Postcards from Malcolm X
How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Human Rights Activist
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Red Comet Press
(pub. 10.13.2026)
42 pages
Ages 8 - 12
Author: Mia Wenjen
Illustrator: Keith Henry Brown
Character: Yuri Kochiyama
Overview:
"When Japanese American activist Yuri Kochiyama shook Malcolm X’s hand at a courthouse in 1963, it sparked a transformative friendship built on justice, solidarity, and hope.
Postcards from Malcolm X traces Kochiyama’s remarkable journey from a small-town girl in California to a fearless advocate for human rights. Her experiences―her father’s death at the hands of the FBI, her family’s internment during World War II, and her work with Japanese American soldiers―shaped a life of activism that connected her to Harlem’s civil rights struggle and, ultimately, to Malcolm X himself."
Tantalizing taste:
" Never one to seek the spotlight, Yuri drew people in with her warmth, becoming the glue for movements and organizations that fought for justice and equality ... Working tirelessly behind the scenes, she quietly helped organize people into powerful coalitions. But it was her avid letter-writing that charted the course of Yuri's life. From Nisei soldiers to Malcolm X to political prisoners - Yuri had an amazing capacity to offer support and use the power of the pen to fight for equality for everyone."
And something more: Author Mia Wenjen explains in the Author's Note: "I grew up in a mostly white town located fifteen miles from San Pedro, California, whre Yuri was raised. My mother, close in age to Yuri, was also forced from her home during World War II...
There is a Japanese saying that the nail that sticks out gets pounded down. Culturally, Japanese Americans are not raised to rock the boat. In Yuri's time, it was really unusual for a Japanese American to be an activist, particuarly for causes that did not directly affect them. This is perhaps why most people don't know about Yuri Kochiyama. .. Yet she was a powerful force for social justice. Quietly and behind the scenes, she fought for those who faced injustice..."