I am 92 years old, and a survivor of the WWII camps for Japanese Americans.
I spent three-and-a-half years in the camp called Poston in Arizona, entering when I was 12 years old. I think that Poston was somewhat similar to Topaz. It was a desert with extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter.
So, I know what it was like to have had that experience. My mother died not long after we were released. The family always felt that the experience of imprisonment left her in a weakened state.
I visited Delta on Aug. 26, to attend a meeting that was supposedly held for community input on what to do with the Wakasa memorial stone. I came from Oakland, Calif., so that some members of our community could share thoughts, feelings and ideas about this most important artifact which now lies in the back courtyard of the Topaz Museum.
We were greeted warmly by the meeting participants. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to those who came to the meeting. I was quite disappointed that none of the seven Delta-area board members showed up, because it was my desire to talk to the board, to have a conversation and discussion about our situation and start some steps to bridge our differences.
County Commissioner Dean Draper attended the meeting about community input regarding the Wakasa memorial.
I had attended the first three meetings, two in the San Francisco Bay Area and one that was virtual. I did not find them very satisfactory. I thought that the Delta meeting would be better. But, even though there were no board members in attendance, the people who did show up were friendly, willing to discuss things and to listen to what we had to say.
I was so happy to be sitting where we could see each other, face each other, and talk. It turned out that most who attended were docents— persons who volunteer their time and energies to the museum, and there was no doubting their sincerity and good will.
As the meeting wound down, we were chatting together, taking pictures and exchanging email addresses.
I sincerely appreciate the work that the docents do. It is due to their dedication that the museum exists, and continues to do important educational work.
So thank you, docents, for your hospitality and warmth.
I will not forget your kindness.
Chizu Omori is a writer and columnist for Nichi Bei newspaper in San Francisco. She produced the Emmy Award-winning documentary, “Rabbit in the Moon,” about WWII Japanese American concentration camps.
