The Japanese-American internment experience during World War II continues to affect the Japanese-American community. This ERIC Digest provides six suggestions for teaching about the Japanese-American internment, touching on civil rights, immigration, the media, "loyalty," redress and reparations, and primary and secondary sources.…

This book records the history of schools attended by Americans of Japanese ancestry, focusing on efforts by the Japanese community in California to maintain its linguistic and cultural heritage. The main focus of the book is on the period from the early 20th century to World War II. The book examines conditions during the War and in the postwar…

This lesson, for grades 7-12, correlates with Era 8, Standard 3c of the National History Standards for United States History: "evaluate the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and assess the implication for civil liberties." The lesson provides background on the internment of Japanese Americans during the war and…

In February 1942 (two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii) President Franklin Roosevelt, as commander-in-chief, issued Executive Order 9066 to relocate all persons of Japanese ancestry, both citizens and aliens, inland and away from the Pacific military zone. The Order was to prevent espionage and to protect persons of Japanese descent…

Investigates the approach to citizenship education within the Seattle (Washington) Public Schools when Japanese American citizenship status was being questioned. Addresses the World War II era experiences of Japanese American students, focusing on two primary source documents: (1) a 1930's curriculum guide; and (2) a collection of classroom…

Presents the history of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II. Focuses on issues such as Executive Order 9066, what happened to the Japanese Americans during the war, and the forms of resistance that occurred. Questions whether something like this could ever happen again. (CMK)

Provides the personal story of Masaye Nakamura. Focuses on her pursuit of higher education which coincided with the time when Japanese Americans were being evacuated and detained during World War II. Includes questions for the students to answer along with hypothetical answers for each question. (CMK)

Provides citations with abstracts from the ERIC database focusing on the U.S. homefront during World War II. Includes background information and teaching materials on topics such as popular music from 1941-1945, propaganda directed towards women, and learning about Japanese American internment. (CMK)

Reviews topics discussed in the OAH article, "Incarcerating Japanese Americans" (Roger Daniels). States that the three internment cases were correct. Asks whether internment could re-occur given the climate in U.S. society since September 11, 2001. (CMK)

Responds to the article, "The Japanese 'Internment' Cases Revisited," (Edward T. Robinson) in this issue of OAH Magazine of History. Focuses on three court cases related to Japanese internment. Believes that the possibility of whether internment can happen again should not be dismissed so easily. (CMK)

Students may not be as familiar with the Asian American struggle for equal rights as they are with the black struggle for equal rights. But Asian Americans' civil rights have also been challenged and/or denied throughout their history in the United States. This curriculum module contains six lessons and can be used as a supplement to history…

Presents an annotated bibliography that provides Web sites focusing on the U.S. homefront during World War II. Covers various topics such as the homefront, Japanese Americans, women during World War II, posters, and African Americans. Includes lesson plan sources and a list of additional resources. (CMK)

This unit focuses on the decades of the 1940s and 1950s by studying key events from the eras. Students analyze issues and think critically about decisions made during the time. Topics of the unit include: (1) "Japanese Relocation"; (2) "Rationing: Who Should Get What?"; (3) "War in the Pacific"; (4) "The Draft: Who Should Fight a War?"; (5)…

In spite of facing continual discrimination, Japanese and Japanese Americans living on the U.S. west coast made lives for themselves. On December 7, 1941, everything changed. After the attack on Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), individuals saw every Japanese or Japanese American as a potential spy, ready and willing to assist in a mainland invasion at any…

This publication is intended for teachers bringing a class to visit the National Archives in Washington, D.C., for a workshop on primary documents. The National Archives serves as the repository for all federal records of enduring value. Primary sources are vital teaching tools because they actively engage the student's imagination so that he or…