Citizen 13660 is a book about internment of Japanese Americans written by Miné Okubo. It is a graphic novel completely illustrated by Miné that depicts the life and community within the Japanese internment camps in the United States. Miné was placed in two camps, first Tanforan Assembly Center and then moved to Topaz War Relocation Center. The book was published in 1946 [1]and was a first real look into the camps because cameras were not allowed.[2]
Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it legal for the US government to create exclusive internment zones for US citizens of Japanese descent.[3] Post WW||, the US government used the term "illegal alien" when referring to US citizens of German, Italian and Japanese decent that were under special supervision because the government identified them as a threat. [4] This grew stronger when WW|| broke out, and made it legal for the internment of Japanese Citizens.
Miné Okubo testified about her experience within the camps and showcased her book in 1981[5]. This novel helped the public understand what happened within Japanese Internment and what it was like. Miné was an artist and this book has been used in education to teach about women studies, art, and historical contexts.
Citizen 13360 by Miné Okubo is a graphic novel that displays a first hand account of being a prisoner in the Japanese Internment Camps during WW||. The book goes through details of the transportation, daily life, infrastructure and protocols that prisoners had to live with on a daily basis. Okubo is initially sent to the Tanforan Assembly Center in San Bruno, CA. This book shows the devastation of being uprooted from ones home, family and future.