が痛みました。どんなに勉強をしても、人種を理由に家を追われ、集団生活を強要され、アメリカへの忠誠心を証明しなければならない人々の、苦しみや悲しみを完全に理解することはできないでしょう。 自身に降りかかる不条理を気づくことができても、向き合うことはなかなか難しいと感じます。自身に降りかかる不条理に向き合うということは、自身の社会的弱さを認めることと等しいからです。私は自身の出自について批判的な言葉を投げられても、笑ってその場をやりすごしたことが何度もあります。

今回のプログラムで訪れた全米日系人博物館、Go For Broke National Education Center、そしてマンザナー国定史跡には、日系アメリカ人の方々が語った言葉が、展示物や映像として数多く残されていました。その言葉に触れる度、自身の過去に向き合い、自身の物語を語ることを決意した方々の勇気に敬服します。また、今回は幸運なことに、強制収容を実際に体験したJune Aochi Berkさんと、Mas Yamashitaさんにお会いすることができました。お二人の話に聞き入っていた際、私に小さな驚きをもたらした出来事がありました。Yamashitaさんが、ご兄弟の話をされた際に涙ぐみ、しばらく口をつぐんでいた際のことです。私は、Yamashitaさんが長年Go For Broke National Education Centerと共に活動していたこともあって、Yamashitaさんは自身の体験を話すことに慣れていると勝手に考えていました。そんなはずはありません。自身に降りかかった不条理に向き合うことは何年経ってもつらく、勇気のいる行動だと気付かされました。

BerkさんやYamashitaさんを始め、数々の日系アメリカ人の方々の語りのおかげで、私たちは日系アメリカ人強制収容の歴史について学ぶことができました。どの参加者にとっても、考えさせられる経験であったと確信しています。このプログラムから、平和や人権保障について考え始めたメンバーや、考えを深めたメンバーも多くいるでしょう。「語り」は人の心を動かすと信じています。 私たちも自身の物語の語り部になることができます。自身に降りかかった不条理を語り、話し合い、連携しましょう。

も、広島、長崎、沖縄、アウシュヴィッツを訪れたことのある私に、壊滅的な衝撃を与えるまでではありませんでした。しかし、これらの場所は、人々の権利が侵害された歴史を有するという点において相違はありません。そして、何よりも、誰の境遇も、悲しみも、悔しさも、苦しみも、そもそも何か比較できるようなもの、すべきものではないということに、このプログラムを通して改めて気付かされました。当時を生きた当事者ひとりひとりにそれぞれの経験があり、どちらがより過酷だったからどうだ、という話ではないのだと思います。

現在も、あらゆる社会のあらゆる側面で、虐げられている人々がいます。弱くされている人々がいます。世の中には様々な権利がありますが、現実にはどれも儚い概念です。そして、歴史が物語るように、それらはいとも簡単に取り上げられてしまいます。だから、権利を守るために努力をし続ければいけないと思います。残された者たちの、伝承者としての熱意と使命感、それは、「Pilgrimage」のドキュメンタリー映画を観て、また博物館やマンザナーの慰霊碑を訪れてひしひしと感じたことでした。学校で「教わった」ことは歴史のほんのひとつまみ、それも恣意的に選び抜かれたひとつまみです。自分の無知に正直に、学びに貪欲に、そして責任感を持って語り継いでいく、プログラムを終えた今、そのように生きていきたいと強く願います。

It was my interest in translation activities that made me join the ICU Time Travelers. At first, I knew nothing about the history of Japanese-American incarceration. When I asked about Japan and the US during the Pacific War, the first thing that came to mind was the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the ground war in Okinawa, which I had learnt about through many films and books since I was little. And it was the Holocaust by Nazi Germany, the first thing I thought of when I heard the word “incarceration”. As June, a survivor who spoke to us, said, life for Japanese-Americans in concentration camps may not have been as bad as in wartime Japan or Auschwitz. To be honest, what I saw and read during the translation work and the visit to Manzanar was not as devastating as what I experienced by visiting Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Okinawa or Auschwitz. However, these places are no different in that they have a history of people’s rights being violated. Above all, the programme made me realise once again that no one’s circumstances, sorrow, frustration or pain can or should be compared in any way. Each person had their own experiences, and it is not a question of which was more severe or less severe.

Even today, there exist various oppressions in all aspects of society. There are people who are made vulnerable. We can find many different rights in the world, but in reality, they are all fragile concepts. They can be taken away very easily, as history tells us. That is why we have to keep putting effort into protecting our rights. The enthusiasm and a strong sense of mission of those left behind impressed me when I watched the Pilgrimage documentary film and visited the museums and monuments in Manzanar. What we have been ‘taught’ at school is only a tiny — and often arbitrarily chosen — slice of history. Through this programme, I learned how important it is to be honest about my ignorance, keen to understand things that are new to me and responsible for sharing history and learnings. I want always to keep these in mind and create a better future.

