June 2021
We Hereby Refuse Book Event on June 14

We Hereby Refuse is a new graphic novel from authors Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura, with illustrations by Ross Ishikawa and Matt Sasaki. Japanese Americans complied when evicted from their homes in World War II -- but many refused to submit to imprisonment in American concentration camps without a fight. Based upon painstaking research, We Hereby Refuse presents an original vision of America’s past with disturbing links to the American present. Join Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle Public Library Foundation, The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, and Densho on June 14 for a book event featuring Frank Abe, Tamiko Namura, and Ross Ishikawa in conversation with Tom Ikeda.
Oral History Spotlight: Reacting to the "loyalty questionnaire" and resisting the draft

Hiroshi Kashiwagi, one of the three protagonists of We Hereby Refuse, was in Tule Lake during WWII and joined other Japanese Americans in resisting the draft and renouncing his US citizenship in protest of the unjust removal and incarceration. In this clip, he describes his reaction to the "loyalty questionnaire" and making the decision to resist the draft.
Support the Amache National Historic Site Act

Join us in supporting the Amache National Historic Site Act. The Granada Relocation Center in Colorado, better known as Amache, was the site of incarceration for 7,500 Japanese Americans during WWII. Our parks have the power to fill in the gaps of our history that are deliberately or carelessly forgotten. What happened to the people incarcerated at Amache is an American story that must not be forgotten. A new national park site would be one of the most powerful ways to preserve and protect the stories of Amache. Please tell Congress to support this important park bill! Take action with National Parks Conservation Association today.
The History of Anti-Asian Hatred and the WWII Japanese American Incarceration

Join Densho Executive Director Tom Ikeda on June 22 with the Holocaust Center for Humanity as he shares a brief history of anti-Asian hate in the US as well as his family’s experiences during WWII, when his parents and grandparents were incarcerated in Minidoka and why this history is important to improving equity today.
Blog Spotlight: How Many Japanese Americans were Incarcerated during WWII?

In our new “Ask a Historian” series, Densho Content Director Brian Niiya answers your questions about the WWII removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans. First up, one of the most common questions from Densho readers: just how many Japanese Americans were incarcerated during WWII?
Thank you, City of Seattle!

The City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture generously provided support this year for Densho’s monthly eNews, public events like our Nisei Radicals book event during women’s history month, and other core services. Thank you!
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