A Seattle group is building an online encyclopedia to catalogue the stories of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II.
The group “Densho” received more than $360,000 from the National Park Service for the effort.
The money will also help Densho work with other organizations, to connect Japanese Americans’ stories with more contemporary examples of injustice.
“When I’m in the classroom,” said Tom Ikeda, Densho’s executive director, “eventually students will say isn’t this happening today in our country? It opens up a lively and provocative discussion that challenges people to think.”
The story of Japanese Americans incarceration during World War II has deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. About 9-thousand people from King County alone were removed from their homes and sent to camps during the war. Most of them were American citizens.
