San Francisco, California

27 articles

Crossroads in Nihonmachi (film)

Films and Video
Grades 9-12, Adult
Documentary
Displacement, Importance of community, Rebirth
Limited availability

A 2006 documentary film by Adrianne Anderson and Tony Sondag about the redevelopment struggle in San Francisco's Japantown. As in other cities on the West Coast, plans for urban renewal disproportionately affected ethnic minorities including Japanese Americans, destroying or diminishing historical Japantowns after World War II. The film traces the history of San Francisco's Nihonmachi, focusing on the eviction of Japanese American residents of San Francisco's Nihonmachi starting in the 1960s—drawing parallels with the 1942 eviction of Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066 —and 1970s efforts by community members to halt evictions and preserve and reclaim the community and its history. The film covers the 100th anniversary celebration of the community in 2006, while also noting the continuing threats it faces.

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Allegiance (play)

Plays
Grades 7-8, Grades 9-12, Adult
Musical
Convention and rebellion, Family – blessing or curse, Heroism – real and perceived, Patriotism – positive side or complications, Role of women
No availability

Musical play set largely in Heart Mountain that had a three-month run on Broadway in 2015–16. Written by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione with music and lyrics by Kuo and starring George Takei and Lea Salonga, Allegiance was the first Broadway play to broach the subject of Japanese American forced removal and incarceration during World War II.

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