Searching for Democracy DISCUSSION GUIDE farewell to manzanar WELCOME! OVERVIEW Welcome to California Reads, a statewide pro- California Reads is a new program of Cal Humanities developed in gram that brings Californians together to ex- partnership with the California Center for the Book and the Cali- plore important topics through reading and fornia State Library. It invites Californians from all walks of life discussion. This year, our theme is Searching For throughout our state to participate in reading and discussion pro- Democracy. What does democracy mean to us? grams and related activities hosted by libraries, schools, colleges, What challenges has American democracy faced bookstores and other community institutions. in the past? How can we strengthen our democ- racy in the future? How can we talk and work We have selected a slate of books this year to stimulate a thought- together despite our differences? What can we ful reflection of, and lively discussion among, friends and neigh- learn from the experiences of others who have bors, family and strangers about the past, present, and future of struggled with these questions? democracy. Five thought-provoking books were chosen from a pool of over 300 titles nominated by members of the public, and based California Reads offers a choice of five superb upon the final recommendations of an advisory group of librarians, books to act as a springboard for community authors, scholars, publishers and critics. discussion. These works include fiction as well as non-fiction, and were written by men and These five books were selected: women of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. There are many ways to experience and explore • The Penguin Guide to the United States Constitution: A Fully Annotated what democracy means, strives for in its prom- Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Amendments, and Se- ise, and requires for its success. No singular lections from The Federalist Papers, by Richard Beeman. Annotated by book can capture all of these complexities, and one of the nation’s foremost Constitutional scholars, this compact each selection offers the reader an opportunity edition of our nation’s founding documents provides text and con- to discover new perspectives by inviting us to text for readers seeking to understand the framework of our de- think about individual responsibility, the im- mocracy as well as its meaning, past and present. portance of a free press, the collective good, and • Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. what it is needed from each of us to sustain a Houston. A heartbreaking and compelling memoir about the Japa- healthy democracy. nese American internment experience as seen through the eyes of young girl, this personal story bears witness to a failure of Ameri- Cal Humanities and the California Center for can democracy. the Book are partnering on this project because • A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in we feel books–and the conversations they spark– Disaster, by Rebecca Solnit. A masterwork of narrative nonfiction by can make a difference in the world. We hope this a contemporary California writer reaches some surprising conclu- will be just the first of many statewide conversa- sions about our need for community and common purpose, which tions under our California Reads banner, provid- she argues are fundamental to democratic forms of social and po- ing Californians with opportunities to read and litical life. discuss stories and ideas that matter. Whether • It Can’t Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis. This underappreciated you are joining the discussion through a pro- classic by one of America’s greatest novelists, first published in gram at your local library, bookstore, school or 1935, imagines a chillingly undemocratic America. It details the elsewhere, we hope you will be inspired by these rise of a populist politician as he creates a fascist regime, and re- books and enjoy a new connection with your minds us of the fragility of our democratic institutions. community and your state. • Lost City Radio, by Daniel Alarcon. A haunting novel by a young California writer explores the aftermath of a traumatic civil war in With gratitude, a fictitious South American country, and raises questions about the importance of historical knowledge, collective memory, and public access to information in a democratic society. Ralph Lewin The discussion guides for each book—like this one—provide an President and CEO overview of the book and author, a series of discussion questions Cal Humanities to begin conversations, a brief author interview, bibliographies and other supplemental resources for interested readers. A K-12 cur- riculum guide for each book is also available to further support classroom activities. All of these materials, along with additional Mary Menzel resources and information about Searching for Democracy and Director California Reads public programs and activities at libraries California Center for the Book and other community venues, can be found at our web site at www.calhum.org/searchingfordemocracy. OVERVIEW Leading into the national 2012 elections, Searching for Democracy is the culmination of a two year-long initiative that pro- vides Californians with various ways to explore how the humanities can provide insight and opportunities to converse about the nature, state and needs of our vibrant American democracy. Cal Humanities and its partners will explore these complexities—through a series of local, regional, and statewide humanities-inspired activities—to accomplish a greater understanding of what is needed to sustain a healthy democracy in an increasingly interdependent world. Students, families and people from all walks of life will explore—online and in person—what discoveries and lessons lie in works of fiction and nonfiction, provocative cultural exhibits and public conversations. The Cal Humanities website (www.calhum.org) will be an online hub for all activities, where participants in events, readers of the initiative’s books, and people new to our effort can learn more and share what they have discovered. Our Searching For Democracy program partners include: California libraries, California Center for the Book, California Histo- ry-Social Science Project, Exhibit Envoy, and Zócalo Public Square, in collaboration with California State Library, California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California Television. about the book Farewell to Manzanar about the authors by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston Farewell to Manzanar is the true story of a Jeanne Wakatsuki Hous- dark chapter in U.S. history, when thou- ton was born in 1934 in sands of American citizens were stripped Inglewood, California. The of their constitutional rights in the name youngest of 10 children, of national security. The bombing of Pearl she spent her early child- Harbor that led to America’s entry into hood in Southern Califor- WWII also fueled a climate of fear and nia until 1942 when she fanned the flames of existing anti-Japanese and her family were relo- sentiment. This was the context in which cated to the World War II the government issued Executive Order 9066, ordering Japanese- internment camp at Manzanar, California. At the Americans in the western states to take up residence in govern- close of the war, in 1945, her family returned to ment-created internment camps. Jeanne Wakatsuki was seven Southern California where they lived until they years old in 1942 when her family was uprooted from their home moved to San Jose in 1952. Houston was the first and fishing business in Long Beach, California, and relocated to in her family to earn a college degree. She met Manzanar in the foothills of California’s Eastern Sierras, taking James D. Houston while attending San Jose State only the belongings they could carry. The Wakatsukis spent the University. They married in 1957 and had three next three years in the shadow of guard towers behind barbed children. In 1971 she decided to write about her wire, virtual prisoners in their own country. family’s experience during WWII and collaborated with her husband on Farewell to Manzanar. At age 37, Houston was finally able to come to terms with the expe- rience and to record her recollections of life at Manzanar. She and Published in 1973, her book has become a part her co-author, her husband James Houston, describe how she, her of many schools’ curriculum on the subject of family, and other members of the community endeavored to adapt the Japanese American internment. In 1976 she to this drastic upheaval and create some semblance of normality, adapted the book into a screenplay of the same as well as how, on release, they faced continuing discrimination as name. Houston continued to write and to col- they struggled to rebuild their lives. With humanity and humor, laborate with husband, until his death in 2009. In the book tells of the dignity and great resourcefulness of Jeanne’s 2003, her first novel, The Legend of Fire Horse Wom- fellow internees in the midst of demeaning circumstances, as well an, was published. She is the recipient of numer- as the devastating psychological effect the internment had on indi- ous honors, including the Humanitas Prize and viduals and families. The book also invites us to consider whether the Christopher Award, both for the screenplay the events it portrays could happen again in our country during a Farewell to Manzanar. In 2006, Jeanne Wakatsuki time of crisis and, if so, how we would respond. Houston received the Award of Excellence for her contributions to society from the Japanese Ameri- The San Francisco Chronicle named Farewell to Manzanar one of the can National Museum. She lectures in both uni- twentieth century’s 100 best nonfiction books from west of the versity and community settings. Rockies. Farewell to Manzanar DISCUSSION QUESTIONS by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D.