Betrayed: Surviving An American Concentration Camp Documentary and Educational Films/Lesson Plans

Friends of Minidoka and North Shore Productions are excited to announce that Betrayed: Surviving an American Concentration Camp is airing nationwide on public television for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month starting May 1, 2022. See airdates and locations here.

Betrayed is also available to stream for free on the PBS video app starting Monday, May 2.

Directed by Rory Banyard and narrated by Tamlyn Tomita, Betrayed tells the story of a group of American citizens and their mass incarceration by the U.S. government purely on the basis of race. In the compelling voices of survivors, the film explores the unconstitutional suspension of the civil rights of these Japanese Americans during WWII and the long-lasting impact of incarceration on their community. The film looks at the rise of Japanese American activism in defense of the rights of others, and the relevance of this story today, both in the targeting of groups based on their religion or ethnicity and the actions of the U.S. government at our southern border.

Along with our film, we have launched companion Educational Films & Lesson Plans for middle and high school students focusing on four themes: Power of Words, Power of the Press, Patriotism and Protest, and Standing Up for Others. They are freely available and downloadable.

We are grateful for the support of the many individuals who helped make this project possible, as well as the following funders:

• A grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program

• The Freeman Foundation

• The Regional Arts and Culture Council

• The Idaho Humanities Council, a State-based Program of the National Endowment for the Humanities

• The Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation

• The Whittenberger Foundation

• The Inukai Family Foundation