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AnonymousMy last post might have seemed a bit pessimistic. Let me say that I have enjoyed the entire week. When I retire in 3 years, I will be doing a great deal of traveling to all sorts of cultural venues up and down this state, a few nationally, and hopefully some internationally. As for the Japanese American National Museum, it was my first time there. When I taught English Lit in 6th grade there was a mandated story called "The Bracelet" where a white child gave her Japanese best friend a bracelet to remember her. The story was quite moving and factual. My students often were disturbed by the story. As an African-American social injustice becomes upfront and personal to me having lived through a great part of the first civil rights movement and now entering the second movement. As slavery ultimately defines the existence of Blacks past and arguably even presently, the interment of innocent Japanese-Americans so defines their past and present existence in America. Our visit forced me to face my continued disappointment with our culture as to the treatment of ethnic groups, the resurgence of stereotypes, and the continuation of camps like Guantonomo Bay in Cuba. I left the museum with a sense of hope for Black people here in America. If the Japanese could come back so strongly, perhaps there is still hope for my ethnic group to yet come together and not just survive but thrive. It was a good day.
AnonymousThis is the first time I have ever visited the JANM, but it will not be the last. Our docent was a child when she and her family had to leave their home for a Japanese internment camp. Her memories tugged at my heart. It's hard to believe that in America where we daily tout "Justice for all" something like this occurred. I guess the thing that touched me the most is that so many who were put in these camps went out and fought for America. The saying on one of the walls that brought me to tears was that they were fighting two wars, one for democracy and the other for prejudice towards them in America. I read a story with my students about saving the poetry that was found on some of the wall of one of these internment camps. They stopped the destruction so that history could be preserved. If we learn from history all will not be lost. I was impressed how the Japanese people in these camps made the best of a bad situation; they planted gardens, organized baseball teams, wrote poetry, kept their minds and bodies alert. That is their nature. I saw a picture of before and then one year after of Japan when the 2011 tsunami hit. It was a mess but the picture 12 months later everything had been cleaned up. Compare that to Haiti and the devastating earthquake that hit there, it still is a mess and doesn't look like much has been done. My point is that Japanese people are hard working. The museum had evidence of this all over its halls.
AnonymousI was so lucky to visit the Japanese American National Museum the very first time with the guide Babe (I forgot his last name.) He is so entertaining and made me feel better when I heard these sad stories. It is so hard to imagine that his father got taken away and he didn't know when he was going to be back. I think this exhibition shows American another perspective of the war that textbook may not mention. I can use these material in my 3rd grade class when we talk about California history, and how different racial group come to US. I feel it is important to let the kids see different perspectives of one issue at an early age. It is a shame that my school can't go on a field trip to the museum since we are in San Diego. But what the museum has is a gem.
clay dubePlease post your thoughts about the museum and its resources here. Have you visited the museum previously?
Please take some time to review the museum's website prior to our visit. Note the family festival they have planned for 8/15. Many Japanese institutions, including temples and churches will be holding Obon-related events.
http://www.janm.org/