#NeverAgain Lesson 6
Storytelling for Solidarity
GRADES: 8 – 12
TIME ESTIMATE (not including extension): one hour
IN THIS LESSON STUDENTS WILL…
…learn that all stories about our shared history overlap. No story is about “just one thing.”
…make connections between the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and events happening today
…learn about Japanese American activists’ leadership on these issues
BACKGROUND
The elders and descendants you have heard from in this series are all activists around issues of civil rights and civil liberties. One important issue today where Japanese Americans have been leaders are the detention and imprisonment of Latino/Latinx/Latiné people—especially children—at the southern U.S. Border. The treatment of American muslims after the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Center in 2001 and the African American community’s fight for an apology and reparations around legalized slavery are also important issues to these activists. You can find out more about their work in these areas in the additional resources
DEFINITIONS
Lesson 6 Definitions are provided for terms and usages in the audio that may be unfamiliar to students
Detention
Pilgrimage
Solidarity
Asylum
Tsuru
Taiko
Day of Remembrance
Jim Crow
Structural racism
Coalition
Afro Nikkei
INTRO (5 minutes)
In today’s audio, speakers talk about how they support freedom, justice, civil rights and civil liberties for other groups, beyond the Japanese American community. After discussing the audio, you will do some final arts activities to wrap-up what you have learned.
AUDIO (8 minutes) Speakers in this excerpt:
Satsuki Ina – on border protests and the founding of Tsuru for Solidarity
Jeff Matsuoka - on establishing the Day of Remembrance
Lisa Doii - on HR 40 proposed bill for reparations around slavery
Mike Ishii - on working to support Black immigrants
DISCUSSION (15 minutes)
Why were the little shoes such a striking thing to Satsuki? What is the meaning of “Tsuru for Solidarity”? What ideas are carried in the act of folding tsuru to share with children and families who are detained?
Do you think it is important to have a Day of Remembrance? Why or why not?
How are the experiences of Japanese Americans and Black Americans similar and how are they different? Why do some Japanese Americans want to fight for slavery reparations?
What is Mike Ishii pointing out when he talks about the “invisibility” or “erasure” of Afro Nikkei people?
ARTS ACTIVITY (30-60 minutes) Seeing and Supporting (PDF)
This lesson’s arts activities include multiple options — some more physical theater games and some quieter visual arts activities. You may want to chose activities that focus more on reflecting on historical and cultural themes in the curriculum (Conscience Alley and Folding Tsuru) or on more abstract ideas like collaboration and truly noticing other people (Tangles & Knots and Handprints). If time allows, you can work through the sequence of all four activities as you complete the unit.
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 #6 – sharing the work and how we find allies. Make sure all students are ready to complete and share their projects (remembering that depending on your class format and resources, these school projects could be “prototypes” for media projects students would like to fully produce in the future).