Feb 19, 2017- Day of Remembrance: 75th Anniversary

Feb 19, 2017- Day of Remembrance. This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Japanese Internment Camps in the USA. When I was in school (late 90's) I learned about the internment camps via my Japanese language class. I was shocked and wanted to learn as much as possible. Quickly did I come to the conclusion that there wasn't anything out there. There was an exhibit in Seattle that showed a map of the camp locations in Washington state, a room set up to reenact the size and living standards of the camps, suitcases, number tags, and a few stories. For my high school self, it made a great impression. I was so shocked that Americans did that to fellow Americans. I didn't have enough background information, but I knew it should be taught in US History classes.

Fast-forward to 2017. That museum exhibit is no longer around, though there are a few spots in the international district that have remnants of the camps and the interned. Japantown of the 1940's is long gone, as Japantown became known as Chinatown on to the current International District. Japantown in Seattle may have shrank, but the Internment Camps are well known to my current 9th graders. As I quizzed them about it on Thursday, before watching George Takei's TED Talk (4)

Where can I send my students to experience the life of the interned, on their own? Seattle had a huge Japanese & Japanese American population in 1942. FDR's Executive Order 9066 was instated around the Seattle area in April. Families were given about a week to pack, unlike the majority of the Californians who were given 48hours or less in some places.   Panama Hotel (1) learned from Jamie Ford's book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. (2) You could visit the Puyallup fairgrounds (3) animal stalls and imagine what life might have been like sharing one of them with your family for weeks or months until you were moved to a main camp located away from the coastline.

February 19, 1942 through January 2, 1945. However, most of the Japanese Americans were in the camps for over 3 years, from March, 1942 to around the time the war ended in August, 1945.

My Teaching Idea:

Friday, the week before 2/19:

- Show Takei's TED Talk. Reason: Let students hear a typical camp story that also has some historical facts to establish a neutral base.

- Class discussion: Ask specific questions from the video to get Ss' minds thinking. Lead them to have a self lead realization that this same kind of thing is happening in America today. Last question, ask, "When is it okay not to follow: All Men Should be Created Equal? If ever."

- Free write: How does hate destroy? Why is the "Never Again" campaign so important to the interned? How is this situation similar to current events in the USA?

Monday: President's Day

Tuesday: The Puyallup Fairgrounds and Japanese Internment Lesson by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Stress on the video in the lesson being created by the US government (5) and have some self reflection on how it might feel to be put in that situation, for real! Also, Ss should think about how these videos might influence the Non-Japanese decent Americans to feel about the camps.

Compare the video on a Venn Diagram with video: Japanese Internment during WW II  by Carey McGleish. 

Wednesday:

Listen (eyes closed/heads down) to Mary Matsuda Gruenewald's interview: with BBC (8mins)/video (9mins)

Talk about Mike Masaoka

Talk about the pressure of answering Q 27 &28 of the government survey. Yes-Yes & No-No Boys

                             Question #27 asked: “Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty, wherever ordered?”

                   Question #28 asked: “Will you swear unqualified allegiances to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, or other foreign government, power or organization?”

Give Ss a list of books, videos, websites, etc. to research. They must find one person to follow and write that person's story (In Japanese they've studied up until now):

Before:

His/her name is/was _________.

S/he lived in ________________.

His/her family had ____ members; his/her ______, _______, ________...

During:

S/he was _________ years old in February of 1942.

S/he lived in Camp ___________ (& Camp ___________).

Camp life was ________________ & _______________. (adjectives such as; difficult, fun, bad food, dirty/dusty, small room, stinky, etc.)

S/he marked Question 27 Yes/No.  Question 28 Yes/No.

As a result (その結果) S/he (His/her father/mother) became a_____________ (soldier/ nurse/ prisoner).

Extra sentences: Did anyone they know pass away during camp? Did they do anything significant in camp? Did they participate in a camp job, school, or team? Etc.

After:

S/he moved to _________________.

It was _____________ miles away from (their original home).

Extra sentences: Did anyone in their family become psychologically impaired because of camp? How did they make ends meet after camp? How were they treated by non Japanese/Japanese Americans?

When did they first decided to talk about their camp experience? Why?

What are they currently doing about that now?

Etc.   

Thursday:

-Present to quad groups, submit written assignment to me. (20-25mins) (Reason: Students will know a lot about their person of study, they will then hear about at least 3 other prisoners to compare and think about for the second activity.)

