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What Social Studies Standards Reveal About How and Why We Teach History
Densho Executive Director Naomi Ostwald Kawamura reflects on what it means to teach history responsibly, as debates over social studies standards—including recent proposed changes to Texas’s curriculum—reveal that how we…
Texas Students Deserve Honest History
In this conversation, Densho’s Senior Development and Communications Manager Jennifer Noji talks with Courtney Wai, Densho’s Education and Public Programs Manager, and Akeela Kongdara, Senior Programs Associate of Asian Texans…
Educator Spotlight: Satsuki Ina
Dr. Satsuki Ina is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in community trauma and author of The Poet and the Silk Girl (2024). She helps victims of oppression to claim not only…
Densho’s Listening Guide to “Burn Order”
This guide provides additional historical context for each episode of MS NOW’s podcast Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order. The guide highlights overlooked stories and details, addresses omissions and errors, and…
Protecting Immigrant Students (Part I): What Japanese American Incarceration Teaches Us About Educator Responsibility
In this two-part series, Densho’s Education and Public Programs Manager, Courtney Wai, reflects on how her experiences as a classroom teacher working with immigrant students shaped her understanding of immigration…
Protecting Immigrant Students (Part II): Resources and Strategies for Creating Safer Classrooms
This piece concludes our two-part series on how educators can support immigrant students. In the first installment, Courtney Wai, Densho’s Education & Public Programs Manager, shares how her experience teaching and…
Guidelines for Choosing Children’s Books on Japanese American Incarceration
In this conversation, Densho’s Senior Development and Communications Manager Jen Noji speaks with Brian Niiya, Content Director, and Courtney Wai, Education and Public Programs Manager, about how to thoughtfully select…
Educator Spotlight: Tamara Bunnell
Tamara Bunnell is a high school History Teacher and Dean of Students in Seattle, Washington. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from The Evergreen State College and a Master’s Degree from…
Youth Voices Rising: Connecting Art, Activism, and Asian American History
In October 2025, Densho’s Education and Public Programs Manager, Courtney Wai, led a zine-making workshop for middle school students in the Youth Voices Rising program at Austin’s Asian American Resource…
From Remembrance to Responsibility: Pedagogical Approaches for Teaching Japanese American Wartime Incarceration
This post concludes our three-part series on teaching with the Densho Digital Repository. Building on earlier guides about navigating the archive and teaching difficult histories, this article presents Densho’s pedagogical…
Educator Spotlight: Christian-Joseph Macahilig
Christian-Joseph Macahilig is an Outreach Coordinator with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center’s Foundations and Futures AAPI digital textbook project. He holds a B.A. in History and Adolescent Education Certification…
Teaching Digital Literacy With Densho: Navigating Truth in the Era of Disinformation
Educators today face an urgent challenge when it comes to helping students navigate rampant misinformation and disinformation, alongside a broader erosion of public trust in history and journalism. Densho is…
Teaching Difficult Histories with Care: What Educators Can Learn from Densho’s Archival Approach
October is American Archives Month, which means it’s a fitting time to explore how educators and students can use Densho’s archive to teach and learn about Japanese American wartime incarceration….
An Educator’s Guide to Searching the Densho Digital Repository
October is American Archives Month, which means it’s a perfect time to highlight how educators and students can use Densho’s archive to teach and learn about Japanese American wartime incarceration….
Educator Spotlight: Jaci Jones
Jaci Jones (she/her) is a Professional Learning Specialist at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA. She holds a B.S. in Secondary Education (Social Studies) from Penn State University and…
Why Educators Should Teach the History of Japanese American WWII Incarceration — Now More Than Ever
Densho Education and Public Programs Manager Courtney Wai examines why teaching the history of Japanese American wartime incarceration is especially urgent, particularly as civil liberties are threatened and immigration policies…
Teaching Civic Education Through Japanese American History
Civic education isn’t just about the past — it’s about understanding how history shapes our present and future. The incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII provides a critical lens for…
Educator Spotlight: Courtney Wai
Courtney Wai began her career as a middle school English Language Arts teacher in the Rio Grande Valley and later taught English as a Second Language in San Antonio ISD….
Resources for Critical Conversations about the History that Brought Us Here
In light of the election results, Densho is more determined than ever to continue our historical and educational work in pursuit of equal justice for all. As we come out…
15 Books About Japanese American WWII Incarceration For Readers Of All Ages
Looking for some summer reading for the students—and learners of any age—in your life? Densho Content Director Brian Niiya recommends some graphic novels and youth-friendly books with plotlines related to…
Sharing Gidra’s Lessons on Art and Solidarity with the Next Generation of Student Activists
Over the past several months, Densho staff worked with some incredible artists and educators to develop a hands-on zine-making workshop for middle and high school students. Using the radical Asian…
Hey Muskego-Norway School Board, Your White Fragility is Showing
Julie Otsuka’s novel, When the Emperor Was Divine, has received numerous distinctions: an Alex Award from the American Library Association; a Literature Award from the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, and…
We Need Critical Race Theory in our Schools Now More Than Ever
Here at Densho we talk a lot about the importance of preserving the history of WWII Japanese American incarceration. But we are well aware that this one moment in history…
“Truth Is Not Always Pretty”: A Radical History and Zine Making Workshop
High school students (ages 14-18) are invited to join Densho for a hands-on history and zine-making workshop on August 19th, 2021. Drawing upon the lessons handed down to us from…
