Minoru “Mike” Akiyoshi was living with his parents in San Francisco when his family was forcibly removed first to the temporary detention center at Tanforan and then to Topaz, Utah. His two younger sisters were born in Topaz. Even though he was young, Mike has some vivid memories of the surrounding mountains, huge sunflowers, loads of red and black ants, and the barbed wire fences that loomed tall over the young toddler’s head. He is grateful to his parents for how hard they worked to protect their children and give them a sense of normalcy during those challenging years. “My parents just encouraged us to do the best that we could and didn’t poison us with negativity.”