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Jack Matsuoka's Cartoons: Making the Best of Poston


 The Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) has just opened a new yearlong exhibit, Jack Matsuoka's Cartoons: Making the Best of Poston . In 2005, this exhibit will travel to Watsonville, California, Jack's home town.

At the outbreak of World War II, Jack and his family were uprooted from their home in Watsonville, California, and incarcerated at Poston, Arizona from 1942 to 1945. Just a teenager at the time, Jack documented Japanese American incarcerees making the best of a woeful situation through his often humorous and always insightful cartoons.

A companion project, Like Jack: Making the Best of It, links Jack's experiences 60 years ago with those of BGCSV youth today. Inspired by Jack, they told their own stories of challenges and coping strategies through art and words. Their refreshingly candid work is also on display as a temporary exhibit at JAMsj. This collaborative project was funded by the California Story Fund of California Council for the Humanities.