Setsuko's Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration by Shirley Ann Higuchi

View the Book Trailer HERE!

RECENT EVENTS

Bar Association of DC's 153rd Annual Gala and Awards Presentation

L to R: Dr. Robert Higuchi, Angie Collier, Bill Collier, Ray Locker, Shirley Ann Higuchi, Embassy of Japan Minister Masaru Sato, Kathleen Saito Yuille, Dr. Paul Matz, and Jacqueline Saito.

BADC centerpiece, photographer Don Tanguilig

L to R: Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Lawyer of the Year Shirley Ann Higuchi, and BADC Co-President Rawle Andrews, Jr.

Shirley received the Lawyer of the Year award from the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (BADC). Family members and close friends attended the gala to celebrate her award. Shirley was recently elected as the 2025 Co-President of the BADC with Rawle Andrews Jr.

She is the first Asian American to hold the position for the 152-year-old organization. It aims to promote civility, collegiality and justice in the Washington, DC, legal community. Its members include lawyers from some of the most prominent law firms in the nation’s capital, as well as government officials, judges and influential members of the court system. The BADC is DC's voluntary bar and seeks to promote civility, justice and collegiality among members of the legal profession in the nation's capital.

The 153rd Annual Gala and Awards Presentation, a black-tie affair, was held at the Capitol Hilton, Washington, DC on December 7, 2024. It was a beautifully organized and well attended event to honor those in the legal field in the nation's capital.

2024 Japan Lecture Series

Shirley visited multiple universities in Japan to talk with them about the Japanese American incarceration during WWII--topic many may not have been familiar with. We are grateful to our hosts who helped us arrange a full schedule of events for her and were so kind and generous during the visit. She presented to the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), Josai International University, and Seijo University. HMWF friend and Kyodo News journalist, Keiichiro Otsuka helped arrange and co-presented with her at TUFS. She also met wit her father's former students, Drs. Masaharu Miyajima and Kenji Sugibayashi who helped raise funds to translate her book into Japanese.

Shirley Ann Higuchi seated next to Keiichiro Otsuka takes questions from the audience.

Shirley presents to Josai University students

Shirley met with students and faculty following her presenation at Seijo University

UNC Law Students' Educational Visit

Shirley presented to University of North Carolina law students from her home during their site visit to Heart Mountain, Wyoming.

Dr. Eric Muller, UNC professor and recipient of HMWF's Compassionate Witness Award, brought a small-group of students for an immersive educational experience and focused on how lawyers were involved in the removal and imprisonment of Japanese Americans.

As a practicing attorney and descendant of Heart Mountain incarcerees, she provided a unique and powerful perspective. She discussed the denial of civil rights to Japanese Americans during WWII and explored the complex issue of multigenerational trauma that is intertwined with many incarceree and descendant experiences.

UNC School of Law published an article, Carolina Law Students Walk in History’s Footsteps at Heart Mountain.

Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendation

Takashi Hoshizaki, a member of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation board and a former World War II draft resister, received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation during a ceremony Saturday at the Japanese American National Museum.

Kenko Sone, the Japanese consul general in Los Angeles, presented the award.

The ceremony took place two days after Hoshizaki turned 99 years old. He is the oldest member of the Heart Mountain board and is one of the few surviving draft resisters from the camps that held more than 125,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

Hoshizaki was recognized for his contributions to U.S.-Japanese relations, his leadership in creating the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation and for his career in the space program. An eminent botanist, his research into circadian rhythms took him to Antarctica and a career at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"I have known Takashi Hoshizaki since my mother died in 2005, and over the years I've worked closely with him in building our museum and now the Mineta-Simpson Institute," Shirley said. "He's taught me a lot about the need for civility, patience and integrity. These attributes are now part of our core values at Heart Mountain."

Japanese American Confinement Site Consortium (JACSC) Annual Conference

Shirley co-presented during a session about confinement site fundraising at the JACSC Conference at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. First, she suggests identifying the distinguishing factors for a confinement site and then developing an actionable plan. Next, successful strategies include identifying funding sources, managing data, and setting a fundraising schedule. Contact us for more information.

