History in Pictures: Focus on Japanese American Incarceration
LETTER FROM CICELY LEWIS Dear Reader Imagine being in an argument with a classmate and the teacher asks what happened Your classmate tells their version of the story but you don't get to share your version Do you think this is fair Well this is what has happened throughout history MER INS amury USPIRE UN CICELY LEWIS This series looks at different events in US history with a focus on photos that help tell stories of people from underrepresented groups I started the Read Woke challenge in response to the needs of my students I wanted my students to read books that challenged social norms and shared perspectives from underrepresented and oppressed groups I created Read Woke Books because I want you to be knowledgeable and compassionate citizens As you look through these books think about the photos that have captured history Why are they important What do they teach you I hope you learn from these books and get inspired to make our world a better place for all Yours in solidarity Cicely Lewis Executive Editor
11 4 NATIONAL SHAME TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 2 LIFE IN INCARCERATION CAMPS CHAPTER 3 CLOSING THE Doors CHAPTER 1 WHAT WAS JAPANESE AMERICAN INCARCERATION CHAPTER 4 A PAINFUL LEGACY TAKE ACTION TIMELINE PHOTO REFLECTION GLOSSARY SOURCE NOTES READING WOKE READING LIST INDEX THE A F 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Think critically about the photos throughout this book Who is taking the photos and why What is their viewpoint Who are the people in the photos What do these photos tell us 6 Historically the forced imprisonment of Japanese Americans was described as relocation or internment But many scholars argue incarceration imprisonment is a more accurate description Which term do you think is more accurate Why does word choice matter 17 22
Tule Lake the largest of the Japanese American incarceration camps NATIONAL SHAME DURING DURING WORLD WAR II 1939-1945 THE US GOVERNMENT FORCED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF JAPANESE AMERICANS TO LIVE IN US INCARCERATION CAMPS These camps are also known as internment camps American concentration camps relocation centers or illegal detention centers Japanese Americans had to answer lists of questions while in incarceration camps Two questions addressed loyalty to
the US If Japanese Americans answered both with yes they remained at their camp If they answered no they were placed at Tule Lake in California the maximum security prison for being disloyal Tule Lake opened in 1942 and stayed active throughout the war It was the largest incarceration camp Nearly nineteen thousand Japanese Americans were imprisoned there before it closed on March 20 1946 six months after the end of the war It was the last camp to close Tule Lake became a National Historic Landmark in 2006 Since 1969 activists have made pilgrimages to Tule Lake to bring awareness to what happened there The shameful period in US history and those who survived this injustice would not be lost to time I want people to know that such a thing could happen and did happen so it doesn't happen again No one stood up for us Kids were removed from their classrooms and adults left their jobs but no one said anything We can't let that happen to anyone else SATSUKI INA Tule Lake survivor 5
