Life Interrupted:
The Japanese American Experience
in World War II Arkansas
A partnership between the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
and the Japanese American National Museum
with major funding provided by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
Saturday, September 25, 2004
At The Peabody Hotel
Camp Connections: A Conversation about Civil Rights and Social Justice in Arkansas
Session Leaders are identified by institution
Panelists are identified by state
FOCUS AREAS
Arkansas Focused Sessions
Basic Introductory Sessions
Camp Site Preservation Sessions
Civil Rights and History Focused Sessions
Military-Focused Sessions
Student Friendly Sessions
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The Arkansas Home Front During World War II
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Session Leader:
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S. Charles Bolton, Ph.D., Professor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
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Panelists:
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L.T. Williams, Ph.D., Arkansas
Jeannie Whayne, Ph.D., Arkansas
Ben Johnson, Ph.D., Arkansas
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Four scholars who study various aspects of Arkansas history will discuss what
was taking place in Arkansas during World War II. This session will examine
race relations, war industries, and the general social and economic status of
Arkansas in order for attendees to better understand why Arkansans reacted differently
to the inmates from Rohwer and Jerome.
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The Camps as They Influenced Arkansas
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Session Leader:
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Ben Johnson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Southern Arkansas University
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Panelists:
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C. Calvin Smith, Ph.D., Arkansas
Russell Bearden, Arkansas
S. Charles Bolton, Ph.D., Arkansas
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Four Arkansas scholars who study 20th Century Arkansas will examine different
aspects of 1940's Arkansas and how the camps influenced the politics, economics,
and racial issues of the day.
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Influence of the Camps to the Neighbors and Towns
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Session Leader:
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Russell Bearden, White Hall High School, Arkansas
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Panelists:
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John Ellington, Arkansas
Rosalie Gould, Arkansas
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Four Arkansans who grew up in the area of the camps discuss their memories of
the camps and how the camps influenced their lives while growing up. One panelist
reflects on how townspeople feel about the camps today and how learning about
the camps later in her life has affected her.
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Master Teachers'
Presentation
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Session Leaders:
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Kristin Mann. Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University
of Arkansas at Little Rock
Allyson Nakamoto, Manager of Teacher Programs, Japanese American National
Museum
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In Spring 2003, nine Arkansas teachers were selected to become master teachers
for
Life Interrupted: The Japanese American Experience in World War II Arkansas.
These teachers enthusiastically delved into the subject matter in order to find
ways to effectively teach it to Arkansas students. Over the past year and a half,
the master teachers have conducted research, authored curriculia, and conducted
numerous workshops across the state. In this presentation, they will share parts
of their unit plans, as well as the valuable lessons they have learned as master
teachers.
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Schools and Education in Wartime Arkansas
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Moderator:
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Laura Miller, Chief of Interpretation, Central High School National Historic Site, Arkansas
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Panelists:
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Minnijean Brown Trickey, Arkansas
Erma Glasco Davis, Ph.D., Arkansas
Florie Lyle, Arkansas
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September 25, 2004 is the 47th anniversary of the 1957 Central High Crisis.
To commemorate the occasion,
Panelists will compare and contrast the Arkansas
education system before, during, and after the war. They will share their experiences
from three viewpoints.
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American Democracy
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Presenter:
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Gary Y. Okihiro, Ph.D., Director, Center for
the Study of Race & Ethnicity and
Professor, Columbia University, New York
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An overview of the Japanese American experience and diversity in the United
States as a backdrop to the work of the Japanese American National Museum, the
National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, and educators developing
curriculum on American democracy.
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The Incarceration of Japanese Americans in Historical and Contemporary Perspective
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Speaker:
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Roger Daniels, Ph.D., Charles Phelps Taft Professor
Emeritus of History,
University of Cincinnati
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One of the foremost scholars on the subject of the Japanese American incarceration,
Dr. Daniels will examine historical and contemporary perspectives on the incarceration.
He will explain the background of why Japanese Americans were locked up as well
as how it relates to today's incarceration of Arab Americans.
Video and films related to civil rights and social justice themes. Curated by
the award-winning staff of the
Watase Media Arts Center of the Japanese American National Museum and the National
Asian American
Telecommunications Association. Each session will show a different slate of
films and videos. This session introduces the audience to the wide range of
educational media products, which can serve as resources for both school and
home.
