 Project Overview REgenerations is a collaborative oral history project which will explore and document the impact of the World War II exclusion and incarceration of Japanese Americans in four Nikkei communities in the United States: Los Angeles, San Jose, Chicago, and San Diego. The main focus of the interviews will center on the period of resettlement between 1942-1965. This "resettlement" era is critical to understanding the full impact of the exclusion and incarceration experience, yet it has been the subject of relatively little scholarly inquiry. Though the end of war brought "freedom" from the confines of America's concentration camps, Japanese Americans returned to the same prejudice and discrimination they had left in 1942. Naturalization laws, alien lands laws, "anti-miscegenation" laws, housing restrictions, and immigration laws continued to exclude Japanese Americans from taking their rightful place in American society. REgenerations will explore the struggle of Japanese Americans to overcome these institutional and social barriers and restore their family and community life which had been fragmented by the wartime experience. Video History Interviews By exploring the ordinary, yet extraordinary, lives of Japanese Americans, these personal testimonies will contribute to the historical record which has often denied the voices of ethnic minorities. Recorded on videotape, these interview will provide an added dimension for scholars to analyze. In addition to capturing the silent pauses and the warmth of a smile, the interview team will capture the setting of home and community which will give us insight to the interviewees' lives. Education By recording and preserving the voices and perspectives of those who experience this dark chapter in American history, the project seeks to educate the public about the consequences of racial prejudice. These images and stories will be archived and made accessible to future generations through educational products, exhibitions and multimedia ventures which will enhance our efforts to make known the Japanese American experience as an integral part of our nation's heritage. Community & Collaboration
The purpose of this consortium is to develop model which brings together local organizations and communities in a joint effort to document the historical experience of exclusion and resistance. By recording and preserving the voices and perspectives of those who experienced this dark chapter in American history, the project seeks to educate the public about the consequences of racial prejudice and war time hysteria and highlight the power of personal and collective resistance in the fight for civil rights. Public Programs Community Forum - The REgenerations Project seeks to actively engage the participation of local communities and organizations in the preservation, documentation, interpretation and the presentation of their local history and culture. We welcome your comments and any suggestions you have about this historically significant time period. Photo Collection Day - The REgenerations Project will also host a photo collection day at which we will invite the community to share their family album. These images will copied, archivally preserved and made accessible to a broad national audience for years to come. REgenerations Collaborating Partners:
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