Shirley also met with Heart Mountain descendants and former incarcerees to discuss the best ways to improve education at confinement sites across the nation. The JACSC Conference was combined with the Tsuru for Solidarity's events during this weekend. It was truly a memorable and productive event. Thank you to JANM for hosting.

Hawai'i Behavioral Health and Wellness Convention

Conference Session

Shirley Ann Higuchi presented to attendees at the Hawai'i Behavioral Health and Wellness Convention about leading with compassion, empathy and courage: how psychology and our nation’s history can positively change our country. She discussed how learning about the Japanese American incarceration can help people learn about the challenges facing other communities and examined multigenerational trauma.

Pearl Harbor National Memorial Site

It was great catching up with Tom Leatherman, director of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. He and Shirley discussed collaborations between the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation and the National Park Service as well as the future of the new Honouliuli historic site.

There are so many undiscovered incarceration stories in Hawaii.

Honouliuli Internment Camp Preservation

There’s a lot of work behind opening a a National Park Service site, which Shirley and a delegation saw firsthand discovered at Honouliuli, where 5,000 people were incarcerated during World War II. The Honouliuli Internment Camp, known as Hell Valley among internees, opened in 1943 on the island of Oahu and was the largest confinement site in Hawaii. We were inspired by everything they’re doing to preserve this history.

Bar Association of DC Election & Honors

Ellen Jakovick, Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Shirley Ann Higuchi, and Rawle Andrews Jr

In June 2024 Shirley Ann Higuchi was elected as the 2025 Co-President of the Bar Association of DC (BADC) with Rawle Andrews Jr.

“It’s hard to believe that an association of lawyers established in 1872 that once excluded women and people of color now has an Asian American president-elect,” Higuchi said.

Higuchi is one of a select group of lawyers who have been elected president of two of Washington’s bar associations — the DC Bar and BADC. In 2003 and 2004, Higuchi was president of the DC Bar, the nation’s third-largest mandatory membership bar association.

In September 2024, the BADC also named her lawyer of the year, recognizing her work promoting social justice and creating the new Mineta-Simpson Institute.

The award ceremony will be held during the annual banquet gala in Washington, DC.

2024 APA Convention

The American Psychological Association held its annual summer convention in Seattle, Washington. Shirley and Heart Mountain Executive Direct Aura Sunada Newlin were asked to coordinate and be on a panel with the film's producer, the respected Dr. Gordon Nagayama Hall, and APA President Dr. Cynthia de las Fuentes.

After viewing the film, the panelists discussed various aspects of the Japanese American incarceration, the making of the film, and the generational impact on families and descendants.

The honor belonged to us as we sat among these giants at an event designed to support psychological professionals and illustrate best practices for everyone.

JJ Gerber-Omoiyari Producer, Shirley Ann Higuchi-Chair HMWF, Dr. Debra Kawahara-APA President-elect, Aura Sunada Newlin-HMWF Executive Director, Shelia Newlin-Aura's mother, and Dr. Gordon Nagayama-Hall take a group photo following the panel.

2024 Heart Mountain Pilgrimage

This year's Pilgrimage was filled with plentiful milestones and heart warming moments. We held the grand opening of the Mineta-Simpson Institute-a facility dedicated to fostering courage, compassion, and empathy.

We were incerdibly grateful to have notable plenary speakers including former Representative Mike Honda, Deni Mineta, Norman's widow, and liaison to the White House Erika Moritsugu who shared touching remarks for our attendees.

Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation presented distinguished UNC professor Eric Muller with the Compassionate Witness Award. Named for LaDonna Zall, who witnessed the last train leave camp in 1945, Muller was selected because he has also contributed immeasurably with thousands of hours as curator, spearheaded museum content, and published previously unresearched scholarly work.

The American Psychological Association presented Heart Mountain with a Presidential Citation in recognition of their work to build consensus and bring communities together.

The Interpretive Center also opened the newly installed Mineta-SImpson exhibit, and namesake former Senator Al Simpson toured it.