西海岸において多くの日系アメリカ人の強制収容が実行されました。またハワイでは、多くの日系アメリカ人が住んでおり日本と地理的に近いのにも関われず、日系アメリカ人が経済に必要不可欠であったために収容は行われませんでした。このプログラムで日系アメリカ人強制収容所の歴史を深く学ぶごとに、この収容には全くの正当性がなく、人々の日本に対する恐れや偏見によって行われたと考えるようになりました。この歴史は繰り返される可能性が大いにあり、誰でも被害者または加害者になりうると考えます。例えばイスラム国が世界の脅威になったとき、日本でも恐れや偏見からイスラム教徒に対する差別が行われました。過去から学び、現在そして未来で同じ過ちを繰り返さないためにも、この歴史を他人事ではなく自分に関係のあることだと捉え、学び続けていきたいと思います。

my neighborhood in a whole new light. I was in contact with Mitch Maki from Go For Broke after the first Zoom meeting and it was great to continue our conversation in person. The museum was an absolute beauty and each corner was filled with details to learn from. I learned so much more than from a textbook or a website. I think if I were to go everyday to the museum, I would learn something new everyday. I gained so much historical information and I can’t wait to go back again. The discussion with the torchbears was so impactful for me that it deserves a whole new section. I went into the discussion with the lens that my community is separate from the Japanese-American concentration camps. During the conversation as I heard everyone’s input, it made me think about my own identity. Why do I categorize myself as Mexican-American? Am I Mexican and American or Mexican-American? I still don’t know the answer, but as one of the torchbearers explained, I am in the “process of figuring out.” Coming from LA to Midd was a huge cultural shift and I expected it to be, but I found myself clinging to my cultural ties when I felt in need, something I did not experience often home. There was no need to think about my own identity. And having the space where the torchbearers from a variety of generations talked how they felt neither from here or there. I instantly understood, because I have felt it too. Similar questions about Who I am, were felt by them and it felt validating and enlightening at the same time. Truly an unforgettable part of the program and I appreciate everyone who made that space possible. I came out truly understanding POC solidarity and how meaningful it is to support one another. We must stand up for one another because we are one community.

I felt nervous before heading to Manzanar. The ability to travel to Manzanar was one of the major reasons I joined the program. I wanted to visit the site of, something I have only gotten to know in books. I have been to other historical places and often historical places hold energy. Once you step into or see the site, the air just changes. While I expected a reaction, I was nervous as to what I would feel as I stood there. I did not have any major questions going to Manzanar, but simply taking everything in and keep poking the reason as to why this happened.

headed back. On our way back to the van, I asked them what they were doing at the monument. They said they saw that one of the offerings fell off the monument, so they put it back on the monument ledge and bowed to pay their respects. This moment is a beautiful reminder of the importance of work like ours. Although we can do nothing to alleviate the evil that has already been committed by crimes like Executive Order 9066, showing respect, care, and concern for the history, monuments, and survivors of these tragedies is essential for making the world a better place.

will show. Overall, I really cannot imagine how these incarcerees made any type of living. How could they still play, hold festivals, build a community, etc.? I honestly do not believe I ever could under those circumstances.

was shocked that whatever the religion Japanese American soldiers believed, all of them were buried in the Christian way.

Before this program and visiting museums and Manzanar, I thought I had a general knowledge of history, but I didn’t. When I saw the exhibition of toys and books belonging to Japanese American sent to a concentration camp at the museum, I finally felt this history is real and actually happened. I knew this is a fact, but while reading books and watching videos, I felt like it was an incident that occurred in a movie or something. That’s why I got overwhelmed, and it was hard for me to explain my feelings in a word for a while. From the bottom of my heart, I thought we should not repeat horrible histories, we have to learn history from many aspects, and we have to do something about that.

thought it was necessary for both Japanese and Americans to know the true history of Japanese Americans and to understand and accept their identity. I also realized the importance of taking action: before going to the Go for Broke museum, I thought that during World War II it was only men who decided whether or not to join a battalion who took action, but I learnt that there were also women who fought against discrimination. I think women were even less powerful then than they are now, and only men actually had to take part in the war, so if I had been there, I might think my actions didn’t mean anything. But their actions changed a lot of things and had a strong meaning for.

れているバラックは、建築基準法の関係で当時のものより綺麗で丈夫に作られているそうです。実際はむき出しの地面からサソリが湧いたり、風が吹いて屋根が飛ばされるような有様だったようです。ただ日系人だからというだけでそのような環境に強制的に連れてこられ、不自由を強いられる理不尽さを誰が許容できるでしょうか。

プログラムでの様々な体験を通して、私は「自分たち自身が歴史の一部である」ことを本当の意味で理解できました。私たちが過去から学び、現在を形作っているように、現在はいつか過去となり未来を作り出します。あるメンバーは、だからこそ今を生きる私たちが未来のために行動を起こす必要があるのだと言っていました。行動とは、大それたものである必要はありません。何事も「知る」ことから始まります。私自身、この活動に携わるまでは日系アメリカ人の強制収容について学校で学ぶ機会もありませんでした。私たちの活動や、ウェブサイト等を通した発信が世界をよりよくする小さな欠片となることを信じています。

We had been working online until this program started. Visiting various places this time made me keenly aware of the difference between what we learn and what we actually experience.

