This year marks the 75th anniversary of artist Miné Okubo’s graphic memoir, Citizen 13660. When it was first published in 1946, it was groundbreaking. Not only was it the first book-length account on America’s concentration camps from the perspective of a former incarceree, but it was also an early example of a graphic memoir. In Citizen 13660, through a series of nearly 200 illustrations, each accompanied by a caption, Miné Okubo captured how World War II and the subsequent incarceration upended her life. 

JANM is uniquely positioned to commemorate the milestone anniversary of this iconic work as a custodian of Miné Okubo’s collection, which includes: myriad sketches that she completed while she was incarcerated at Tanforan and Topaz detention centers, the original drawings that she created for the graphic memoir, as well as a draft of the final manuscript.

For the first time, the materials comprising Miné Okubo’s masterpiece will be exhibited, revealing the art of Citizen 13660.