Albany resident Jewel Okawachi, spoke on August 21 about her family’s experiences during World War II in the internment camps. Several members brought their children to learn this important part of American history.  Removed from their Albany home, Jewel’s family spent the next few years in a camp in Arizona.  Jewel’s father, a dentist, was often paid in produce or small pins that his patients had made from found materials.  Jewel’s brother, Taka Nishi was a member of the 442nd Infantry Division and was killed in Italy during the War and is remembered on the plaque at the Veteran’s Torch on Solano.

Jewel Okawachi