November 13, 2019 Author to Discuss Former Congressman’s Experience in World War II Internment Camp

The 10th annual Jonah S. Eskin Memorial Program will feature award-winning writer Andrea Warren and her book “Enemy Child: The Story of Norman Mineta, a Boy Imprisoned in a Japanese American Internment Camp During World War II” (Holiday House).

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 10:30 a.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium, ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E. No tickets are required; limited seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Joining Warren will be the subject of the book, former U.S. Rep. Norman Mineta, the first Asian American to serve as mayor of a major American city (San Jose, California), and Monica Hesse, author of “The War Outside” and feature writer for The Washington Post. Hesse will interview Warren and Mineta, who has also served as secretary of transportation and secretary of commerce in two presidential cabinets.

Media interested in covering the event must be credentialed and must RSVP no later than Monday, Nov. 18, to Bryonna Head, bhea@loc.gov, (202) 707-3073. Only credentialed media will be admitted to the event.

Mineta was born in San Jose to Japanese immigrants. When he was 11, his parents and siblings were interned at the Heart Mountain camp near Cody, Wyoming, during World War II. The experience later drove Mineta to pursue politics, seek justice and introduce the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, offering camp survivors restitution and a formal apology from the government.

This event is supported by the Jonah S. Eskin Memorial Fund of the Library of Congress. The fund was established to honor the late son of Marcia and Barnet Eskin.

The Center for Learning, Literacy and Engagement, which comprises the Learning and Innovation Office and the Young Readers Center in the Jefferson Building, is sponsoring this program. It is part of a new series called National Book Festival Presents, which aims to bring top authors to the Library year-round. The series will recommence in spring 2020.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States – and extensive materials from around the world – both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.