-Handout cards (1/2 interned) that say:

Non-Japanese American military soldier/nurse: 18 years old. You love your country, but aren't sure if imprisoning Japanese is a good idea.  

Non-Japanese American military soldier: 18 years old. You love your country. You enlisted to travel and see the world, as your country is fighting in Europe. Instead you were stationed to Heart Mountain, WY. You watch the prisoners daily with a bayonet rifle in hand, but aren't sure if imprisoning Japanese is a good idea.

Non-Japanese American military nurse: 18 years old. You love your country. You enlisted to travel and see the world, as your country is fighting in Europe. Instead you were stationed to Heart Mountain, WY. You help the sick prisoners daily as you wonder why they are here and you are free.

Non-Japanese American: 16 years old. You love your country. You will willingly enlist in the military on your 18th birthday, but aren't sure if imprisoning Japanese is a good idea.  

Non-Japanese American military soldier/nurse: 18 years old. You love your country, and you think the Japanese are dirty spies that need to be locked up. You're happy to help!

Non-Japanese American civilian: 15 years old.  You love your country. You're afraid of the war. You had a few classmates of Japanese decent in your class, who are now in camp. You watched the videos from the government and are happy they are safe and enjoying themselves.

African American: 16 years old. You love your country, thought it doesn't always treat you right. You're contemplating enlisting when you turn 18. You've heard if you return a decorated war hero, it will improve your social status and give you more rights. (Sadly, this isn't as true as you hope...but you won't find out until you return from war.) You don't like that the Japanese are being so discriminated against, but you still have to keep your head down in this white world.

Chinese American: 14 years old. You love your country. Your father forces you to wear a pin that says, "I'm Chinese" everywhere you go, as protection. Your family is anti-Japanese, from long ago. They gained land and property from Japanese neighbors before they left to camp. You feel all Americans should be treated equal, but are grateful not to be Japanese.

Pilipino: 20 years old. You moved to the states to make a better life for your wife and American born son. You work on a strawberry farm for your Japanese boss. He asked you to watch his farm for him whiles he's away. You have no civil rights as a non-American citizen, so it will be difficult. The local authority often hassle you to let them buy your boss' farm for cheaper than it's worth. You could use the money, but don't want to back away from your promise. It's difficult for you to run the farm alone, as your English is not very strong.   

*You are Mike Masaoka: Leader of the Japanese American Citizens League. You are trying to work both sides with all your might! You want to keep your fellow Japanese Americans safe, and you want them to be treated fairly. You make it your daily battle to find the win-win. It's a steep up hill battle as a Japanese-American in the White American Political circle, but you never stop statically fighting. You got the Japanese Americans extra blankets, medicine, etc. You made the US military allow Japanese to enlist.  

Japanese American: 5 years old. You're scared and don't understand why you have to leave your home and friends to live in camp. You can make due with anything, as long as your mom and dad are with you. Camp is cold and dirty, but you still make time to go to school and play each day.

Japanese man who has lived in America for 40 years. You moved to the US for bigger and better business opportunities. After years of hard labor on the railroads, you started a strawberry farm on Vashon Island, WA as soon as you could afford a piece of land. Your son and his family (4 grandchildren) all live together in California. You were evicted from your farm in April and now live, sharing a single cow stall between all 7 of you, at Heart Mountain. It's freezing in winter and dusty in summer. 

Japanese American: 16 years old. You were a good student in school, and hate being separated from your friends. You miss them very much, and don't know if they will still like you once the war is over because you have gone from American to "the enemy." The military guards are scary. Sharing a bathroom and shower with the rest of the camp is embarrassing. Everyone in camp tells you to "gaman." so much that you just want to scream!

Japanese American: 20 years old. You were in the middle of university when you were sent back to your family in Washington for being of Japanese decent. You are American, born and raised. You don't even speak Japanese. You are mad at your country for interning you because of where your parents are from. It's not fair! Camp feels like a torturous waste of time. You join the No No Boys and protest the Japanese American draft.

