Joyce Nakamura Okazaki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joyce Nakamura Okazaki
Born	Joyce Yukiko Nakamura July 29, 1934 Los Angeles
Citizenship	United States
Known for	Manzanar Committee

Joyce Nakamura Okazaki was born on July 29, 1934. She is an American citizen with Japanese family roots. When she was a child, her family was made to leave their home in Los Angeles. They were sent to a special camp called Manzanar in 1942.

A famous photographer named Ansel Adams took pictures of Joyce in 1943 and 1944. These photos were for his book, Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese Americans. When the book was printed again in 2001, Joyce's picture was on the cover. She also helped the Manzanar Committee for many years. This group teaches people about what happened to Japanese-Americans during World War II.

Joyce's Early Life

Joyce Yukiko Nakamura was born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Yaeko Kusayanagi, was an American citizen. Her father, Genshiro Nakamura, came to the US when he was eleven. Joyce went to Maryknoll School until second grade. There, she learned both English and Japanese.

Life at Manzanar Camp

On April 2, 1942, Joyce's family was taken to the Manzanar camp. This happened after a special order called Executive Order 9066 was signed. Many Japanese-American families were sent to these camps during World War II. Joyce and her family lived at Manzanar for about two and a half years.

While they were at the camp, Ansel Adams took pictures of Joyce, her mother, and her younger sister. Her father was not in the photos. He was away working or had already left the camp. In July 1944, Joyce's family left Manzanar. They had to promise their loyalty to the US. Her mother also had to answer extra questions. This was because her own father had been arrested earlier.

After the Camp

After leaving Manzanar, Joyce went to school in Chicago. She attended both elementary and high school there. She also went to the University of Illinois at Navy Pier for a year. In 1952, Joyce and her family moved back to Los Angeles. She then went to UCLA and joined a sorority called Chi Alpha Delta.

After college, Joyce worked for a short time at an insurance company. Then, she worked for the Department of Employment for 13 years. She even helped rewrite job descriptions for a special dictionary. In 1962, Joyce met James Okazaki, who had also been at Manzanar. They got married in 1963. Later, in the 1980s, Joyce worked in school libraries for 20 years before she retired.

Sharing Her Story

In 2000, Joyce went back to Manzanar for the first time with her mother. She attended the yearly Manzanar Pilgrimage. The camp site was being fixed up by the National Park Service. Joyce decided to get more involved with the Manzanar Committee. This happened after Ansel Adams' book, Born Free and Equal, was reprinted in 2001 with her photo on the cover.

After she retired, Joyce started speaking to groups, churches, and schools. She gave presentations to middle and high school students. She also volunteered at a training base. Joyce was the treasurer for the Manzanar Committee. This group works to teach people about the history of Japanese-Americans being held in camps during World War II.

About Born Free and Equal

Adams' book, Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese Americans, was first published in 1944. It showed pictures of Japanese-Americans at Manzanar. In 2002, the book was printed again. This new edition included essays from people who had been in the camps. It also had writings from the son of a Manzanar camp photographer.