National Endowment for the Humanities Teacher Workshops

With the new Mineta-Simpson Institute, we are now able to host our NEH Landmarks of History and Culture workshops on our campus. Shirley makes her first appearance at MSI during our annual workshop.

Our second group of educators who travelled to the Heart Mountain, Wyoming campus to participate in our Landmarks of American History and Culture workshops. What an inspiring group of teachers!

Douglas Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award

The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation presented Dr. Takashi Hoshizaki the Douglas Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at a special event in Los Angeles, CA on April 28, 2024.

Anchor David Ono emceed the conversation with Dr. Hoshizaki, a Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation board member and resister from the Heart Mountain WWII incarceration camp.

Shirley was proud to present her longtime friend, advisor, and board member, Dr. Hoshizaki with the award.

You can learn more on the HMWF website.

From left: David Ono, Dr. Takashi Hoshizaki, Shirley Ann Higuchi, Douglas Nelson, Aura Sunada Newlin

Judge Raymond Uno Celebration of Life

Shirley met with many friends at Judge Raymond Uno's celebration of life. He will be dearly missed.

The house was packed to celebrate the life and achievements of Judge Raymond Uno in Salt Lake City.

Raymond Uno in a photo from 1950 in his military fatigues. Over the course of his life he helped create a better world for all.

2024 Conference on American History

From left: Shirley Ann Higuchi, Leona Tate, Dr. Anthea Hartig, Diana Sierra Becerra, and Sarah Adams
Top left: Shirley presents during the panel. Bottom left: Shirley and Leona Tate tour her school

The Organization of American Historians (OAH) held it's annual Conference on American History in New Orleans on April 11-14, 2024. Shirley was honored to sit on the plenary panel, Amidst and Against a Patriarchy: Women as History Makers, Advocates, and Defenders of Rights. Joined by many accomplished advocates from across the nation, they talked with OAH attendees about their roles and the intersectional nature of their work.

Prime Minister of Japan Welcome Reception

Shirley was invited by President Biden to attend the welcome reception for the Prime Minister of Japan. She has worked on developing relationships with the Japanese government for many years.

She was pleased to bump into her old friend, Erika Moritsugu, JD, the Deputy Assistant to the President & AA and NHPI Senior Liason.

The Chair of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, Dana Heatherton, also connected with Shirley at the ceremony.

JACSC Advocacy Days

L to R: HMWF Operations Officer, Logan Chirstie, HMWF Board Chair, Shirley Higuchi, Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, HMWF Executive Director, Aura Sunada Newlin, and HMWF Board Vice Chair Douglas Nelson

Rob Buscher, Executive Director of the Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium, proclaimed the advocacy meetings a success! Each year advocates for the JACSC attend meetings with members of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Board members and staff met with Wyoming Congressional representatives during Wyoming Wednesday to discuss the importance of continued funding for the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.

Operated by the National Park Service, the program is intended "for the preservation and interpretation of incarceration sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II."

More than $3.4 million was awarded in 2023 to preserve the confinement sites across the nation, and the funding is critical to Heart Mountain's ability to continue to educate about the Japanese American incarceration.

Pictures of Belonging Preview Party

Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo opened February 24, 2024, at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) on the University of Utah campus. The exhibition features over 100 paintings and works on paper by three trailblazing women of Japanese descent who worked prolifically from pre-World War II through the mid-20th Century. The exhibit runs through June 30, 2024.

Shirley Higuchi attended the Preview Party on February 23 and gave a few comments. The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation partnered with the Utah Museum of Fine Arts to help spread the news of the exhibit opening.

Miné Okubo Sketching Outdoors, Tanforan, San Bruno, CA, 1942. Photo credit: JANM

Norman Mineta Statue Dedication
San José Mineta International Airport

At the San José Mineta International Airport in the Terminal B baggage claim, there now stands a towering statue of Norman Y. Mineta. Representing his larger-than-life presence, the statue serves as reminder of Norm's work in the Silicon Valley and all the lives he touched.

The dedication of the statue that was commissioned and initiated prior to his passing by Quest Valley Charities, a nonprofit headed by Rod Diridon Sr., was attended by many who held Norm in high regard.

