Browse > Theme > Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice

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Come See the Paradise (film)

Films and Video
Grades 9-12, Adult
Drama, History, Romance
Everlasting love, Family – blessing or curse, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

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Comforting the Afflicted (film)

Films and Video
Grades 9-12, Adult
Documentary
Importance of community, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Role of Religion – virtue or hypocrisy
No availability

Moderated panel discussion led by Phil Shigekuni with four prominent Japanese American Protestant ministers with ties to Los Angeles who were incarcerated during World War II. Three—Rev. Paul Nagano , Rev. John Miyabe, and Bishop Roy Sano—were at the Poston , Arizona, concentration camp, while Rev. Sam Tonomura was a boy in British Columbia caught up in the forced removal of Japanese Canadians during the war. The discussion covers the men's experiences during the war and the role of the church during the incarceration, particularly with regard to issues of "loyalty" and resistance. The men talk about the role of the church in the Redress Movement , in bridging divides in the Japanese American community today, and in the anti-Muslim/Arab climate following the 9/11 attacks. The format of the film largely follows that of a "talking heads" type television program, with the insertion of still historical photographs.

Case History (short story)

Short Stories
Grades 9-12, Adult
Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Patriotism – positive side or complications, Evils of racism
Widely available

Short story about a young Nisei couple settling in "Centreville," a fictional small town in California, after World War II. John and Mary Mori arrive and open a flower market in town. But despite John's military service and the couple's good deeds, the face anti-Japanese harassment before a series of events begin to turn the tide. Author Bradford Smith tells the story using fictitious newspaper articles, letters, and personal testimony.

The Cat Who Chose to Dream (book)

Books
Grades 1-2, Grades 3-5
Grades 1-2, Grades 3-5
Children's
Disillusionment and dreams, Facing darkness, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Will to survive
Widely available

Children's picture book about a cat who accompanies his Japanese American family to an American concentration camp during World War II.

The Colorado Experience: Freedom and Poverty (film)

Films and Video
Adult
Documentary
Desire to escape, Injustice, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Documentary film that looks at the experience of one Japanese American family from California that "voluntarily" migrates to rural Colorado to avoid the mass forced removal of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast in 1942. Bryan Yokomi, a young descendant of that family, produced and directed the 31 minute film.

In Search of Hiroshi (book)

Books
Grades 9-12, Adult
Memoir
Family – blessing or curse, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Power of the past
Available

Memoir by Nisei journalist Gene Oishi published by Charles E. Tuttle in 1988.

In Time of War (film)

Films and Video
Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Adult
Documentary
Circle of life, Displacement, Injustice, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Documentary film on the Japanese American experience in the Pacific Northwest including " voluntary evacuation ," forced removal and confinement, and the debate over military service. Produced by North By Northwest Entertainment for Whitworth College, the project was funded by a grant from the Washington Civil Liberties Public Education Program .

The Invisible Thread (book)

Books
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8, Grades 9-12
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8
Memoir, Children's
Immigrant experience, Growing up – pain or pleasure, Expression through art, Facing darkness, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Memoir for young adult readers by the acclaimed children's book author that covers her charmed childhood in Berkeley, California, and her wartime incarceration during World War II.

Japanese American Journey: The Story of a People (book)

Books
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8
History, Children's
Empowerment, Fulfillment, Heartbreak of betrayal, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Progress – real or illusion
Available

Overview work for children on the Japanese American experience produced by the Japanese American Curriculum Project (JACP) in 1985. Consisting of a historical overview, eleven biographies of notable Japanese Americans, and three short stories, Japanese American Journey was adapted from a 1970 JACP publication titled Japanese Americans: The Untold Story .

The Japanese in America (book)

Books
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8
Grades 3-5
History
Empowerment, Evils of racism, Immigrant experience, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Available

Overview book for children on the history of Japanese Americans from the 1860s to the 1990s. First published in 1967 as one of the first books for children on Japanese Americans, it saw revised versions in 1974 and 1991.

Justice Denied: A History of the Japanese in the United States (book)

Books
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8
History, Children's
Evils of racism, Immigrant experience, Injustice, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Limited availability

Early overview of the history of Japanese Americans for young readers by British author/activist Jennifer Cross.

The Legend of Fire Horse Woman (book)

Books
Grades 9-12, Adult
Historical Fiction
Female roles, Family – blessing or curse, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Novel by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston published in 2003 that is set in large part in Manzanar .

Little Women (A Multicultural Transposition) (play)

Plays
Grades 9-12, Adult
Coming of age, Desire to escape, Family – blessing or curse, Female roles, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
No availability

Play by Velina Hasu Houston that reimagines Louisa May Alcott's 19th century novel Little Women , setting it in early postwar Los Angeles with four Japanese American sisters at its center.

