is a Japanese American who stumbled upon the story of Japanese internment camps during World War II.  It was a story that rattled him.

The camps were created when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the United States Army to round up and detain anyone who was at least 1/16 of Japanese ancestry. The camps were primitive, without running water or insulation. Summer temperatures soared over 100 degrees and winters were bitingly cold. Minidoka was one of these camps.

It was at Minidoka that John met the survivors of the camps and discovered a billboard honoring the 1,000 Japanese Americans who volunteered to fight for the U.S. army, the very entity that had detained them in these camps.