Immigration, Incarceration, and Belonging: Teaching Japanese American History in Conversation with the Present

How have U.S. immigration and citizenship policies shaped who is considered American and who is treated as a threat? In this two-part virtual workshop series with the East Asia Resource Center and Densho, K-12 educators are invited to examine Japanese American incarceration within a longer history of immigration restriction, racial exclusion, citizenship, and detention in the United States. In the first session on October 29, participants will hear from scholars and explore the laws and policies that shaped Japanese immigration and incarceration during World War II. The second session on November 5 will shift from historical context to classroom practice. Educators will learn how to apply the Densho Education Framework and work with grade-level specific sources and instructional strategies they can adapt for their own students.

• • Starts:
  • October 29, 2026
• • Ends:
  • November 5, 2026
• • Time Detail:
  • 4pm-6pm (PT)
• • Learning Format:
  • Online
• • Type of Course:
  • Workshops
• • Offered to:
  • All States
• • Registration and Info:

  • Densho (伝承) is a Japanese term meaning to pass on to the next generation, or to leave a legacy.
    Founded in 1996, Densho is a digital archive and public history organization whose mission is to preserve and share history of the World War II incarceration to promote equity and justice today. Densho’s public websites include more than 1,200 oral histories and over 140,000 photos, letters, and other archival items, as well as free historical and educational resources.

    About the photo:  From Photo Essay: Day of Remembrance Caravan from Puyallup to Northwest Detention Center. Participants brought handmade signs and played taiko and honked car horns to make sure that people inside NWDC could hear the action and know they are not alone in their fight. Photo by Natasha Varner.