Lesson Plan: Are We Americans Again?
A Portrait of Japanese American Internment
Unit Overview:
Artist Estelle Ishigo, the European American wife of a Japanese American, was among the American citizens forced out of California during World War II. Ishigo and her husband, Arthur, were first sent to Pomona Assembly Center and later to Heart Mountain Relocation Center, in a remote area of Wyoming. There, Estelle Ishigo continued her work as a painter. Students reflect on Ishigo's artwork and personal writing to develop a sense of historical understanding of the internees' experiences during and after incarceration. The unit also defines and describes basic human rights and the role of an American citizen.
Grade Level Recommendation:
Grades 6, 7, and 8
Relates to: California Cultures: Asian Americans, Japanese American Relocation Digital Archive (JARDA)
Grades 6, 7, and 8
Relates to: California Cultures: Asian Americans, Japanese American Relocation Digital Archive (JARDA)
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Are We Americans Again? curated by University of California, available under a CC BY 4.0 license. © 2011, Regents of the University of California.
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