Graphic Novel: Displacement by Kiku Hughes

Graphic novels do not get the attention they should. They are a wonderful form of storytelling for pretty much any genre. Today I will be discussing Displacement by Kiku Hughes, the story of a teenage girl who is transported back in time to when her grandmother was forced into an internment camp for Japanese families living in the United States.

The Situation: Kiku is a 16 year-old girl following her mother around while on a trip to San Francisco. While her mother attempts to find the house Kiku's grandmother lived in before she was forced into an internment camp, Kiku simply wishes their trip were over and the two could return back to their home in Seattle. But as Kiku waits for her mother outside of a shopping mall, a fog rolls in and transports her to a different time, though the same place. It does not last long. In fact, it is short enough for Kiku to convince herself it was a dream. But then it happens again, and this time there is no question that what Kiku is experiencing is real. Now she wants to get out of San Francisco more than ever. Believing she has left what she refers to as the 'displacements' behind in California, Kiku relaxes at her home Seattle, while the nation is preparing for the 2016 presidential election. And as Kiku's mother frets and scowls over the speeches of Repubican candidate Donald Trump, Kiku is once again displaced to the 1940s, and this time, she may be there awhile.

The Problem: Kiku finds herself as one of the many that were forcibly removed to internment camps in the 1940s after the events of Pearl Harbor. Completely alone and only 16, she must lean on the kindness of others to get her through in both a time and place she does not know. And though the food is inedible, and the authorities are less than gracious, Kiku finds herself adapting quickly and more easily than she thought she would. If there was one thing she wish she could get over, it is her hesitance to reach out to the family who lives next door, which happens to be her grandmother and her great-grandparents. In her actual life, Kiku never knew much about her mother's mother, not even her real first name, much less her history and struggles. Now she is one door down, and she still cannot bring herself to reach out. Kiku's displacement has left her scared and uncertain, wondering if she will ever return to her own time; if she will get the opportunity to meet her grandmother; and if history will be bound to repeat itself in her own time.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a graphic novel set mostly in Japanese internment camps during the 1940s. The reader follows 16 year-old Kiku as she moves across time, experiencing for herself what her grandmother went through as someone forced away from their home, and into an internment camp. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many Japanese, German, and Italian residents were forced into internment camps all across America. Some were hastily built, which meant they were often not properly insulated, and less than ready to be inhabited even after the people arrived. Before the displacement that will leave Kiku in the past for the better part of a year, she recalls overhearing the television as Donald Trump lays out his plan to regulate the immigration of Muslims, mandating that a registry be kept for all Muslims entering the United States. Though it is nearly 80 years later, parallels can still be drawn between then and now. It is a story about the importance of learning our history, and the power of memory.

My Verdict: The illustrations are well-done, clean, and simple, while also powerful and at times haunting. Inspired by Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, Hughes explores the pull of the past and the lessons it can teach us about our present and future. What is nice about graphic novels is that they can relay a story with their vivid illustrations, using less words, and therefore be read quickly, often in one sitting. However, sometimes details get lost, or it seems like something is missing. I did not feel like I was missing out on anything with this story. The confusion and fear Kiku experiences over the injustice she is faced with is intense, and even seems somewhat magnified as she belongs in the present day, not the 1940s. What I am possibly the most pleased with is the potential for this story to encourage readers to look for more information on the internment camps of the 1940s, and also evaluate for themselves the current policies regarding immigration.

Favorite Moment: *spoiler alert* When Kiku is able to bond with her mother over her experience.

Favorite Character: At the first interment camp she is sent to, Kiku is assigned a room with Aiko, a determined woman who takes many risks to stand up against what is happening.

Recommended Reading: Naturally, I recommend Butler's Kindred, either the novel or graphic novel adaptation. Also, I recommend The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell.