Photography of Japanese-Canadian letters during WWII
I led the photography for UBC Library’s acquisition, letters written by young Japanese-Canadians during World War II. One of the objectives was to have visual assets that can be used for the official promotional materials that will be shared with external media and on-campus partners at University of British Columbia.
MONTECRISTO Magazine used my images for their story “Letters to Joan Gillis: Stories of Friendship”.
UBC Library acquires rare letters written by young Japanese Canadians during World War II
UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections has acquired an extraordinary collection of letters that provide unique insight into the devastating effects of the Japanese Canadian internment during World War II.
The collection of 147 letters, written to donor Joan Gillis in 1942 by a group of young Japanese Canadians she met while attending Queen Elizabeth Secondary School in Surrey, talk of daily life and the challenges faced by these young people after being ordered out of the “Security Zone” on the B.C. coast, and are filled with frequent references to acute homesickness and sadness at being removed from their homes. The writers range in age from 13 to 18. Some were very close friends with Gillis, while others were casual acquaintances.
MONTECRISTO Magazine
MONTECRISTO Magazine used three of my images for their article “Letters for Joan Gillis: Stories of Friendship,” written by Jacquline Ranit.
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Before the age of social media, texting, and emails, there was one prime method of written communication—letter writing. Composed on delicate pieces of stationery, these thin handwritten treasures are now considered a thing of the past. But thanks to an exciting acquisition by the University of British Columbia Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections, this lost art is being rediscovered again.
2018
Katya Roxas | Communications Officer
Photography
UBC Library Communications and Marketing