Issue 01 | September 2022 |
We rose early in our household when I was growing up in Southern California. My Dad, a Nisei gardener, wanted an early start on his “route” to beat the afternoon heat. I fondly remember the quiet of the morning, our home’s light beaming warmth while enshrouded in the morning darkness.
I sat at the kitchen table waiting expectantly. I heard a car and a light thud on the driveway. Scrambling out of my chair, I ran out the front door of our 1950’s ranch house into the cool morning air. I retrieved the LA Times and skipped back inside to my Dad. Mom joined us with her coffee, and we split up the paper to read. Sometimes we were silent; sometimes we chatted quietly, sharing bits of news. “You don’t say!” my Mom sometimes exclaimed, or “what in the Sam Hill?” my Dad asked.
Today, my Dad is 97 years old and still reads the newspaper, dozing off now and then. With limited mobility, the paper is his connection to the broader world.
Eighty years ago in September 1942, the first edition of the camp newspaper, The Minidoka Irrigator, was published. When reading the first issue of the historic Irrigator, I cringe to see terms like “colonists” and the column “A Muzzle for Old Lady Rumor.” However, I am also moved by the poignant editorial “Eyes on Tomorrow,” the list of births at Puyallup Detention Center, and the article that 114 American citizens from Pierce and King Counties cast their absentee ballots from Minidoka for the Washington State primary. Despite the censored news, I imagine how important the Irrigator must have been to the families incarcerated, serving as a lifeline to one another, sharing what was happening in a different block or beyond the barbed wire.
Today, we launch our new monthly newsletter, Minidoka Irrigator: Cultivating Community. We hope to provide a sense of connectedness among our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies while cultivating our country’s democratic values through the telling of our stories and shared experiences. |
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Robyn Achilles
Executive Director |
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To read the first edition of the Irrigator, click here. |
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| The Minidoka Irrigator
By Kurt Ikeda, Director of Interpretation and Education, Minidoka National Historic Site
The Minidoka Irrigator was a weekly newspaper written, edited, and printed by Japanese Americans at the Minidoka Relocation Center. Each concentration camp published bilingual English and Japanese language newspapers that kept incarcerees informed about social events, sports, school activities, crimes, comics, and news from the war front. Read more.
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| Connected Conversations in partnership with Idaho Humanities Council
In commemoration of the arrival of the first incarcerees to Minidoka 80 years ago in August 1942, Friends of Minidoka and the Idaho Humanities Council partnered together to produce a 3 part series, which includes background information by Kurt Ikeda, research by Dr. Donna Nagata on multigenerational trauma, and a panel discussion by survivors and descendants (Mary Tanaka Abo, Paul Tomita, Karen Hirai Olen, Wendy Tokuda, and Stephen Kitajo) about their reactions to Dr. Nagata’s work and their hopes for the future. Watch here.
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| We will miss you, Sam Bowlin! By Camille Daw, Fellow, Friends of Minidoka
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Sam Bowlin, Facilities Manager, Minidoka National Historic Site! Sam has been instrumental in the growth of Minidoka, and was the current longest serving staff at the site. Sam is moving to Salt Lake City with his partner and will manage multiple facilities for a large brewing company. Those who visit the park today see the hard work and dedication that Sam puts into the site
every single day. Read more. |
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Minidoka 80th Anniversary |
Photo Gallery from our 80th Anniversary Event
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Thank you to our 2021 Donors! A full listing of supporters can be found in our first-ever Annual Report.
Friends of Minidoka is supported by our Minidoka community of survivors, descendants, and allies who believe in preserving, protecting and educating about the lessons and legacy of the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.
It is never too early to start planning to make a gift from your IRA (also known as IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts). Money can be transferred directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3) charity, such as Friends of Minidoka, tax free! Donors must be 70½ years of age, and a gift from an IRA helps you meet your Required Minimum Distributions. Look for the launch of our 3 Year pledge campaign this fall! |
This project is supported by a 2022 National Park Foundation Strong Parks, Strong Communities Capacity Building Grant.
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Our Contact Information
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