Resources and Links
Lessons
“Smithsonian in Your Classroom”
These lesson plans are produced by the Center for Education and Museum Studies. Teachers may duplicate these materials for educational purposes.
This is the Smithsonian website based on “A More Perfect Union,” an exhibit in Japanese American Internment.
“Voices of Japanese Americans”
Using video histories of Japanese-American internees during World War II, this lesson engages students in understanding the discrimination that Japanese Americans faced before and after their internment. In addition, students will be introduced to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, and discuss whether or not it made up for the discrimination that Japanese Americans received from the U.S. government.
“Are We American Again? A Portrait of Japanese American Internment”
This website contains a five-day lesson plan schedule based on using the artwork of Estelle Ishigo who was a Caucasian woman who married a Nisei, Arthur Ishigo and did not have to go into camp but decided to go rather than be separated from her husband.
References
“The War Relocation Centers of World War II: When Fear was Stronger than Justice”
This lesson plan addresses a larger issue of what happened after Pearl Harbor and the attack on the World Trade Center.
Densho’s 500+ hours of oral interviews accessible online is very unique and special as it provides first hand accounts of the internment.
“Japanese American Relocation Digital Archives”
This website contains thousands of Japanese American internment primary source materials including personal diaries, US War Relocation Authority materials, and personal histories.
“Japanese National Museum Hirasaki National Resource Center”
This website is a starting point to access a large collection of materials related to internment.
“Confinement and Ethnicity: An Overview of World War II Japanese American Relocation Sites”
This website includes resources related to all relocation sites accessible online. It was published in 1999 and revised in 2000. However, it is no longer available in print form.