George Takei to release picture book on his time in Japanese American incarceration camps
By Ryan General
October 5, 2023
George Takei’s picture book, which offers a child-friendly perspective on his early years spent in Japanese American internment camps during World War II, is now available for pre-order.
About the book: In the book titled “My Lost Freedom,” the 86-year-old actor and political activist revisits events following President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1942 executive order that led to the forced relocation of over 100,000 Japanese Americans on the West Coast.
The book’s narrative will mainly cover Takei’s resilience as a young boy living inside the camps. “My Lost Freedom” is illustrated by Michelle Lee and is set to be published by Crown Books for Young Readers on April 30, 2024.
A timely message: Reflecting on the inspiration behind his latest work, Takei said in a statement, “My childhood behind barbed wire fences is the reason I became an activist.” He emphasized the importance of conveying this chapter of American history to children and caregivers in a way that fosters understanding, especially given today’s political climate.
Cover art: On Wednesday, Takei shared the book’s cover art on his Instagram account and announced the book’s pre-order availability.
“On December 7, 1941, the Pearl Harbor bombing changed the lives of Japanese Americans forever. Two months later, President Roosevelt declared us ‘enemy aliens’ and all Japanese Americans on the West Coast were forcibly removed from their homes. At age five, I was living behind a barbed wire fence. MY LOST FREEDOM is my new children’s picture book about how my family persevered despite living in the Japanese American incarceration camps.”
A literary voice: “My Lost Freedom” adds to George Takei’s literary contributions, which include “Oh Myyy!: There Goes The Internet,” focusing on his substantial social media following and his autobiography, “To the Stars.”
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