From the Director: Tom Ikeda

After 17 years, Densho continues to grow and thrive thanks to you. Your support has allowed us to invest in people and technology that are able to "Capture Once, Use Many Times" the stories, photographs, and documents of the Japanese American experience during World War II. This investment has allowed over a million people to find, see, and engage with these materials, and perhaps more importantly, is designed to last many decades, reaching many more millions with little additional costs.

At Densho we believe you give your money through us, not to us. We direct your donations to go to programs, and are able to do this because Densho does not have to raise money to build, maintain or remodel a building, or need staff to attract people to come to a building and keep it open. And yet Densho's extensive, award-winning materials are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year to all parts of the world.

Please consider a donation today to support our work.

- A $25 donation adds 5 historic photographs and documents to our free website that is used by people in all 50 states and over 100 countries. These historic items will be easily seen and used for many years.

- A $100 donation pays for a classroom teacher to attend one of Densho's teacher training workshops. After the workshop, an average teacher will reach 100 students in a year, thousands over a career.

- A $300 donation adds an article to the online Densho Encyclopedia of the Japanese American Incarceration Experience. This article will be used in the coming year by the hundreds of thousands of users of the Densho website, and by millions over the next decade.

As an added incentive, every dollar donated before the end of the year will be tripled through matching grants from the National Park Service for us to digitize photographs and documents, expand the Densho Encyclopedia, and train teachers. You can donate online or mail us a check at: Densho, 1416 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98144.

And please drop me a line at tom.ikeda@densho.org and let me know we are doing.

Happy Holidays,
Tom

Archive Spotlight

Paul Nagano: Singing Hymns on the Way to Camp

Paul Nagano was ordained as a Baptist minister while incarcerated at the Poston concentration camp, ministering to fellow Japanese Americans and leading ecumenical worship services in camp. In this clip, he remembers encouraging people to sing hymns on the train ride to camp. Reverend Nagano's full interview is available in the Densho Digital Archive, and this clip is featured in the Densho Encyclopedia article on Paul Nagano.

>> View the interview excerpt
>> Register for the free Densho Digital Archive
>> Read the Densho Encyclopedia article on Paul Nagano

Densho News

Book Event - Nisei Soldiers Break Their Silence

Please join us on Saturday, December 15th at 3pm at the Wing Luke Museum for a book event with author Linda Tamura. Linda will talk about her new book, Nisei Soldiers Break Their Silence: Coming Home to Hood River. The book shares the experiences of Japanese Americans (Nisei) who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, fighting on the front lines in Italy and France and serving as linguists in the South Pacific. The soldiers were from Hood River, Oregon, where their families were landowners and fruit growers. Town leaders, including veterans' groups, attempted to prevent their return after the war and stripped their names from the local war memorial. This event is free of charge. No tickets required, but seating is limited. Includes museum admission. Sponsored by Union Bank, Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington, Nisei Veterans Committee, Nisei Veterans Committee Foundation, and the Seattle Chapter of the JACL.

>> For more information

Job Opening at Densho

Densho is seeking a Marketing and Communications Manager to develop and implement a marketing plan to expand Densho's national reach. The ideal candidate will have excellent writing skills, PR experience, knowledge of Japanese American history, strong technical skills, and social media experience. Please see the full job announcement for more information.

To apply, please send your resume (Word, PDF, or Plain text) and a cover letter describing your interest to jobs@densho.org by Monday, January 14, 2013. All applications will be held in confidence. All submissions and questions should be sent via email -- please no phone inquiries.

>> Full job announcement: http://www.densho.org/assets/images/Marketing_Comm_Manager.pdf

New Articles in the Densho Encyclopedia

The Densho Encyclopedia continues to expand with more newly written articles about the Japanese American experience during World War II. In the last month, 36 articles were added to this online resource including:

• Segregation
• Public Law 503
• National Council for Japanese American Redress

Funding for the encyclopedia is provided in part by the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, administered by the National Park Service.

Teaching the Teachers at NCSS

Two weeks ago the Densho team trained 58 teachers from around the country during a daylong workshop at the National Council for the Social Studies Conference. These workshops used materials about the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans to examine how to use primary sources in the classroom. Funding for this workshop was provided in part by the 4Culture Heritage Cultural Education Program and the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, administered by the National Park Service. Below are a few of the comments from teachers after the workshop.

• I used to think that I really didn't know enough about this topic, that it was not a pivotal moment in history. Now, I think that this is a major part of our history and adds another piece to how we view the world and America. I realize now how this event is so overlooked and not taught.
• I used to think that I understood most of the content surrounding WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. Now, I think what I had learned before was just the tip of the iceberg.
• I used to think this was a terrible, but possibly necessary moment in America's history. Now, I think this was an avoidable blunder that could have been better managed through calmer heads and more capable leadership.
• I used to think that my unit on Japanese incarceration was pretty solid. Now, I think I have just scratched the surface. I am so excited to use the video clips and the primary sources.
• I used to think the Japanese American experience was set and left in 1941. Now, I think the Japanese American experience fits in current events. Japanese American experience is an enduring lesson for our country.

Contact tom.ikeda@densho.org if you would like to organize a teacher workshop in your city.

Community News and Events

70th Anniversary Celebration of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team - March 22-24, 2013 - Honolulu

The 442 Sons and Daughters in Honolulu are hosting a 70th Anniversary celebration for the 442nd RCT in Honolulu. For more information visit their website or contact Gwen Fujie at gwenfujie@gmail.com.

>> For more information