Deni Mineta attended the dedication and connected with HMWF Chair and Vice-Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi and Douglas Nelson who traveled to San Jose to participate in this commemoration.

Shirley Higuchi, Deni Mineta, and Douglas Nelson reunited and posed for a photo in front of the newly unveiled bronze statue of Norman Mineta on January 25, 2024.

Norm was the mayor of San Jose for four years and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 20 years. He is missed dearly on a daily basis.

Omoiyari: A Song Film By Kishi Bashi
Park City, UT Screening

Park City Film Premiere

Hosted by Park City Film and held at the Jim Santy Auditorium, Shirley Higuchi spoke on a panel during the screening of Omoiyari: A Song Film by Kishi Bashi on November 19, 2024.

Educating more Communities

Higuchi appeared with director Justin Taylor Smith, producer J.J. Gerber, and Lisa Barr, and spoke to the premiere guests about the World War II Japanese American incarceration.

Reaching More Individuals

Shirley autographs Setsuko's Secret, her book about the incarceration story of her parents and others at Heart Mountain for attendees after the premiere.

Omoiyari: A Song Film By Kishi Bashi

"Violinist and songwriter Kaoru Ishibashi travels on a musical journey to understand WWII era Japanese Incarceration, assimilation, and what it means to be a minority in America today," the film's website described. Much of the footage was filmed at Heart Mountain Interpretive Center and in Wyoming. Kishi Bashi visited multiple incarceration sites and created new music for this motion picture feat.

U.S. Japan Council (USJC) Conference Panel

Why is the Japanese American Incarceration Story Important to the Japanese?

USJC Conference Attendees await the beginning of the panel discussion on November 8, 2023.

Shirley helped organize a group of noteworthy stakeholders for a panel discussion at the USJC Conference about why the Japanese American incarceration holds lessons that are important for Japanese people.

From a Heart Mountain incarceree, to the Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of Japan and a Japan-based news organization journalist, the panel provided a wide range of viewpoints with attendees.

The well-attended session educated on the incarceration, provided perspective from Japanese people on the importance, and was expertly moderated by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's Museum Specialist.

Attendees posed excellent questions, and Shirley and Sam Mihara's (former incarceree) books were the focal points following the session.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Japan Council conference organizers for including the panel in their extensive program.

We look forward to seeing you next year!

Japanese American Legacy Lawyers-AALDEF

Shirley was honored to be one of four award recipients to receive this year's Asian American American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) award. Hosted by Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Koichi Ai of the Japanese Embassy, the JACL DC Chapter, Embassy of Japan, and the AALDEF co-sponsored the event. Shirley is grateful to be recognized among these giants in her field and will continue to fight for the rights of Asian Americans and all Americans in her work.

The Japanese American Legacy Lawyers is a program that pays homage to past and present attorneys of Japanese heritage who have contributed to bettering the lives of Japanese Americans and all Americans.

L to R: Deputy Chief of Mission Koichi Ai, Stuart Ishimaru, Erika Moritsugu, Shirley Higuchi,
and AALDEF Co-President Phil Nash

2023 Heart Mountain Pilgrimage

(Above) Shirley is interviewed with Heart Mountain in the background

(Below) Shirley and Former Senator Al Simpson

The Heart Mountain Wyoming Leadership pose for a group photo on stage at the 2023 Pilgrimage.

(Back row) Bacon Sakatani, David Ono, Darrell Kunitomi, Claudia Wade, Kathy Yuille, Kris Horiuchi, Prentiss Uchida, Marc Sugiyama, Julia Ishiyama, Eric Sandeen

(Front row) Tamlyn Tomita, Aura Sunada Newlin, David Mineta, Shirley Ann Higuchi, Senator Al Simpson, Doug Nelson

In July, Shirley made her annual trek to Heart Mountain for the once-a-year Pilgrimage. The event drew nearly 300 attendees this year from across the country who came to learn more about the history of incarceration of Japanese Americans at Heart Mountain and connect with former incarcerees and their descendants.

