Then They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans During WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties

FEBRUARY 18 – MAY 29, 2022

PRESENTING SPONSOR:
THE YABUKI FAMILY FOUNDATION

What does an American look like? Who gets to decide? 

Then They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties examines the terrifying period in U.S. history when the government scapegoated and imprisoned thousands of people of Japanese ancestry.

About the Exhibit

This exhibit tells the story of the forced removal of 120,000 Japanese American citizens and legal residents from their homes during World War II without due process or other constitutional protections to which they were entitled. It illustrates the impact this fear-based rebuke has on those who experience it firsthand and the lasting repercussions on the generations that followed.

The multimedia exhibit features imagery by noted American photographers Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams, alongside works by incarcerated Japanese American artist Toyo Miyatake and artifacts from the Chicago-based Japanese American Service Committee collection.

This exhibition examines the history of emigration from Japan to America, the responses of the American people and government to it, and traces the lives of Japanese Americans after the War as they struggled to reestablish their shattered lives. This narrative reflects distressing parallels to the discrimination, intolerance and governmental policies surrounding the historical and current immigration and refugee crisis in America and around the world.

Special Thanks

Admission is FREE through May 29, 2022, due to a generous donation from The Yabuki Family Foundation.

Special thanks to the Japanese American Citizens League WI Chapter for their partnership and friendship. For additional educational opportunities, view selections of their Oral History Project interviews.

ABOUT JEWISH MUSEUM MILWAUKEE: The Jewish Museum Milwaukee is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin and celebrating the continuum of Jewish heritage and culture. The history of American Jews is rooted in thousands of years of searching for freedom and equality. We are committed to sharing this story and the life lessons it brings with it, so that we may enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation of Jewish life and culture. We are committed to building bridges between diverse groups through shared history and to exploring contemporary issues through the lens of Jewish history, culture and values.