Former Camp Educators to be Recognized at Japanese American National Museum Gala Dinner Feb. 5

Over 20 former teachers who were instrumental in the lives of young Japanese Americans when they and their families were unconstitutionally incarcerated in U.S. government-run domestic concentration camps during World War II are expected to attend the Japanese American National Museum’s Annual Gala Dinner and Silent Auction on February 5, 2005, at the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa.

The dinner’s theme is “Teaching from the Heart: Honoring Educators from America’s Concentration Camps”. During the war, Japanese American families were forced to leave their homes and businesses and live in some of the most desolate areas of the country behind barbed wire and under harsh conditions by their own government. Many of the inmates were school age and the question arose: who would be their teachers in these domestic prisons? Fortunately, there were individuals who knew that this group of Americans deserved an education as much as any other group. Some were outstanding and highly influential on these young Japanese Americans in their formative years.

Also, Madame Fujima Kansuma, a legendary performer and instructor of Japanese classical dance, will be the second recipient of the Japanese American National Museum’s Cultural Ambassador Award. Madame Kansuma was also a cultural arts teacher in her camp at Rohwer, Arkansas, and was allowed to visit other camps to perform and teach during the war.

The National Museum went through an extensive process to discover the names and the stories of these important teachers. The institution sent out thousands of nominating forms to former inmates and asked if they recalled an outstanding teacher from their camp days. In response, over 200 educators were nominated, some individuals by multiple nominators. Every educator nominated will have his or her name listed in the dinner program journal.

As might be expected, the majority of these instructors had passed away, but the National Museum discovered the names of over 50 camp teachers who are still living. Invitations to the Annual Gala Dinner were sent to those former camp teachers who could be contacted. So far, 23 of them have expressed the desire to attend the dinner. Along with the former teachers, the National Museum has asked their one-time students to participate as well and 14 have agreed.

Teacher Florrie (Wakenight) Lyle and student Esther Noguchi will be at the dinner. Miss Wakenight taught elementary school in Jerome, Arkansas, and Noguchi credits her lifetime of work in education to developing a love of learning while in camp. “More admirable than their dedication to the students was their willingness to come to such a hostile place in the deltas, away from the comfort of their homes, family and friends to teach children with the face of the enemy,” Noguchi wrote. Mrs. Lyle and Noguchi reunited at the “Camp Connections” conference in Little Rock in September. Mrs. Lyle told her former student that her late husband had promised that he would take her to dip her toe in the Pacific Ocean one day. That never happened, but Noguchi, who lives in Hilo, Hawai`i, has invited her 91-year-old former instructor to her home to fulfill her dream.

Barbara (Washler) Curry was an instructor in the Poston III, Arizona camp, where she taught journalism. Student Ken Miura wrote, “Besides being a terrific classroom instructor, she was also an inspirational faculty advisor for the newsletter.” Laraine Kuwada Noto recalled that Miss Washler was her advisor for her Girl Scout troop and how grateful she was that she “came to educate us in Poston in the middle of the desert.” Both Curry and Miura will attend the dinner.

Shigeru Yabu remembered his eighth-grade mathematics teacher Alberta Kassing from his days in the Heart Mountain, Wyoming camp. Yabu explained that Heart Mountain was Miss Kassing’s first teaching job. He also recalled that he wasn’t a conscientious student, but changed because “her class was so organized and I for one was intimidated by her height. Alberta was not only a great and inspiring teacher, she also volunteered at the Cody Hospital as a Red Cross nurse.” She also taught Sunday school and Yabu has managed to stay in touch with her after all these years.

Teachers were hard to come by, especially in camp, and some of the inmates themselves became teachers. Marge Wada remembered that Richard Takeyama became the principal of the Japanese school at the Tule Lake, California camp. He was also an instructor and Wada explained, “He had a method of teaching the Japanese language that made it lots of fun to learn. He was very strict, but also very understanding and a great teacher.”

Often, these dedicated educators wound up doing more than teaching the three “R’s”. Joe Nagano clearly remembers a husband and wife who were high school teachers at Manzanar, California. Ralph and Mary Smeltzer got to know Joe as his science and mathematics teachers, respectively. But just as important, the Smeltzers aided Joe and others like him after camp. “They were dedicated teachers who helped me to relocate to Chicago as a college student,” Joe revealed. “Then, they moved to Chicago to help operate two hostels, relocating thousands of Japanese Americans to Chicago.”

Unfortunately, many teachers will not be able to attend. Katherine (Stegner) Odum, who is 99, will not attend because health reasons. Mrs. Odum received numerous nominations and has kept in constant contact with her students from her days as a teacher in the Amache, Colorado, camp. Rumi Uragami noted that “Mrs. Stegner tried to get her students to go to college and she tried to get colleges to give Amache students scholarships.” Shig Hirano added, “Her classroom door was always open beyond school hours and many would visit with her to discuss whatever was on their minds. My life has been enriched a thousand-fold because of Katherine Stegner Odum.” Rumi’s brother Minoru Tonai visited Mrs. Odum recently and wrote, “She said that teaching in Amache was absolutely the highlight of her career.”

Many others have passed away. Some mentioned prominently were Miles Carey, who took a leave of absence from McKinley? High School in Hawai`i to work in Poston, Arizona; Dr. Joseph B. Hunter, an administrator at Rohwer, Arkansas, who Madame Kansuma and painter Henry Sugimoto credit with encouraging their artistic efforts; and Dr. Joseph Goodman, a high school science teacher in Topaz, Utah, who was a Quaker and felt passionately about the injustice of the mass incarceration. These individuals represent a larger group of dedicated educators who changed the lives of young Japanese Americans forever.

The National Museum’s Annual Gala Dinner is its major fundraising event. The event is co-chaired by Ernest Doizaki, American Fish & Seafood; Tracey Doi; Toyota Motor Sales, USA; Stephen Kurumada, DDS; Jack Morey, The J. Morey Company; Paul Shishima, Sasaki Shishima & Co.; and Gerald Yamada, O’Connor & Hannan, LLP. Platinum sponsors for the Annual Gala Dinner include American Airlines, George and Sakaye Aratani, The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Bill and Carol Ouchi, The Pacific Bridge Companies, Paul and Hisako Terasaki and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

The evening’s program includes the announcement of the winner of the brand-new luxury hybrid SUV 2006 Lexus RX 400h, presented by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. as a benefit to the National Museum. Previous opportunity drawings for Lexus sedans have raised over $100,000 each for the National Museum. Opportunity tickets start at $25 and five for $100. The program also includes the annual Bid for Education, which directly supports National Museum programming, including providing transportation for school tours.

Dinner sponsorship packages are Platinum ($10,000); Gold ($5,000); Silver ($3,500); and Bronze ($2,250). Tables for non-profit community groups are $1,500. Individual tickets are $500 (Gold); $350 (Silver); and $225 (Bronze). Dinner Journal sponsorships are also available beginning at $175 for business cards. Deadline for the Dinner Journal is Nov. 29, 2004.

For more information, contact the Japanese American National Museum at (213) 830-5688. For those calling outside of Los Angeles, call (800) 461-5266, ext. 5688.