The Invisible Scars of Internment

During World War II, the U.S. government forcibly relocated and incarcerated around 120,000 Japanese Americans, leaving deep emotional and cultural scars. The legacy of this internment continues to shape Japanese American identity, influencing generational trauma and community dynamics.

1. Read
   Internment of Japanese Americans · Wikipedia

   Traces the forced relocation of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, revealing that two-thirds were U.S. citizens. Executive Order 9066, issued on February 19, 1942, authorized this mass incarceration following the Pearl Harbor attack.

2. Read
   

   How the Photography of Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams Told the Story of Japanese American Internment · Hyperallergic

   Documents how Dorothea Lange's photography captured the human suffering of Japanese American families being led into assembly centers. Lange's images serve as a powerful visual testament to the loss of dignity and rights experienced by these individuals.

3. Watch
   

   Japanese-American Internment During WWII | History · YouTube

   Presents a historical overview of the internment camps, detailing the government's justification for Executive Order 9066. The piece emphasizes the stark reality that over 112,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated, despite their loyalty to the U.S.

4. Book
   

   When the Emperor Was Divine · Bookshop.org

   Depicts the emotional and physical dislocation experienced by a Japanese American family during internment in a narrative structured from multiple perspectives. Julie Otsuka's novel encapsulates the generational trauma and lasting scars of internment, highlighting both personal and collective loss.

This curation begins with a factual overview of the internment, establishing the historical context and scale of the injustice. It then transitions into powerful visual documentation that captures the human experience of internment, followed by a poignant literary exploration of its emotional toll. Together, these pieces illustrate the profound impact of this chapter in American history on identity and memory.

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