Lucky Ears: The True Story of Ben Kuroki, World War II Hero (book)

Books
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8
Grades 3-5
Children's, Biography
Patriotism – positive side or complications, Role of men, Heroism – real and perceived, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Biography of Nisei war hero Ben Kuroki , written for a fourth grade audience.

Never Give Up!: Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice (film)

Films and Video
Grades 9-12, Adult
Biography, Documentary
Convention and rebellion, Heroism – real and perceived, Individual versus society, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Documentary film on the life of Minoru Yasui (1916–86) made by his daughter, Holly Yasui.

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow (book)

Books
Grades 1-2, Grades 3-5
Grades 1-2
Children's, Historical Fiction
Darkness and light, Empowerment, Expression through art, Importance of community, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Children's picture book by Amy Lee-Tai and illustrated by Felicia Hoshino about Mari, a young Japanese American girl in Topaz , an American concentration camp during World War II. As the book begins, she plants sunflower seeds in the desert soil, hoping they will grow like the sunflowers in their old backyard. She recalls their prewar home, where she lived with her older brother and artist parents. At Topaz, she goes with her father to the art school he started. Initially unable to draw anything in the children's class, she slowly starts to find things to draw with the help of a supportive teacher, her father, and her new friend Aiko. After drawing a picture of her barrack with the sunflowers growing tall in front, she returns home to find little sunflower seedlings, giving her hope for the future. A final page provides biographies of the author and illustrator and …

Our American Family: The Furutas (film)

Films and Video
Grades 9-12, Adult
Documentary, History
Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Injustice, Importance of community
Available

Episode of the television series Our American Family that focuses on a Japanese American family from Southern California. The episode premiered in February 2015.

A Diamond in the Desert (book)

Books
Grades 3-5, Grades 7-8
Grades 3-5
Children's, Historical Fiction
Coming of age, Disillusionment and dreams, Forgiveness, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Novel for children centering on Tetsuo Kishi, a teenager at the Gila River , Arizona, concentration camp who finds solace in baseball.

Within These Lines (book)

Books
Grades 7-8, Grades 9-12
Grades 7-8, Grades 9-12
Children's, Historical Fiction
Everlasting love, Losing hope, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Widely available

Young adult novel by Stephanie Morrill centering on the forbidden romance between Italian American Evalina Cassano and Nisei Taichi Hamasaki in the San Francisco Bay Area against the backdrop of the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans. Having met in the course of their families' businesses—Taichi delivers produce from the Hamasaki family farm to Cassano's Italian restaurant—they keep their romance secret from their families as the story begins in March of 1942. But the Hamasakis' forced removal to Manzanar throws another wrench into their hopes for a future together. The story ends at the end of 1942, with the December uprising serving as its climax, with a brief epilogue that takes place in 1950.

Oregon's Japanese Americans: Beyond the Wire (film)

Films and Video
Grades 9-12, Adult
Documentary
Evils of racism, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Power of the past
Widely available

Documentary film on Japanese Americans in Oregon that largely focuses on the wartime incarceration and aftermath. Part of the Oregon Experience series, it was produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting in partnership with the Oregon Historical Society.

Silent Sacrifice: Stories of Japanese-American Incarceration in Central California and Beyond (film)

Films and Video
Grades 9-12, Adult
Documentary
Evils of racism, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Power of the past
Widely available

Sprawling documentary film on the wartime incarceration story of Japanese Americans from Central California, focusing on the experiences at the Fresno , Pinedale , Merced , and Tulare Assembly Centers. In addition to interviews with survivors and descendants, there are many brief silent reenactments of scenes describes by the narrators. The last quarter of the film focuses on Saburo and Marion Masada's pilgrimage to the Jerome and Rohwer sites, where Saburo had been incarcerated with his family as a child.

Jinan: A Japanese American Story of Duty, Honor, and Family (book)

Books
Grades 9-12, Adult
Memoir
Capitalism – effect on the individual, Family – blessing or curse, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice
Available

Memoir of a Kibei man whose story takes him from Los Angeles to Hiroshima and back, to " voluntary evacuation " in Colorado, and postwar business success back in Southern California.

21st Century Manzanar (book)

Books
Adult
Fiction
Evils of racism, Importance of community, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Will to survive
Available

Novel by Perry Miyake that imagines an early 21st century roundup of Japanese Americans and how Sansei and Yonsei would react to it.

Strength and Diversity: Japanese American Women, 1885–1990 (exhibition)

Museum Exhibitions
Grades 9-12, Adult
History
Female roles, Immigrant experience, Overcoming – fear, weakness, vice, Role of women
No availability

Pioneering traveling exhibition on the experiences of Japanese American women organized by the National Japanese American Historical Society and the Oakland Museum in 1990. Strength and Diversity went on to travel throughout the country as part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) over the next decade plus.

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