Japanese American Resettlement Stories: Life After Wartime Incarceration
Making Home from War: Stories of Japanese American Exile and Resettlement documents the often-overlooked period following the closure of World War II concentration camps, where over 120,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly imprisoned. This collection focuses on what happened after release—the struggle to rebuild lives, reclaim identity, and find home in a country that had betrayed them.
Firsthand Accounts from Japanese American Elders
Twelve Japanese American elders who gathered at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California share their personal narratives of resettlement. These authentic voices reveal the challenges of returning to communities marked by racism and hostility, where many found their homes lost and their futures uncertain.
The narrators describe living in transitional housing—community halls, churches, housing projects, and tent camps—while working as domestics, dishwashers, and field laborers to support their families. Their stories capture the resilience required to survive devastating upheaval and the strength drawn from community bonds.
Award-Winning Historical Documentation
Making Home from War serves as the sequel to the award-winning From Our Side of the Fence, continuing the essential documentation of Japanese American wartime experiences. Editor Brian Komei Dempster, a Guggenheim Fellow and award-winning poet, brings together these narratives with careful attention to historical accuracy and emotional depth.
The book fills a critical gap in World War II literature by examining the post-incarceration period—a time when Japanese Americans faced limited employment options, housing discrimination, and ongoing prejudice while attempting to rebuild their lives from nothing.
Essential Reading for Understanding Japanese American History
This collection demonstrates how the effects of wartime incarceration continue to reverberate through generations. Through honest storytelling and detailed recollection, these elders preserve vital history that was often hushed or neglected in mainstream narratives.
Published by Heyday Books in paperback format, Making Home from War provides educators, students, historians, and readers with direct access to primary source material about the Japanese American resettlement experience. The narratives showcase human resolve and faith during one of America's darkest chapters.
About the Editor
Brian Komei Dempster is an award-winning poet, editor, and teacher whose work has received numerous honors including the Julie Suk Award and NCPA Gold Award in Poetry. His poetry volumes Seize (2020) and Topaz (2013) explore themes of Japanese American identity and history. As a professor at the University of San Francisco and recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award, Dempster brings academic rigor and personal connection to this important historical project.
