Session 10 - Japanese American National Museum

[Jonathan Tam]

Shame is the first word that comes to mind when I go to the Japanese American National Museum. Though Japanese Internment is often overshadowed by many of the other human etrocities throughout the 20th century, the impact that it has had on people's lives should never be overlooked namely because it seems as though that the stories that we heard are being written right now. Our docent (who is a nisei) did a great job of telling his story and he did so in a way that made you really feel the humanity of the circumstances. He was only 6/7 when his family arrived to the camp and left internment when he was 7/8 - unable to really talk about the situation until he was a lot older and only interested in finding a place to play day after day in the camp. He shared with us stories about how he would jump off the snowy roofs into piles of coal when he brought us to the model cabin as well as how he would spend the better majority of secondary school avoiding any Japanese people as a result of the experience. It's traumatizing and it seems as though it's almost human nature to regret or avenge or repair rather than prevent or prepare or protect. I won't dabble too much into that and I know that we aren't meant to design lessons on American history - but there is a really strong tie to current events that I think a lot of students would find some interest talking about.

A side point is definitely how important these stories are going to be in the future - as the aging population of the holocaust and japanese internment and the armenian genocide and World War 2 (among a great other events in history) begins to dwindle. There's a lot of technology being developed to machine learn and immortalize their stories in film - but I see some responbility that we have as teachers to also be part of passing those stories along.

[Kimberly de Berzunza]

I also was saddened, though not surprised, to learn of the Munson report. Just another time the US gov't ignores its own evidence in order to do what it wants.

[Zoey McKinney]

Hearing Mas's stories, then comparing it with the $20,000 in reparations he received really showed a stark contrast. $20,000 seems like such a paltry amount for the two (three?) years he and his family spent imprisoned in the camp, not even considering the trauma of uprooting their lives and losing their homes and possessions. Of course, you can't really assign monetary value to human life, and I know there are budget constraints, but it did make me think about what kind of reparations would be "enough" in my own personal view. 

I also definitely agree with your point about capturing the firsthand stories of survivors while we still can. I did a lesson on oral history and its importance that I think really speaks to that. It can also be a great opportunity to have students interview their older relatives about their stories and, if appropriate, introduce them to databases that exist online like the USC Shoah Foundation or this one about Japanese internment: https://www.tellingstories.org/internment/

[Diana Corey]

That was a moment that struck me, too. I am interested in looking for opportunities to have discussions like this with my students as well. 

[Diana Corey]

I thoroughly enjoyed our far-too-brief visit to this museum. To be lead through the museum by someone who lived part of that history was a powerful experience. I was moved by the personal stories our docent wove throughout his introduction. I would love to have been able to stay for much longer and really absorb the information, stories, images, and experience. Unfortunately, I am one of the out-of-towners, so I am unlikely to have an opportunity to return any time soon, much less get students in for a field trip. I am not sure yet exactly how I can work this kind of content into my Mandarin curriculum, except to take time for a bigger look at what was happening all over the world as we look at the Sino-Japanese war and aftermath. 

[Frederic Vial]

Our guide was 6 years old when he was taken to an interment camp in Utah.  I was impressed by our guide's vivid memory of the night they were forced to leave their home. His recollections were, indeed, heartbreaking.  His continual reference to his not speaking Japanese denoted an element of shame, one which he admittedly referred to as the reason he was now "making-up for it" by serving and working at the museum. Being guided through the museum by a primary source individual was very special. I feel fortunate to have had the experience and opportunity to simply listen to our guide's stories.

As others have stated, I was also unaware of the Munson Report and wonder why the Roosevelt Administration did not adhere to its findings. I can only be left to assume it was due to political reasons. A theory exists that the Roosevelt Administration knew the attack on Pearl Harbor was going to happen but buried the information since it was the only way to get public support behind the war. Prior to Pearl Harbor, Americans did not want to get involved in the European conflict. Once US soil was attacked, this public opinion quickly changed. I can only deduce that the reason to ignore the Munson Report would have been to maintain this public support for going to war by instilling a sense of paranoia amongst US citizenry.   

[Frederic Vial]

Jonathan,

You make a great point regarding future generations and the importance of maintaining the lessons learned from such horrific conflicts. The recording and recounting of primary source, first-hand accounts of people who lived during these times is of paramount importance to preserving the lessons learned by them.

[David Ojeda]

I was also in awe that Mas distanced himself from his culture at first. However, it makes sense considering the experience he and the Japanese community went through. It is unfortunate that, due to assimilation, we gradually lose aspects of our culture (customs, traditions, language, etc). I teach 6th-grade English and Social Studies. I try to find ways of validating and honoring a student’s culture by encouraging him/her to incorporate it into class assignments and projects. I believe it is important to create assignments that validate a student’s cultural upbringing, allowing him/her to take pride in the latter. At times it can be difficult, especially if we do not have a lot of exposure to an array of cultures.