On the second day, we visited the Japanese American National Museum. When we approached the entrance, someone verbally abused us and threw things at us because many of us are Asian. It was a sad experience for me to realize that the racism I have studied so far still continues. At the museum and the Go For Broke, I was shocked to see materials (including a badge that said “JAP HUNTING LICENSE”) that showed public discrimination against Japanese-Americans.

In Manzanar, we toured the barracks in the scorching heat and felt how unfulfilling it must have been to spend days there. Due to the current building codes, the barracks on display today are cleaner and sturdier than those of the time. In reality, scorpions sprang from the bare ground and the roofs were blown off when the wind blew. Who could tolerate the unreasonableness of being forced into such an environment simply because of their ethnicity?

Through my experiences in the program, I truly understood that we are part of history. Just as we learn from the past and shape the present, the present will one day become the past and create the future. One member said that this is why we must take action for the future. It does not have to be something grandiose. Everything starts with “knowing.” Actually I myself did not have the opportunity to learn about the incarceration of Japanese-Americans in school until I became involved in this project. I believe our activities have an effect on improving the world.

Then, I became to consider what is Japanese or Americans. I have never considered it deeply and I thought simply that people who have Japanese blood are Japanese. I do not have answer of my question, thus, I would like to find after this project. In addition, I went to Manzanar internment camp and my thinking has developed. The life of Japanese Americans there was better than Japanese who lived in Japan. They had minimum required stuff to live such as kitchen and beds. Thankfully, they even have school or places where children can play. However, the toilet and shower room were terrible because they were no partition. I felt that they had no privacy and human rights. I became to consider what is human rights. In addition, I watched the texts “Please imagine if you are unsafe and unwelcome” in Go for Broke. When I watched it, my feeling was complexed. Even if they could live better than Japanese, they were not welcomed and it would be distressful. I would like to pay respect Japanese Americans to be admitted by society, especially nisei who died during WWⅡ. In this project, I could have a lot of questions, thus, I would like to find answers of them in Japan.

times we become kind of “numb” or desensitized to the true terribleness of war on an individual level. As I was watching these videos and listening to individuals’ experiences, each person’s recount made me realize the severity of war on individuals. Before this, I indifferently associated war with standard negative thoughts. I thought things like “one side won, one side lost, and lives were lost.” There were stories about how some soldiers’ way of surviving was to think solely in the present and try not to think about surviving the war. While I do like the concept of living in the moment, I felt their mentality of living only for today was a little heartbreaking. Just trying to survive the moment because you don’t know whether you will live til tomorrow is completely different from just trying to live your best life without regrets. Another story that stuck with me was one about a man in the middle of battle thinking he was going to die. The man related noticing a german soldier preparing and launching a grenade in his direction. He talked about thinking he was about to die, but by the grace of luck, he was hit in the elbow. This made me truly realize the effects of war on people. I thought the man who recounted his story must have been traumatized by this near-death experience, that was probably one of many, and is now living without his left arm, that was hit by the grenade.

The other big thing I thought about was the question of what makes a person Japanese-American. When talking to Max, I realized that I never had a discussion on the topic like the one we had at Go for Broke. I think the closest thing related to this topic that I have witnessed is when in the black community we debate about whether we should be referred to as black or African Americans. This issue though is never really about having different ethnic or cultural differences. I had mentioned in the group discussion that as a Black American I considered anyone who was born in America or legalized, American. I think before the discussion if I was to introduce a person I would say they are American and that they or their family is from whichever place they were from. In the group discussion, I had said that I thought the reason I would call someone just American instead of saying something like “Japanese American” was because of my resentment from most black people not being able to know their ancestry, ancestors, or previous culture like other races are able to. While I might have had resentment about this, I wouldn’t completely erase the connection or the other half of their identity, I would just word it differently. After this group discussion though and listening to the identity struggles of people who are Japanese American, I feel like my definition and wording of people who are American but also have ethnic or cultural ties to another place changed.

what language sounds childish. So it took me a long time to overcome that and to want to remain Vietnamese. Maybe that’s why it angers me to see Americans who can’t even speak Vietnamese claim to be Vietnamese and joke about putting Vietnamese on their resumes for diversity and maybe that’s what makes it hard for me to accept Vietnamese Americans to be Vietnamese. There are other factors too. I’m not saying that I’ve accepted them, but I’m starting to realize some of the things that kept me from accepting them.