Esther was only two years old when her family was forced into the Tanforan temporary detention center from their home in San Francisco. From there they were removed to Topaz where she attended the Topaz preschool. Her older brother, Clifford, was in elementary school and her younger brother, Al, was born in camp in 1944. Esther wishes she had asked her parents more questions about their time at Topaz, but like most Niseis, they were mostly quiet about their experiences. But Esther recognizes how strong and resilient her mother was, raising three young children within the confines of camp.  “...how does a young mother deal with what conditions were like in a camp? I think for young mothers, especially, that their trials and tribulations were really quite  onerous. When I reflect, I have to go, “Wow.”