Shirley was featured in the Authors of Incarceration Panel with Frank Abe, Doug Nelson, and Eric Muller to discuss her book Setsuko’s Secret. The Pilgrimage also drew noteworthy community members including former Senator Alan Simpson whose friendship with Norman Mineta helped inspire the Mineta-Simpson Institute dedicated to fostering empathy and cooperation between leaders.

Shirley’s goal of building a memorial on the site of the incarceration camp, which was inspired by her mother’s wishes, continues to florish.

The Bar Association of D.C. visits Heart Mountain

The BADC Cohort

A group of almost 30 judges, lawyers, and legal professionals traveled to Heart Mountain to attend sessions on the legal and historical events that led to the mass incarceration of over 100,000 Japanese Americans.

The Judges

DC Superior Court Chief Judge Josey-Herring went on the BADC trip, along with several associate judges. Here the group is pictured standing in front of Heart Mountain.

Meeting a Wyoming Legend

Wally Johnson, a fomer Assistant AG in the Nixon administration, hosted the BADC cohort at his ranch in the beautiful South fork. There, guests were suprised with a visit from from former Wyoming senator, the Hon. Al Simpson. Pictured from left to right are DCSC Chief Judge Josey-Herring, past DC Bar president Ellen Jakovic (Kirkland & Ellis), and Sen. Simpson, who still serves as an honorary advisor to Heart Mountain.

From Barbed Wire to Disney

Former Disney animator Willie Ito was held at the Topaz confinement site as a young boy. He spoke to the BADC cohort about his life and artistic journey, and concluded his presentation with a "live drawing" for DC Judge Kelly Higashi. Higashi was recently featured in Washington Lawyer (a publication of the DC Bar) in a piece about her family's own incarceration experience.

Meeting the Housel Family

On the final night of the BADC's trip to Heart Mountain, former judge John Housel invited the BADC to dinner at his come in Cody. There, he told the story of his father, whose portrait he is holding in the above photo. In the 1940s, John's father Jerry worked as a project attorney at the Heart Mountain camp. Eric Muller writes about Jerry Housel's experience in his new book, Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe.

AAPI History Month at Hogan Lovells

Thank you to Hogan Lovells for hosting Shirley along with other AAPI authors and advocates for a panel about complicity and conscience in America's WWII concentration camps. The event featured a presentation by UNC Law professor Eric Muller, who recently published Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe about lawyers who worked for the WRA during WWII. Pictured from left to right are Vincent Eng, Rhea Fernandes, Eric Muller, Shirley Ann Higuchi, Shannon Zheng, and Warren Maruyama.

National Consortium on Racial & Ethnic Fairness in the Courts

Authors of the Incarceration Panel

Shirley Ann Higuchi opened the panel, which featured her and fellow authors Daniel James Brown (Facing the Mountain) and Frank Abe (We Hereby Refuse). Heart Mountain Executive Director and NCREFC Board member Aura Newlin served as moderator.

The Panel with Judge Galván

From left to right: Daniel James Brown, Shirley Ann Higuchi, Judge Veronica Galván, Aura Newlin, Frank Abe.

The 25th Annual Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk

Alongside Mr. Wade Henderson, former President and CEO of the LCCHR, Shirley spoke about the need to teach accurate history and promote civil rights. The Japanese Embassy, JAVA, NJAMF, and JACL also took part in the event.

Setsuko's Secret is Now Available in Japanese!

The Japanese edition of Setsuko's Secret

Special thank you to Nakahiro Iwata, Noriko Sanefuji, Masako Miki and JANM for their hard work on the translation.

Dr. Bill Higuchi holding the new book

Much gratitude to Drs. Miyajima and Sugibayashi, as well as all of the former graduate students of Dr. Higuchi who helped to make this dream a reality.

Where to buy the Japanese edition

It is currently available for purchase on Amazon. Stay tuned for more news about other retail outlets!

Virginia Holocaust Museum

On March 16th, 55 teachers traveled to the Virginia Holocaust Museum to take part in a teacher workshop hosted by Heart Mountain. There, Shirley spoke on the history of Japanese American incarceration with Ray Locker and former incarceree Sam Mihara--who, at 90 years old, is still traveling across the country to speak on the subject! This photo of all the participants was taken inside the museum's synagogue, which is a replica of the choral synagogue in Kovno, Lithuania.

