historical events so that she can craft and
evidence arguments.
Next month, we’re examining the American
government’s role in World War II and the
impact of that war on our culture, people, and
economy. Because I have taught her siblings, I
know that Tia is yonsei. Her great grandparents
immigrated to the west coast from Japan,
following World War I.
When I arrive to school the next day, I begin
planning my World War II unit. As I carefully
consider my targets and goals, I know that I
want to have students work with oral histories
as our primary-source focus. I immediately
think of resources that my students can use,
and it is in this moment that it occurs to me
that Tia might be able to help me, help her
classmates, and help herself.
Meet Tia’s grandparents, George and Mabel.
George and Mabel are long-time community
members who have endured one of the
country’s storied experiences: Both were
interned in Japanese relocation camps during
World War II. I pull Tia aside in class to see
if she might be able to talk her grandparents
into being interviewed. In this unit, I’d like
students to work with oral histories, better
understanding the past through first-person
interviews. If we can pull this off, I’d like to
have the students talk with George and Mabel.
A few days later, Tia comes back with the
news I hoped for and we set up a date for their
interview at school.
George and Mabel are a picture-perfect couple.
She holds his arm when she walks into the
classroom. He smiles and offers her a seat in
the back of the room. George has agreed to
speak and answer questions for the students,
but Mabel has never shared her experience
with her family or any audience.
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The story he unravels is one of great patriotism.
He speaks of his experience, never once
insinuating anger or frustration about why he
was forced to leave his home. He relays the
experience in such a captivating way that we
cannot help but feel like we’ve been transported
back to 1942.
He tells of his detention in what is now the
Portland Expo Center. He speaks of the long
train ride to the southern Idaho desert that
was his home for two years. He shares the
pain of his mother falling ill and passing away
during the internment, the pride of his brother
enlisting in the 442nd, the fighting in Italy, and
the camaraderie gained by having a shared
experience with so many others.
After a student asks what it felt like to leave his
home to go to the detention center, Mabel pipes
up. The room is quiet and she begins to share
a story that, as far as any family member can
attest, has never been spoken before. She speaks
of pain and sadness, the way she felt as she
boarded the bus to the processing center, having
been walked there by her school classmates.
The room is tense and empathetic, and, as I
look at the faces of my students, I see what
heartbreak looks like. Yet, it is George who
breaks the mood. He tells us that not once
was he angry about what was asked of him.
He relays a powerful message of forgiveness,
strength, patriotism, and significance of family
in difficult times.
That day remains one of the most powerful
days of my teaching career. On that day, I was
able to see students engage with history in a
completely different way. They showed me their
empathy, their character, and their respect for
our nation’s history and its people. But that
day also changed Tia. Tia came to realize that
her grandparents were heroes and that, despite
adversity in the most difficult of times, family
can offer strength and support.
2015 Washington State Teacher of the Year • From Seed to Apple