This course focuses on the experience of Japanese immigrants to the U.S. and their descendants. Lectures will cover a variety of time frames, laws, historical events, and cultural nuances in Japan and in the U.S. The week begins with an intense focus on the Japanese American experience during WWII. The course continues with an examination of 20th-century immigration and naturalization, a deeper look at the experiences of Japanese and their descendants in Canada and the Territory of Hawai`i, Japanese American Military Service during WWII, a comparison of religious experiences, records in the U.S., newspapers, social history, records in Japan, language issues, DNA, and two case studies.
