The 2024 Arizona Author Series Remembers Japanese-Americans Ken Mochizuki to present about Michi Challenges History: From Farm Girl to Costume Designer to Relentless Seeker of the Truth: The Life of Michi Nishiura Weglyn

PHOENIX – Ken Mochizuki will speak about his book, Michi Challenges History: From Farm Girl to Costume Designer to Relentless Seeker of the Truth: The Life of Michi Nishiura Weglyn, as part of the State of Arizona Research Library’s 2024 Arizona Author Series.

The talk is at 12 p.m. MST, Thursday, February 15th, and will be held virtually on Zoom. Attendees are encouraged to register at https://azsos.libcal.com/calendar/starl/azasfeb2024 to receive the link to the presentation. After the talk, there will be time for questions from the audience.

This presentation will be recorded and made available on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@stateofarizonaresearchlibr2662). Registered attendees will receive a link to the recording once it is available.

“February 19th marks the Day of Remembrance for Japanese American internment during World War II and it’s important that as a nation and a state we remember our history,” remarked Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. “What better way to learn about this history than a biography about the woman who made sure we have a day to remember.”

When she was only a teenager, Michi Nishiura Weglyn was interred at the Arizona Gila River concentration camp during World War II. Yet, it wasn’t until 1968 when she was already a renowned costume designer for Broadway shows that she embarked on a quest to uncover the truth about these concentration camps. Her research was a profound catalyst for the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 which led the government to admit its mistreatment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

You can read and listen to books about the history and culture of Arizona for free on Reading Arizona.

Born and raised in Seattle, Wash. and a graduate of the University of Washington, Ken Mochizuki is the author of the award-winning and best-selling picture books Baseball Saved Us, Heroes, and Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. He also wrote the young adult novel Beacon Hill Boys, the graphic novel Those Who Helped Us, and the nonfiction biography for young readers, Michi Challenges History—From Farm Girl to Costume Designer to Relentless Seeker of the Truth: The Life of Michi Nishiura Weglyn. Previously as a journalist, he had extensively covered the Japanese American World War II experience and Asian Pacific American history.