Cosmos Club - American History Study Group

On November 15th, Shirley discussed Setsuko's Secret with the Cosmos Club American History Study Group. The conversation started with her family history and incarceration, and ended with larger questions about American education today and the work of the Mineta-Simpson Institute. Shirley is pictured here with some of the attendees, including USJC-DC's Janet Nuzum and Minister Koichi Ai of the Japanese Embassy. Thank you to all who came out!

Ann Arbor Book Tour (Sep 22-23, 2022)

Stop #1: the University of Michigan

Shirley's first stop was to the University of Michigan, where she visited a psychology class taught by Dr. Donna Nagata. Her course, titled “Mental Health and Culture,” grapples with multigenerational trauma, a major theme of Setsuko’s Secret. Shirley spoke with students about how that trauma affected her family’s life post-Heart Mountain. She also discussed the model minority myth and her EDI work at APA. As she is a Michigan grad herself, Shirley was excited to return to campus and have these important conversations with current students.

Stop #2: Ann Arbor District Library

Downtown Library Author Event

The event proved to be very popular; the waiting list for the library’s copy of Setsuko’s Secret is now 20 people long!

Book Signing with Booksweet

Local bookseller Booksweet partnered with the library for a post-event book sale and signing. They have two more copies of Setsuko’s Secret left on their shelves.

Stop #3: Huron High School

On the final day of her tour, Shirley returned to her alma mater Huron High School. There, she met with Principal Che Carter (right) and the great team of social studies and IB leaders for Huron and all Ann Arbor schools to promote the teaching of Asian American history. Shirley recalled how grateful she was for the teachers who believed in her, and felt so inspired by the current leadership of HHS. You can read more about her visit in this article by AAPS District News.

Upcoming Event:

Setsuko's Secret comes to Ann Arbor!

On September 22nd, Ann Arbor District Library will be hosting a Setsuko's Secret book talk, which will be followed by a live Q&A and book signing. The event will be recorded for those unable to attend. For more information, please visit the library's website.

Read Shirley's interview with Pulp, the library's culture blog, here.

2022 Heart Mountain Pilgrimage

This summer, Shirley returned to Heart Mountain for the historic site's annual Pilgrimage, an event which draws hundreds of attendees from around the United States. While there, Shirley was featured in the "Authors of Incarceration" panel alongside fellow writers Susan Kamei, Frank Abe, and Alden Hayashi.

This Pilgrimage also saw the groundbreaking of the Mineta-Simpson Institute, an expansion of the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. Inspired by the friendship between Senator Alan Simpson and the late Secretary Norm Mineta, the Mineta-Simpson institute will be dedicated to the fostering of empathy and cooperation between leaders.

National Day of Remembrance:

80 Years of Reckoning

To mark the 80th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066, Shirley participated in the National Day of Remembrance with the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), the Japanese American Citizens League National, the Friends of Minidoka and the National Park Service. She participated on the panel titled "Racial Reckoning and Japanese American Museums" with Smithsonian Undersecretary Kevin Gover, Dr. Franklin Odo, Ann Burroughs, JANM, Hanako Wakatsuki, Honouliuli National Historic Site, and Karen Ishizuka, JANM. At the end of the panel, Ann Burroughs,chair of the Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium, and Shirley presented Secretary Bunch with a commendation from JACSC for his Racial Reckoning Initiative.

Secretary Bunch emphasizes the need to face our past to guide the future.

Shirley reads the JACSC Commendation for Secretary Bunch and his Racial Reckoning Initiative.

National Day of Remembrance Opening Ceremony

Utah's first ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration May 22, 2021

On Saturday, May 22, Utah celebrated AA & PI Heritage Month at the Coty And County Bldg. Mayor Mendenhall, City Councilman Darin Mano, State Legislators Jani Iwamoto and Karen Kwan, author Shirley Higuchi, Mike Mower the Sr Advisor to the Governor and other addressed the crowd. Several performances from various Asian cultures were enjoyed by all. Thank you to Janice Ly, Floyd Mori and Stephanie Sato Sueoka for the invitation and for organizing this amazing event.

