EP 31: Giving Up Your World to Join Your Mixed Family in Manzanar, with Tracy Slater

What would you do to keep your family together during the most challenging times? In this episode, we’re discussing a story of sacrifice, resilience, and the lengths one woman went to in order to stay with her family. During World War II, more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated in camps across the United States. In the midst of this, one woman made an unthinkable choice. Elaine Buchman Yoneda, a Jewish American, voluntarily entered one of these camps, Manzanar, to stay with her Japanese American husband Karl and their three-year-old son Tommy.

In this episode, I’m joined over Zoom by author Tracy Slater, currently in Canada, to discuss Elaine Yoneda's remarkable journey, explored in Tracy’s upcoming book, preliminarily titled Nine Months in Manzanar, set for release in 2025 by Chicago Review Press. 

Discover how Tracy uncovered this untold story and learn about the totem that guided her through the writing process. We delve into the split-second decisions Elaine faced, not only concerning her son Tommy but also other critical choices. 

We touch on the broader implications for interracial families under the shifting “mixed blood” policy and examine the political views and personal responses to the trauma experienced by those in Manzanar, including how these tensions affected Elaine, Tommy, and others. 

The conversation also covers Carl’s unique identity and feelings toward Japan, the complexities and contradictions in the lives of the Yoneda family, and the importance of acknowledging human contradictions in both personal identities and society.

This episode offers a thought-provoking discussion, shedding light on overlooked aspects of American history and the importance of understanding our collective past.

Guest:
Tracy Slater – Author of the upcoming book, preliminarily titled Nine Months in Manzanar (2025), and previously, The Good Shufu: Finding Love, Self, and Home on the Far Side of the World.

www.tracyslater.com

@good_shufu

 

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Music by Mathias Kunzli www.mathiaskunzli.com