Japanese: 25 years old. You were a picture bride. You decided to submit your photo to a match maker who was introducing woman to Japanese men in America. It sounds exotic to live a Hollywood lifestyle in the USA. Your husband chose you and you were married 5 years ago. You have 3 children (4 years, 2 years, and 6months old). You don't speak much English, but your husband and children do some. You have enjoyed your American life up until WWII began. Your husband was taken away 2 weeks ago, and has yet to return or write. There are rumors that you will be moved to an internment camp soon. You don't know how you will survive and take care of your 3 children.     

Japanese American: 12 years old. You love being American. You're in the boy scouts, best pitcher on your baseball team, and class valedictorian. You can't understand why you must go to camp because you have never even been to Japan before. You see a few friends from school in camp and are grateful. You try to make the best of the situation, as your family tells you to. It's scary at night when the soldiers follow you with their rifles as you run to use the restroom.  

Japanese American: 14 years old. Since the war began, it's been your dream to fight in the war for your country. Now, suddenly, you've become the enemy just because where your parents came from. You have grown up saluting the American stars and stripes! Why is this happening to you? There are rumors of camp gangs forming. The pressure to answer YES-YES or NO-NO is making everyone crazy and you feel scared.  

Japanese: 30 years old. You moved from Japan to start a family with your Japanese bride. You have 3 beautiful American children. Now, everyone is being sent to internment camps. You have lost your home and business to the American government workers who offered 10% of it's net worth. Your family is scared, hungry, cold. You wonder if they blame you for bringing them here. You love America and all that it stands for, but are scared for your family's future. You remind your wife, "gaman" everyday.

Japanese American: 18 years old. You were born and raised American. You have dreamed of becoming a nurse since you were a young child. As soon as Masaoka from the Japanese American Citizens League makes that possible, you will go to nursing school outside camp and train with army nurses to help in Europe.

Japanese American: 18 years old. You were born and raised in America. You understand that the American government is just trying to protect you and your family in camp. You are waiting for Masaoka to make it so that you and your fellow interned Japanese American citizens can start fighing the war in Europe. You understand that the Japanese Americans will have the toughest war assignments, but that's a price you're willing to pay. You will die for your country if you must, to prove your allegiance.

Japanese American: 17 years old. You were born and raised American, but are so outraged by what your country is doing to you and the other Japanese Americans just because of genetics. Most of the people in camp have never even been to Japan. A large majority don't even speak Japanese! We are American citizens! We love our country. We will not let America do this to us! You form a group of boys and men to vote No-No on the questionnaire.

*I'll secretly hand pick Masaoka.

I'll assign Ss these cards at random. I will ask them to read their cards and determine on a scale to line up. If answer is not clearly written out, Ss are to decide on their gut feeling of what that person might think or do:

J=Japanese, JA= Japanese American, NJ= Non Japanese

1) Am I of Japanese decent? (Right side= J by age, Middle= JA by age, NJ by age)

2) Will I work or live in a camp? (Right side of the room YES as a J, JA, NJ military, NJ nurse,  to left side of the room NO)

3) Am I for or against the Executive Order 9066/Internment Camps?  (Right side of the room YES to left side of the room NO)

4) From #3 line, take one step forward if you are J or JA. Take one step back if you are NJ.

In these 4 groups, I will have them talk as a group about the pros and cons of their position, then return to their seats and do a free write about what their character thinks, how they can agree and disagree with that person's view point, and why. I will then have them tell them what they would do if they were put in a camp because of their genetics today. Would they be for it or against it? What would they do if their best friend was put in a camp because of their genetics? Why?

HELP! Please offer me your ideas and suggestions to strengthen this unit. I want to have their language skills practiced. I want it to be a maximum of 3-4 school days. I want them to get exposed to as many angles of opinions and ideas as possible.   

Further your Research:

1) Place:  Panama Hotel, 1910. Address:  605 S Main Street, Seattle WA. Located in the International District.

2) Book: (Fiction) Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

3) Place & Lesson Plan: Puyallup Fairgrounds 110 9th Ave SW, Puyallup, WA 98371  

4) Video: George Takei, Why I love a country that once betrayed me (16 mins)

5) Video: Japanese Relocation - 1943 Japanese American Internment & Relocation Centres - Ella73TV         

Other)

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald. Currently resides in Vashon Island, WA.

Book: Looking Like the Enemy 

Website: Looking Like the Enemy

Videos: Her story 

Interview: with BBC Talking about the #9066, what to pack, going to camp, camp. (8min)

Video of basic information: Japanese Internment during WW II  by Carey McGleish