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Preserves and shares history of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans to promote equity and justice today.

Seattle, WA
Joined May 2009
Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)Photo by Densho (@DenshoProject)
Next Friday, join us for a Lunch & Learn screening of a film that answers a question unresolved for over 80 years: Why did the U.S. government build a jail inside Tule Lake?
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Celebrating what would’ve been Jim Hirabayashi’s 100th birthday! Jim is recognized in the Catalyst blog’s 2026 Nisei Notables feature for his work and contributions to the Japanese American community.
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Both photos are courtesy of Rafu Shimpo. 1st photo is of Jim Hirabayashi (third from right) and former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta (middle) cutting the ribbon at a memorial plaza at the assembly center site in Fresno on Feb. 16, 2009. Photo by John Hix, Rafu Shimpo
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2nd photo is of Jim Hirabayashi in the middle of an interview with Densho, featured in Rafu Shimpo’s article, “James Hirabayashi Remembered,” June 22, 2012.
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The monthly newsletter went on to chronicle the dramatic changes in the Asian American community and helped drive many of them.
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For Gidra’s readers, it was the voice of the Asian American Movement, raising awareness of the growing ethnic studies movement on college campuses and quickly expanding to topics including anti-imperialist movements and the publication of art and poetry.
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Have you explored Gidra in the DDR? Tell us what you found in the comments! #ArchivesMonth
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October is Archives Month, and we’re celebrating with one of our most popular collections from the Densho Digital Repository (DDR): Gidra! It’s also this month’s feature in Densho Staff’s 30 Favorite Objects.
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Explore a selection of covers from Gidra’s run from 1969 to 1974. Gidra began when a group of UCLA students approached the university administration about starting an Asian American community newspaper. Rebuffed, the five students each contributed $100 to produce their own paper.
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If you missed tuning in for our virtual gala, now watch anytime! Hear impactful words and reflections from our speakers and see a short documentary on Densho’s history. Stay through the end — you won’t want to miss out on a special tribute from @maddow: youtu.be/BRg0H8phOBg
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In this installment of 30 Stories for 30 Years, Kenji Ima recalls having recurring nightmares about his experience of being deported to Puyallup for much of his childhood and not being able to confide in anyone about these terrifying moments.
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“The setting is dark and I'm on this street with this large building. And an ominous sound in the background, some sort of drumming or humming, but it was the sound of fear.”
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Kenji Ima’s testimony provides an example of how children were impacted emotionally and psychologically for years after enduring the trauma of incarceration. Commit to preserving personal testimonies of people like Kenji and make a lasting impact today: bit.ly/30yearsofDensho
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Tomorrow at 6:00 pm (PT)! Join us for Stories that Endure, a celebration of 30 years of Densho and the community that brought us this far. Guest speakers include @DRyukenWilliams, Brynn Saito and a special message from @maddow! Register here: bit.ly/30th-virtual-gala
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There is a deep, interwoven history connecting the experiences of Indigenous peoples and Japanese Americans. The lands from which Indigenous tribes were violently removed are the same lands on which the U.S. military later forcibly relocated Japanese Americans.
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Since the Trading Post was close by, many Navajo families continued to travel near the Isolation Center to buy food and supplies. They witnessed the Japanese American men behind the fence playing baseball, basketball and fixing trucks.
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My grandmother said she felt sorry for the men, ignoring government rules when she brought food to share with them over the fenceline.” Learn more about the history of Leupp in the Densho Digital Repository. We thank Davina for her contribution and perspective.
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