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Introducing the New Densho Website!
We are delighted to unveil Densho’s latest digital asset: a wonderful new website that we are certain you’ll find to be simpler and easier to navigate than our last site….
Summer Appeal 2015
Become part of a grassroots, community effort to keep the stories of Japanese Americans and their experiences during World War II alive, today and in the future…
Eight Essential Japanese American History Books for Young Readers
Jan Kamiya, a young adult librarian in the Hawaii State Public Library System and regular contributor to the Densho Encyclopedia, recommends eight essential books about Japanese American WWII incarceration that…
Digitization Project Internships
Densho is seeking two to three interns to support our Digitizing Photos for Japanese American Oral Histories Project.
Why Teach Japanese American WWII History?
Last month, we launched Teaching World War II Japanese American Incarceration with Primary Sources—a free, online course for educators.
On the Loss of Dignity: A Response to Justice Clarence Thomas
In his dissenting opinion in the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage case, Justice Clarence Thomas invoked both slavery and “internment” in his argument that the government cannot cause individuals to lose…
Book Review: Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky
By Brian Niiya, Densho Content Director A children’s ebook about incarceration is currently available as part of a free summer reading program being offered by OverDrive, a company that provides…
Searching for LGBT Stories in Japanese American Incarceration History
June is Pride Month—an opportunity to celebrate the LGBT experience and to highlight ongoing struggles for equal rights. While Densho supports and celebrates LGBT individuals and communities, a look through…
Camp Livingston, Louisiana
On this day in 1942, the World War II detention facility Camp Livingston opened its doors in Alexandria, Louisiana. At its peak, it held 1,123 internees of Japanese ancestry sent…
Book Review: Gasa Gasa Girl Goes to Camp
By Brian Niiya, Densho Content Director As readers of this blog likely know, there is an enormous amount of literature on the World War II era forced removal and incarceration of Japanese…
Historic Bainbridge Review Newspaper: Now Available Online
Thanks to the efforts of the Kitsap Regional Library, digitized versions of World War II era issues of the Bainbridge Review, a local newspaper covering Bainbridge Island, Washington went online…
Photo Essay: Honoring Fallen WWII Japanese American Soldiers
Between 1942 and 1945, thousands of soldiers of Japanese descent served in the US armed forces. In less than two years, one of their best known units—the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental…
The Living Legacy of Tamie Tsuchiyama
Today marks the 100th birthday of Dr. Tamie Tsuchiyama–the only Japanese American woman to work full-time for the Japanese American Evacuation and Resettlement Study (JERS) Although she never published anything…
Apology Politics: From Redress to Comfort Women
Guest post by Brian Niiya, Densho Content Director The recent visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the U.S. and his invitation to address the U.S. Congress has brought…
Photo Essay: Ten Portraits of Mothering in WWII Japanese American Concentration Camps
This Sunday, families across the United States will celebrate Mother’s Day. In honor of the holiday we’ve compiled a set of photographs that attest to the remarkable strength and tenderness…
Classic Movie Review: The Steel Helmet (1951)
The Steel Helmet—a 1951, low-budget film by Samuel Fuller—features one of the first popular culture references to Japanese American incarceration. In this post, Densho Content Director Brian Niiya presents a…
Crafting Beauty: Dissent by Design in Japanese American Concentration Camps
Following the Rago Arts auction debacle that unfolded earlier this month, new questions emerged about how and why Japanese American incarcerates were producing artwork from within the confines of WWII…
Beauty Behind Barbed Wire: The Book at the Center of the Rago Arts Auction Controversy
This week, a major controversy developed over the Rago Arts and Auction Center’s plans to auction off 450 photos and artifacts from WWII era Japanese American concentration camps. The collection…
Eiichi Edward Sakauye: Impact of the Alien Land Laws
Eiichi Edward Sakauye had extensive farmholdings in San Jose, California, before World War II. In this clip, he talks about how the 1913 Alien Land Law affected California Japanese American…
Gene Akutsu: The Importance of Speaking Out
During World War II, Gene Akutsu was incarcerated in the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. In 1944 he was arrested for resisting the draft and…
2015 Day of Remembrance Events
Note: All events are free and open to the public except as noted. Some may require reservations; see web links for further information. Densho does not endorse these events, but…
Chizuko Norton: New Year’s Eve at Tule Lake Under Curfew
Chizuko Norton was a teenager during World War II at the Tule Lake concentration camp. In 1943, when the camp was designated a segregation center, a curfew was imposed on…
Densho Online Giving Challenge Match for December
Earlier this year, Densho received the Vox Populi Award from the Oral History Association for our online 800+ oral history collection. Following the announcement of this prestigious national award, the…
Joseph Frisino: Personal Reaction to the Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Joseph Frisino was serving in the U.S. Army when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He had grown up on the East Coast and, in 1941, struggled with not being able to…