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Broadening the Circle-Eliciting Involvement
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Session Host/Moderator:
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Diane Matsuda and Gerry Takano, All-Camps Project, California
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Panelists:
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Toni Lee, Washington DC
Erma Glasco Davis, Ph.D., Arkansas
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The incarceration of over 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry in World
War II is not just a story of one community. It is a story that affects all
Americans residing in this country for it is an example of how the protection
of civil liberties was forfeited during a time of crisis and war hysteria. Unfortunately,
this has not been the only time in our history where civil liberties have been
placed behind other national priorities. Learn ways in which significant events
in the lives of Americans have encouraged communities and individuals to get
involved and interested in talking about their stories and learning more about
ourselves.
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Creating a "How To"Manual for All Communities
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Moderator:
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Diane Matsuda and Gerry Takano, All-Camps Project, California
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Panelists:
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Neil King, Idaho
Frank Hays, California
Rosalie Gould, Arkansas
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How do we learn to share information about important government sources that
can help us? How do we learn to get our story, our historical concentration
camp site recognized? How do we get others to pay attention to our story? Learn
ways in which National Park Service leaders along with leaders in the
Japanese American community and leaders in the local community went step by
step in building relations with various governmental, business and community
groups to build a base for government support to create permanent historical
markers and landmarks at sites of historical significance.
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Putting a Face to a Place
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Session Leader:
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Gerry Takano, All Camps Project, California
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Panelists include:
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Jimi Yamaichi, California
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Within the state of Arkansas, two important sites exist that have great historical
and social significance to
Japanese Americans: Jerome and Rohwer. However, outside of the Japanese American
community, only a handful of individuals have been introduced to the importance
and meaning of these two locations. This workshop will focus on examples as
to how a "face" to a "place" can bring new life and
outlook to a once viewed barren piece of land.
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1981 Commission Hearing Testimonies
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Session Leader:
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Roger Daniels, Ph.D., Charles Phelps Taft Professor
Emeritus of History,
University of Cincinnati
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Panelists:
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Alan Nishio, California
John Tateishi, California
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Discussion of the establishment, the deliberation, and findings of the 1981
Commission Hearings.
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The Civil Rights Movement and Impact on the Redress Reparations Movement
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Session Leader:
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Mitchell Maki, Ph.D., Associate Dean, California State University at Los Angeles
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Panelists include:
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Yuri Kochiyama, California
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This session will explore how and if the civil rights movement of the 1960's
and 1970's encouraged the
Japanese American community to begin the fight for redress.
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Hawai'i Connections: Jerome and Rohwer
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Session Leader:
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Richard Markham, General Manager, Hilton Inn, Arkansas
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Panelists:
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June Honma, California
Sally Tsuneishi, California
Sadami Hamamoto, Hawai'i
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Although the Japanese American population in Hawai'i was significant,
the government chose not to incarcerate this group en masse, largely for economic
reasons. Still, leaders within the Japanese American community were rounded
up, separated from their families and transported, not just across the continent
but across the Pacific Ocean, to Justice Department and War Relocation Authority
camps. The
Panelists will discuss the lesser-known experiences of Americans
of Japanese ancestry from Hawai'i who found themselves in camps.
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Opening Wedge: Confronting New Options
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Session Leader:
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Art Hansen, Ph.D., Professor & Director,
Oral History Program, California State University, Fullerton
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Panelists:
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Jacalyn Harden, Ph.D., Washington
Setsuko Nishi, Ph.D., Nova Scotia
Gary Y. Okihiro, Ph.D., New York
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The panelists will discuss the World War II and postwar connection between the
resettlement of Japanese
Americans - in U.S. colleges and universities; Seabrook Farm, New Jersey;
and Chicago, Illinois - and the changing status of civil rights in this
country.
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Putting Out a Paper in Camp: Freedom of Speech
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Session Leader:
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Jay Friedlander, Professor & Director,
School of Mass Communications, University of South Florida
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Panelists:
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Barry Saiki, California
Paul N. Yokota, California
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Discussion on the censorship and freedom of speech in the camps.
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Round Table Forum: Is the security of the nation ever more important than individual civil rights?
