#NeverAgain Lesson 2
Stories We Don’t Hear, Part I — Controlling the Narrative
GRADES: 8 – 12
TIME ESTIMATE (not including extension): one hour
IN THIS LESSON STUDENTS WILL…
…discuss that all historical stories are told by someone who chooses what to include AND what to leave out.
…learn about the long history of anti-Asian racism and discriminatory laws leading up to the incarceration of Japanese Americans in California.
BACKGROUND
Some histories describe the incarceration of Japanese Americans as a sudden decision driven by fear over the bombing of Pearl Harbor. But for over 50 years before World War II, California had been passing anti-Asian laws and pressing the federal government to pass national laws. California newspapers and many state leaders spoke with open racism and this is well documented with many primary sources. But sometimes this part of the story is left out. In this lesson’s excerpts, #NeverAgain interviewees talk about stories we sometimes don’t hear.
DEFINITIONS
Lesson 2 Definitions are provided for terms and usages in the audio that may be unfamiliar to students
Redress
Reparations
Dissident
Tubal ligation
Resolution
“Yellow Peril”
Scapegoating
Hysteria
Tableau
INTRO (5 minutes)
Introduce today’s audio excerpts which are about stories we may not hear (even when we actively study historical events). Explain to students that after listening to and discussing the audio, you will be learning some theatre activities (or theater “games”) to explore these ideas . This doesn’t mean you’ll be saying lines and acting out a play, but you’ll be doing the kinds of exercises actors use to develop their abilities to create (or re-create) characters and scenes, particularly through their faces and bodies.
AUDIO (6 minutes) Speakers in this excerpt:
Satsuki Ina – discovering a family story in a surprising way
Nina Nobuko Wallace – Japanese American history researcher and storyteller*
Al Muratsuchi – Japanese American California state legislator
*Nina Nobuko Wallace mentions “sexual violence” and tells of a woman receiving a sterilization procedure without knowledge or consent. There are no detailed descriptions.
DISCUSSION (15 minutes)
Thinking about Satsuki Ina’s experience in the museum, have you ever discovered a story about your family that you never knew? If so (without necessarily telling the family story you discovered) how did it feel to make this discovery? If not, how do you imagine it would feel?
Why do you think we don’t often hear about women’s stories and queer stories?
Why does Al Muratsuchi think the California State Legislature owed a special apology to incarcerated Japanese Americans?
If you have learned about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II before, where did it seem like that story started? Were some parts left out? Why do you think?
If you have had students read other experiences of incarceration, you can ask them to make connections with the speakers they heard today.
ARTS ACTIVITY (30 minutes) Sculptures & Tableaus (PDF)
RESOURCES #NeverAgain Lesson Images
EXTENSION (Action Civics Project)
Check-in and discuss last week’s work. Review the project plan elements on Action Civics Project Handout #2 – brainstorming about getting started, audience and media. Make sure to have a plan for reviewing this information with each student, to ensure they are making progress.