Children’s books narrating the experience of Japanese internment in the United States appeared as early as 1945 and continue to be published to the present date. One question of importance regarding these books is historical: does the way that internment is presented change over time? As James E. Young states in The Texture of Memory, “to suggest that a society ‘represses’ memory because it is not in its interest to remember…is to lose sight of the many other social and political forces underpinning national memory.”  While examining a timeline of children’s literature releases, gaps in publishing as well as the presentations themselves connect to events in Unites States history which may have affected this particular representation. In addition, a of lack of changing representation can be analyzed along with various other factors which may affect these books.

Faculty mentor: Dr. Chika Rosenbaum

Department of History, Political Science & Philosophy