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Session Leaders:
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Rita Sklar, American Civil Liberties Union, Exectutive Director of the Arkansas Affiliate
Dale Minami, Esq., Minami, Lew and Tamaki, LLP, San Francisco
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The audience is invited to discuss the question of national security versus
individual civil rights.
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Jerome, Rohwer, and Camp Shelby: The Families, the Soldiers, and the USO
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Session Leader:
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Franklin Odo, Ph.D, Director, Asian & Pacific
American Studies,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
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Panelists:
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Ron Oba, Hawai'i
Yuri Kochiyama, California
Susumu Ito, Ph.D., Massachusetts
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Many of the hundreds of Japanese American soldiers inducted into the U.S. Army
trained at Camp Shelby
in Mississippi. Eager to lend their support to the war effort, young Nisei at
Rohwer and Jerome helped organize social activities for the soldiers. More than
simply a diversion, the USO events gave soldiers a reminder of what they would
be fighting for abroad. Speakers will discuss their involvement in the organization
of these events as well as the impact of the camps on the morale of the soldiers.
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Military Experience in Different Forms
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Session Leader:
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Franklin Odo, Ph.D., Director, Asian &
Pacific American Studies,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
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Panelists:
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Cedrick Shimo, California
Eddy Kurushima, California
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Along with the much heralded exploits of Japanese Americans in the 100th Battalion
and the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team in Europe, Japanese Americans made their mark in other
military units less well known.
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World War II Segregated Army Units
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Moderator:
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Richard Davies, Lt. Colonel (Retired), Arkansas
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Panelists:
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Edward Ichiyama, 100th BN, 442nd RCT, 522 FAB, Hawai'i
Woodrow Wilson Crockett, Lt. Colonel (Retired), Tuskegee Airmen, Virginia
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Until the Korean War, U.S. military units were strictly segregated. While combating
discrimination at home, these American soldiers fought for democracy abroad.
The fact that the U.S. was at war with Japan and the history of slavery greatly
complicated the circumstances under which these soldiers served. Yet their identity
as Americans united their efforts. This panel will lend personal insights to
this important and fascinating topic.
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Childhood in the Camps
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Session Facilitator:
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Satsuki Ina, Ph.D., California
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Panelists:
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Lawson Inada, Ph.D., Oregon
George Takei, California
Madeleine Sugimoto, New York
Robert Yada, Arkansas
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Remembrances and reflections of the impact of the camps by survivors who, during
their World War II detention, were between 4 and 6 years old at the beginning
of the war.
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Growing up in the Camps - Jr.High School
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Session Facilitator:
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Satsuki Ina, Ph.D., California
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Panelists:
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Ray Osugi, Ohio
Betty Wakamatsu Nishikubo, California
Christine Shishido Kadakura, California
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Former inmates of World War II Jerome and Rohwer concentration camps revisit
and assess the effects of their incarceration experiences as 11-to-14-year-old
adolescents.
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How Objects Speak: Collecting and Preserving
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Host:
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Kristine Kim, Curator, Japanese American National Museum
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Presenters:
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Akemi Kikumura-Yano, Ph.D., California
Jane Dusselier, Maryland
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Dr. Kikumura-Yano, Senior Vice President of Programs at the Japanese American
National Museum, tells her family's story from immigration, to their life
in California, through their incarceration in Arkansas during World War II and
beyond. She shares her insights into conducting and using oral history and artifacts
in the telling of individual and community history.
Ms. Dusselier is currently completing her dissertation on camp folk art. She
has written extensively on material culture and will lead the audience in techniques
of how to preserve and interpret artifacts.
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Reflecting the Camp Experience: Influence on Literature
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Moderator:
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Stephen Recken, Ph.D., Associate Professor
& Coordinator, Public History Program,
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
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Panelists:
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Lawson Inada, Ph.D., Oregon
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, California
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Two well-known Japanese American writers will discuss how their early life experiences
in the camps influenced them and how it is reflected in their writings and literary
contributions.
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Sports and Scouting in the Camps
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Moderator:
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Richard Yada, Arkansas
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Panelists:
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Fumio Satow, California
Teruo Ego, California
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Panelists discuss personal scouting experiences as well as remembrances of campouts
with Arkansas troops.
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