I just watched and truly enjoyed the movie American Pastime. Because I've read and taught abo
ut the internment (imprisonment in isolated camps) of Japanese Americans during World War II, I was interested in this film, and can now recommend it.
Books you could read about the internment include Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida, Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, The Journal of Ben Uchida (a My Name is America novel by Barry Denenberg based on true events), Caged Eagles (about internment in Canada) and a picture book titled Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki and Dom Lee.
To learn more about the internment camp in Utah, go to http://www.topazcamp.org/
The following is a quote from Production Notes... at http://web.mac.com/matthewwilliams/American_Pastime/Production_Notes.html
The film, "American Pastime," tells the story of Japanese Americans herded into the “Topaz” internment camp near (Abraham, Utah) during WWII, who turn to baseball as a way to deal with their plight. The film is based on actual events about a baseball team that arose out of the camp. (The camp set was built in the Utah desert not far from the original Topaz site).