Red Lodge Book Club at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center

Thank you, Red Lodge Book Club!

"We really enjoyed our book club discussion with [Shirley and Julie] today. We learned far more than just facts about the Japanese-American internment during WWII. Shirley and Julie opened up their personal stories to us and that meant a lot! Thank you!"

Cathy Ritter, Red Lodge Book Club, MT

The Red Lodge Book Club read Setsuko's Secret, then came out and toured the museum and the site. The day was capped off with a Zoom session with Shirley!

Setsuko's Secret with the National World War II Museum will air on C-SPAN Saturday, March 27 4:55pm Eastern Time.

The program will be available at this link after it's televised.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?509775-1/legacy-japanese-american-world-war-ii-incarceration

BUY A BOOK!

Choose your favorite regional independent bookseller:

Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

Weller Book Works, Salt Lake City, UT

Kramers Washington, DC

Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI

Praise for Setsuko's Secret

“An encyclopedic narrative on the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and its haunting sway still on the conscience of the nation. Interwoven throughout is a moving personal family history of pain, loss, and resilience. This is an essential American story.”

—George Takei, Actor

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“As a former incarceree of Heart Mountain, reading this was tremendously gratifying. In this deeply researched and compellingly written history, Higuchi captures the tragedy and triumph of the Japanese American experience and incarceration.”

—Norman Mineta, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Transportation

“Only Shirley Ann Higuchi could tell so powerfully a story so needed to be told. This is the culmination of her vision and mission—to honestly share the deep passion of a proud family heritage forged in the saddest of times.”

—Alan Simpson, U.S. Senator, Wyoming, ret.

“Poignant. How the power of an untold secret can affect how one lives and, with its revelation, can spark others to tell their own. With a good story, we can change ourselves, our country, our world for the better. Setsuko’s Secret is one of the good stories.”

—Tamlyn Tomita, Actress

Higuchi captures the essence of the Nisei generation's reluctance to discuss the trauma and tragedy that shaped their lives and those of their children. This is the book I wish I had written about my own family's experience with the wrongful incarceration of the Japanese American community during WWII."

—Lance Ito, former L.A. County Superior Court Judge

“A rich and original story. Shirley Higuchi captures the sweeping narrative of incarceration through the lens of a single camp and ties it to our present reality. Her resolve as a daughter of the camps is Setsuko's real legacy.”

—Frank Abe, director of Conscience and the Constitution

ORDER YOUR COPY NOW!

CLICK HERE

Author:

Shirley Ann Higuchi

Chair, Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation

REVIEWS

"What my 20-year-old self could have used at that time is Shirley Ann Higuchi’s recently published book, Setsuko’s Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration. Exhaustively researched while remaining personal and frank, Setsuko’s Secret is both an informative summary of Japanese American history and an autobiography. One rough comparison is if you had merged Michi Nishiura Weglyn’s groundbreaking Years of Infamy: The Untold Story of America’s Concentration Camps with Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston’s landmark Farewell to Manzanar, two pillars of Japanese American history from the 1970s." ---Chris Komai, Discover Nikkei

Read the full review here.

"There are stories we choose to pass on to our children, and there are stories we can only share with our peers—whether because we doubt our children’s capacity for empathy, or fear it. What is a family secret, but a space where a family may gather? Sometimes, when we say, “You don’t know what it was like,” it is only wishful thinking."--- Vince Schleitwiler, The International Examiner

Read the full review here.

"...[A] well-informed and deeply moving study of the long-term effects of a dark chapter in American history." ---Publisher's Weekly

Read the full review here.

“Setsuko’s Secret is an intense, personal chronicle of the unconscionable internment of Japanese Americans during World War II…

Setsuko Higuchi may have kept her internment memories private, but her unique spirit inspired the founding of the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center and this extraordinary testament to a sorrowful episode in American history.”

---Foreword Reviews.