[Xiaowei Hunt]

Teaching with Primary Sources has been an effective way in many classrooms for many teachers. Years ago I took an online class focusing on this strategy. The visit to the Japanese American National Museum on 8/9/19 once again reminds me of the many pictures I saw at the museum that can be used in my own Chinese classroom. I have the pictures I selected attached here and explain how I will use them in my class. 

The three pictures are:

Early Japanese School in the U.S. 

U.S. Government Apologized

Every Dog (No Distinction of Colors) Has His Day

 

I will conduct an “I see, I think and I wonder” activity to stimulate students’ mind in looking at Japanese American life in the first part of the 20^thcentury. I think this activity can engage students in a lively discussion and push for their critical thinking. 

Attachments:

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[Sophia Kang]

I've only seen a book cover picture of a book titled "Picture Bride," but until the museum visit, I didn't know what it was. Our guide told us about the story of his mom, who, while pregnant with him had just walked out to the snow, eventually passing out from hypothermia, and then getting rescued by a passerby. He tried to make us think about the psychological effects of the war and different people's ways of processing their experiences. An idea that stood out to me was the sudden isolation of a group of people in moments of hysteria regardless of their citizenship. I can see this fitting into my Crucible unit on hysteria. 

[Nira Sun]

Although it was quite a brief visit to the JANM, I definitely enjoyed everything we learned from our docent. I also found the picture bride an interesting fact in the history. As you mentioned, it was an earlier version of matchmaking. What is happening now is that people are selecting their interested people to date via online by looking at the pictures first. However, in the past, majority of the marriages did last till the end. I couldn't imagine what types of hardship the women went through to stay in the marriages. It also made me thinking what makes the differences between the marriage in the past and now. There must be huge changes in women's social status for women to feel the freedom of choosing the right relationship but not depending on it instead of the pressure of staying in certain relationship to maintain basic living needs. I wonder if there is any documentary showcasing the life of these picture brides.

[Marcos Rico]

I was fortunate that in this my first visit to the JANM, we had a guided tour by our Docent Mas. Hearing Mas, share his experience as a young boy, during WW II, on how his family was taken to a concentration camp in Utah, a.k.a. Topaz Internment Camp, was a unique experience. I had read about the relocation of Japanese Americans during WW ll, but hearing our Docent's experience was heartbreaking (Wonderful educational experience, but heartbreaking). Mas' experience scarred him for life, he walked away from his Japanese culture and heritage (He cannot read nor speak Japanese). Now at an old age he is trying to reconnect with his culture by volunteering as a Docent at the museum.  

I am planning on making a visit to the JANM with my wife and sons, before the end of this year. My twin sons decided to take Japanese in High School, even though they have already have fulfilled their language requirements by passing their A. P. Spanish test in 8th grade, and earning the seal of Biliteracy for their High School diploma. 

[Midori Sanchez]

I have been to JANM several times, and love that each time there are core parts to the exhibit and there are also different things that I have "missed" each time.

A quote that stood out to me was by David Mas Masumoto: Culture binds us, gives us meaning and provides us with foundation... it surrounds, entangles and supports our daily life, a matter of learning "what it is we have to know" to belong within a family and community.

The first unit I teach is about "What does it mean to be an American?" for school. We discuss that rather than America being a "melting pot" that it is more like a "quilt" (many pieces that are different that come together as one) and what struggles there are when coming to another country and making meaning of your new surrounding. This museum demonstrates that "the day that will live in infamy" affected those for generations to come; American citizens were forcibly removed and placed into concentration camps. My favorite part of the exhibit was seeing those that were not quiet during this period such as Mitsuye Endo and Godron Hirabayashi that went through the courts and even jail to seek justice for their loss of freedom and pursuit of happiness. It was great to see a woman alongside men featured in this section.

 

I believe that in my class, I would like to highlight heros from different time periods, countries, and also have female representation moreso than what is featured in the text though there are female writers in our main textbook used. 

[Jonathan Tam]

Hi Anthony. You brought up a great point about why other countries might bring young people to the museum. It definitely makes you wonder whether it's meant to articulate the level of sacrifice that Japanese-Americans faced in order to maintain relations between Japan and America or to promote a sense of japanese nationalism or even just to learn about the events of history. It would be really interesting to look inside a textbook or primary source on the matter and to translate some of the language behind it to see what attitude this event in history is greeted with.

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

I have visited the Japanese concentration camps in Manzanar through the UTLA free PD on Japanese internment. I wish I had visited this museum before taking that class. I appreciated the story told through from the perspective of our tour guide's personal experiences along with the visual displays in the museum. I don't teach US history and this topic is not part of my curriculum, but I try to at least briefly mention the existence of these camps when teaching the Holocaust so that students understand that we also targetted citizens based on race. We often demonize Germany, but it's important to see that stereotyping, racism, and hate can lead to discrimination anywhere around the world at any point in history.

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