I find myself drawn repeatedly to this photo of high school students at Minidoka. The light streams in between the gaps of the buildings uncured wood siding. The American flag, a symbol of freedom and democracy, hangs behind them, ever so slightly uneven in the middle; light creates slashes behind the thin fabric. I take a closer look at their faces and body language. Generally, in class photos, high school students are smiling, hopeful, and expectant, but in this, I sense shock, uncertainty, and anger. There is an honesty and rawness not seen in the later staged War Relocation Authority photos.
My parents graduated from high school while incarcerated at Heart Mountain and Rohwer Concentration Camps. Later in life, they spoke occasionally of their school experiences, their dedicated teachers, and the under-resourced classrooms, but this photo digs at my heart and helps me to understand a little bit more of what they endured. |
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Robyn Achilles Executive Director |
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Student Essays By Camille Daw, Friends of Minidoka Fellow |
In October 1942 school opened for incarcerated students at Minidoka. Huntville Elementary School, located in Block 10, taught students in Blocks 1 through 19 while Stafford School was in Block 32 and served children in Blocks 21 through 44. Incarcerees and administrators set up the schools in barracks, so students were both learning and living in tarpaper. Hunt Junior and Senior High occupied Block 23. The WRA purchased used desks and chairs for students, leading to the equipment constantly breaking down from years of wear and tear. Additionally the books that were purchased were very outdated also also showed signs of wear.
The WRA provided curriculum that promoted American ideals, citizenship, and patriotism, so student essays often reflected these values, and dissenting opinions were often frowned upon. Still students reflected on their experiences of removal and incarceration, with both a sense of hope and sadness about their present circumstances. For example, in the essay below, by Jim Akagi, he recalls his childhood experiences playing football until the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He explains the forced removal and his sadness about Christmas approaching and being incarcerated at Minidoka during the holiday. Jim’s essay is not the only written piece that shows the perspective of children who were incarcerated. Many other essays written by incarcerated students explain the differing perspectives and emotions they felt.
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Introducing the Minidoka Educational Resources
By Kurt Ikeda, Director of Interpretation and Education Minidoka National Historic Site "I never learned about this in school!" After almost every ranger-guided tour, a visitor will offer this reflection to our staff. Our new Minidoka Education Resources is our response. Through short films and full-length lesson plans, educators can bring the important story of the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans to their classrooms.
Across four short documentaries, Friends of Minidoka and North Shore Productions provide a deep dive into various aspects of lessons and legacy of Minidoka. Teachers will be able to navigate 6th-12th grade students through topics include: the loyalty questionnaire with Patriotism and Protest, the use of euphemisms in “Power of Wordsâ€, the importance of allyship through “Power of the Pressâ€, and the parallels of this history in “Standing up for Others.
The topics in these films and lessons apply broadly to the experience of Japanese Americans at other camps as well. The lesson plans utilize primary sources as learning tools and are National and State standards based. Other resources include teacher and student versions of key terms, historical timelines, and printable worksheets. The lessons range from full one-hour lessons to short ten minute activities, so we encourage educators to adapt them to meet the needs of their students and classes.
Throughout the year, we will highlight each of the lessons and resources. Educators are also encouraged to sign up using their email address for future educational opportunities. |
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This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant.
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