From the Director: Tom Ikeda

Clarity, like liberty, must be won and re-won, from generation to generation.
--Roger Daniels, Professor of History Emeritus, University of Cincinnati, leading scholar on the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans

These words eloquently state the challenge we focus on every day at Densho. We know that the progress made yesterday by scholars and activists in our nation's understanding of the unjust treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II must be won over and over again against a tide of ignorance and forgetfulness. This is a challenge we gratefully accept in order to preserve and advance our democracy.

Looking at the arc of U.S. history, we anticipate that our country will come under attack again as it was 70 years ago at Pearl Harbor -- generating suspicion, fear, and hatred towards innocent people in a targeted group. Our mission is to have clarity, reason and compassion when this happens in order to avoid injustice and division in our increasingly diverse nation.

Thank you for your interest and support of Densho. Your thoughts and ideas are always welcome. Please let me know what you think at tom.ikeda@densho.org. Please consider donating online.

>> Donate to Densho online

From the Archive

December 7, 1941: Perspectives of Yuri Kochiyama and Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga

The lives of Japanese Americans would forever be changed following December 7, 1941, the date that President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "will live in infamy." For many Nisei that fateful day left an indelible memory of lives disrupted, changed forever. For two women who grew up in Southern California, this major event in U.S. history undoubtedly altered the course their lives would take.

>> Read more of this article

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Densho News

Tom Ikeda Named a Microsoft Alumni Integral Fellow

The Microsoft Alumni Foundation named Densho Executive Director Tom Ikeda as one of three recipients of the 2011 Integral Fellows Award. The award honors former Microsoft employees making a meaningful difference. The criteria for the $25,000 award were innovation, entrepreneurship, effectiveness, collaboration, and integrity -- all core values at Densho.

>> For more information
>> Watch the video shown at the event

Two New Staff Members

We are pleased to welcome two talented new staff members to Densho. Brian Niiya takes the role of Content Director after a distinguished career in Japanese American public history and information management, including senior positions at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, the Japanese American National Museum, and most recently, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i.

Senior Software Developer Geoffrey Jost is an expert programmer with deep knowledge of open source software. Geoffrey brings considerable experience in both digital archives and Japanese American content from his previous work on the Discover Nikkei team at the Japanese American National Museum.

Among other duties, Brian and Geoffrey will play key roles in the National Park Service funded Densho Encyclopedia and Digital Repository projects. We are very fortunate to have them join our team!

>> Learn more about Densho's staff

Thank You 4Culture!

Densho recently completed projects totaling $47,199 in 4Culture grant funding. 4Culture is the cultural services agency for King County, Washington. The 4Culture grant projects ranged from a Heritage Facilities grant to upgrade our video production equipment, a Heritage Education grant to train King County teachers, a Heritage Special Projects grant to hire an intern to help with oral history interviews, and a Heritage Sustained Support grant for general operations.

>> Learn more about 4Culture

Successful Sushi & Sake Gala

600 people celebrated Densho's work while raising $70,000 at this year's Sushi & Sake Gala. All funds raised at this event are being matched by our education and digital repository challenge grants from the National Park Service. These grants match $2 for every $1 raised. This means the funds raised at this year's Sushi & Sake Gala provide $210,000 worth of teacher training workshops and digital preservation of historic photographs and documents! Thank you for your support!

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Archive Spotlight

Rae Takekawa: FBI Raid and Mother's Outrage

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Rae Takekawa remembers waking up to the commotion of an FBI raid of family home. Rae Takekawa's full interview is available in the Densho Digital Archive.

>> See the featured sample from the Densho Digital Archive
>> Register for the free Densho Digital Archive

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National News and Events

Materials about Heart Mountain Draft Resistance

Filmmaker Frank Abe does an excellent job, according to a review in the Rafu Shimpo, of expanding upon the World War II draft resistance story at the Heart Mountain concentration camp with his expanded two-disc collector's edition DVD of Conscience and the Constitution. The bonus features of the DVD set include extended interview clips from some of the 26 individuals that Abe interviewed for the film. Abe donated these 26 interviews to Densho and these interviews are available for viewing in their entirety in the Densho online archive.

>> Read the article
>> To order the DVD
>> Visit the Densho Digital Archive

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