By JACL National Staff
National JACL has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to conduct two educational conferences for teachers on the Japanese American incarceration during the summer of 2016.
Titled “Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis: The Japanese American Incarceration,” the project will provide an opportunity for middle and high school teachers from throughout the United States to participate in intensive sessions about the incarceration.
Conference presenters will include Lane Hirabayashi and Valerie Matsumoto from the University of California, Los Angeles; June Aoki Berk; Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston; Sharon Ishii-Jordan; Greg Marutani; Dale Minami; John Tateishi; and Minoru Tonai.
The presenters will cover a range of topics about the incarceration, including its psychological impact, its constitutional significance, the Redress Movement, the military accomplishments of Japanese Americans and personal accounts including resistance.
Participants will visit the Japanese American National Museum, tour historic Little Tokyo, visit the section of Santa Anita Race Track that served as a detention facility and visit Manzanar National Historic Site.
Co-directors for the project are Christine Munteanu, JACL assistant program director, and Bill Yoshino, JACL Midwest director.
In commenting on the significance of the grant, Yoshino noted, “The funds from NEH provide JACL an opportunity to deliver its message to educators that the tragic experience of Japanese Americans during World War II should be a required lesson for all students.”
Added Munteanu: “This immersive training will allow educators to recognize full impact of the incarceration experience while also exploring its nuances and ongoing significance. We’re grateful to NEH for this opportunity.”
The grant is provided from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Education, Landmarks of American History and Culture: Workshops for School Teachers.
