Description
- Abstract:
- Takeo Kato is a retired educator and school administrator who enjoys an active lifestyle involving skiing, hiking, and boating. He is a veteran who served in the army and comes from a large family. His granddaughter, Jillian Jendsen, is a collegiate volleyball player and a senior at Oberlin College studying economics with focuses on environmental studies and business. She is deeply proud of her Japanese American heritage, and maintains a close relationship with her grandfather, often engaging in political advocacy and discussions about their family's past. This video centers on the intergenerational legacy of Japanese American incarceration at the Topaz camp during World War II. Takeo reflects on how the camp experience led to the loss of the Japanese language in his family but also fostered cultural resilience. He describes the harsh physical conditions of the barracks and the community's efforts to maintain a self-governed community through agriculture, art, and music. Jillian discusses her academic research into the quality of education within the camps and the importance of preserving historical records to hold modern political systems accountable. Together, they emphasize that sharing these narratives is an obligation to history, intended to prevent the repetition of past injustices and protect existing memorials from being dismantled.
Citation
"Interview with Takeo and Jillian"
Nuibari Digital Archive.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:mquuuhzu/
Relations
Collection:
-
Nuibari Digital Archive
This is a collection of items comprising the Nuibari, a digital space created by Claire Inouye Rothstein '26 for individuals of Japanese ancestry to share stories centered on conversation, memory, and the many ways identity takes shape over time. These …...