August 18, 2026
In a conversation with Densho Education and Public Programs Manager Courtney Wai, James Yudhistira Lemuel describes how and why he contributed to the development of the Densho Education Framework — a set of ten guidelines for teaching about the WWII Japanese American incarceration. James draws on his own experiences as a teacher while offering practical insights into how K–12 teachers can use the Framework to deepen and expand how they teach this history.
James is a current high school math and history teacher in Leander ISD. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, James graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently seeking a Master’s in American History at Gettysburg College. As a teacher, he prioritizes interdisciplinary work, blending history and other subjects into his math lessons. He has worked with organizations such as the UT Center for Asian American Studies, the City of Austin, The Asian American Education Project, and Densho to develop ethnic studies curriculum for K-12 teachers and youth.
Courtney Wai: You’ve worked with several national and local organizations on ethnic studies before Densho. What pulled you to working with Densho?
James Lemuel: I always like doing something new, so the opportunity to help develop Densho’s first education framework was really exciting for me. In addition, most of my work in ethnic studies to this point has been more general or spread out across multiple topics, so working with Densho felt like a natural step outside of my comfort zone to hone in on one topic, Japanese American incarceration, and go much more in depth in my own learning.
CW: This summer, you worked on the Densho Education Framework. Can you tell me what that is and why you think it might be a helpful tool for K-12 teachers?
JL: The Densho Education Framework is a set of guidelines for teaching about the Japanese American incarceration. It is not a standalone curriculum, but instead a supplement to your existing curriculum. I see the Framework as a rubric with options for how to teach about the wartime incarceration. No K-12 teacher is going to be able to fully meet all ten guidelines, but I hope that teachers can use the Framework first as a tool to evaluate how they currently teach about the incarceration, and then they can identify the guidelines that aren’t included and add something new to their lesson plans.
CW: You teach both math and history. How does that dual lens shape how you approached your work on the Densho Education Framework?
JL: For me, being a cross-disciplinary teacher is about flexibility of thinking. We didn’t implement any math into the Framework, but the guidelines do challenge teachers to make connections between Japanese American incarceration and topics or time periods that look beyond the traditional frame of Pearl Harbor to the end of World War II. There was a lot of thought that went into how we wanted to present this more complex view of the wartime incarceration history, as well as what resources we would need to support teachers in practicing that flexibility.
CW: We’ll learn more about the guidelines at a webinar about the Framework on September 8. Until then, can you tell me a little bit about the 10 Guidelines?
JL: The ten guidelines are a pedagogical tool for teachers to understand the full scope of Japanese American incarceration. A few of the guidelines are primarily pedagogical and explain to teachers how we think the wartime incarceration should be taught according to Densho’s own philosophy. Most of the guidelines are content forward, focusing on a particular component of the incarceration experience, and giving a brief description of the relevant historical context. Teachers should expect that Densho is going to take a wide view with these guidelines, and they will ask us to consider the events that led up to the incarceration as well as the events that followed as a consequence of it.
CW: Can you give a concrete example of how you’d actually use a Guideline in your own classroom?
JL: Guideline 6 talks about the different ways that Japanese Americans resisted incarceration. By centering the idea that there are multiple forms of resistance, this guideline is immediately directing me as an educator to first do some research. I might look at the Densho Encyclopedia or the Densho Digital Repository and start to collect different examples of Japanese American resistance. In a typical classroom, students might already be discussing examples like Fred Korematsu or the so-called “No-No Boys,” so I would look for other, more mundane examples, to provide some variety. Images of baseball leagues in the camps, or finding ways in which Japanese American families maintained their cultural practices through art or poetry, can tell stories about how Japanese Americans sustained their lives in spite of their confinement.
Thinking about how to implement this into the classroom, your usual strategies can work. For me, when I have multiple examples and multiple perspectives, I’m going to reach for a jigsaw-style activity with some common discussion questions that ground the guideline’s focus on different means of resistance.
CW: What do you most want a teacher opening this Framework for the first time to feel or take away?
JL: The Framework is going to feel overwhelming at first, and that’s okay. What I want teachers to take away is not that there’s too much to teach, but that they have so many more options on how to teach about Japanese American incarceration. Teachers have the freedom to pick and choose which guidelines they feel comfortable implementing, and they will make the best choice about which guidelines are going to engage their students the most.
Lastly, teachers should not feel that they are on their own in implementing the guidelines. Densho has a wealth of resources to offer, and we’re hoping to create more curated collections and trainings for the guidelines soon.
CW: And finally, what are you most excited about using from the Framework in your classroom?
JL: I’m excited to finally have a way to introduce Densho’s resources into the classroom in a way that’s structured and clearly aligned to the organization’s approach to the history. On its own, the breadth of Densho’s resources can be intimidating, so the framework is going to help me narrow down what I want to use for my classroom in a more intentional way.
—
Join us to learn more about the Densho Education Framework on September 8. Register now to reserve your spot!