Japanese American Internment Museum

(Redirected from WWII Japanese American Internment Museum) History museum in McGehee, Arkansas

Japanese American Internment Museum

Established	2013
Location	100 South Railroad Street McGehee, Arkansas
Coordinates	33°37′42″N 91°23′42″W / 33.62825°N 91.39511°W / 33.62825; -91.39511 (Japanese American Internment Museum)
Type	History museum
Website	Jerome-Rohwer Interpretive Museum & Visitor Center

The Japanese American Internment Museum, also known as the WWII Japanese American Internment Museum and the Jerome-Rohwer Interpretive Museum & Visitor Center, is a history museum in McGehee, Arkansas. The museum features exhibits regarding the area history of Japanese American internment in the 1940s when more than 17,000 Japanese Americans were housed at nearby Rohwer War Relocation Center and Jerome War Relocation Center during World War II. Exhibits include a film, oral histories, photographs, personal artifacts and some art made by internees, as well as changing art exhibitions. The museum also has started a library that lends books to people about the Japanese American experience.

Visitors are encouraged to tour the remains of the Rohwer War Relocation Center, which is located about 17 miles (27 km) away from the museum. The site includes a memorial, cemetery, interpretive panels and audio kiosks.

The museum opened its doors on April 16, 2013, and is located in the south building of the historic McGehee Railroad Depot. It is one of several Arkansas State University Heritage Sites.

The dedication ceremony for the museum featured the actor, activist, and former camp incarceree George Takei giving a speech; his narration is also featured on a number of the audio displays.

1999-2012

Instead of just having structures and other forms of art, this museum has unique work spaces. It also opened a historic section so people have knowledge behind this topic.

The work spaces are used for collections and more specifically for the Frank. H Watase Media Arts Center. Some of the interesting events that happen in the community area of the museum would be wedding receptions. It is interesting to see everything that happens in that space but it could be significant for people.

The historic section of the museum is interesting since they did wait a while to make that section and it is one of the most important parts to mention. One important exhibition that is included in the museum is the "Fighting for Democracy: Who is the 'We' in 'We, the People'?"

Awards

Over the years of being open the museum has received multiple awards.

2013
- Cultural Heritage award from Arkansas Delta ByWays
- Natural State Category Finalist from Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism
- Southern Travel Treasure from AAA Southern Traveler Magazine
2014
- Natural and Cultural Heritage award from Arkansas Delta ByWays
2015
- Bootstrap Award Winner From the Henry Awards given by Arkansas Parks and Tourism at the Governor's Conference on Tourism
  - presented because they achieved a successful museum with limited resources and finances.

Exhibits

The museum occasionally has an exhibit about Nancy Chikaraishi. Her artwork is displayed, showing the struggle of the Japanese American's inside of the camps. She is mainly featured because her and her parents were past internees at Rohwer. Her artwork consists of charcoal drawings, sculptures and paintings of their experience.

References

JANM History JANM

"WWII Japanese – American Internment Museum". McGehee Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
"Art tells story of Arkansas WWII camps". Springfield News-Leader. May 26, 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
"McGhee Chamber announcement".
"Opening of WWII Japanese American Internment Camps Museum". ArkansasTies. March 20, 2013. Archived from the original on 20 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
"Official site". Arkansas State University Heritage Sites. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
"Why We Must Remember Rohwer". HuffPost. April 22, 2013.
^ "JANM History | Japanese American National Museum". www.janm.org. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
"Nancy Chikaraishi, AIA". Drury University. Retrieved 2024-04-03.

External links

Museum - Rohwer Japanese American Relocation Center

v t e Internment of Japanese Americans
Key topics	Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians Executive Order 9066 Executive Order 9102 Yasui Hirabayashi Korematsu Ex parte Endo Lordsburg killings War Relocation Authority History Life before World War II Life after World War II Propaganda Military service in World War II 442nd Infantry Regiment 100th Infantry Battalion Military Intelligence Service
Concentration camps	Gila River Granada Heart Mountain Jerome Manzanar Minidoka Poston Rohwer Topaz Tule Lake
Assembly centers	Arboga Assembly Center Fresno Assembly Center Mayer Assembly Center Merced Assembly Center Owens Valley Reception Center Parker Dam Reception Center Pinedale Assembly Center Pomona Assembly Center Portland Assembly Center Puyallup Assembly Center Sacramento Assembly Center Salinas Assembly Center Santa Anita Assembly Center Stockton Assembly Center Tanforan Assembly Center Tulare Assembly Center Turlock Assembly Center Woodland Civil Control Station
Citizen Isolation centers	Leupp Isolation Center Moab Isolation Center Old Raton Ranch Camp Camp Tulelake
Detention facilities	Catalina Federal Honor Camp Crystal City Alien Enemy Detention Facility Fort Lincoln Alien Enemy Detention Facility Fort Missoula Alien Enemy Detention Facility Fort Stanton Alien Enemy Detention Facility Kenedy Alien Enemy Detention Facility Kooskia Alien Enemy Detention Facility Santa Fe Alien Enemy Detention Facility Seagoville Alien Enemy Detention Facility Sharp Park Detention Station Tuna Canyon Detention Station
Army facilities	Camp Blanding Camp Forrest Camp Livingston Camp McCoy Camp Florence Fort Bliss Internment Camp Fort Howard Internment Camp Fort McDowell Internment Camp Fort Meade Internment Camp Fort Lewis Internment Camp Fort Richardson Internment Camp Fort Sam Houston Internment Camp Fort Sill Internment Camp Griffith Park Detention Camp Haiku Internment Camp Honouliuli Internment Camp Kalaheo Stockade Kilauea Military Camp Lordsburg Internment Camp Sand Island Internment Camp Stringtown Internment Camp
Notable incarcerees	See: Category:Japanese-American internees List of inmates of Manzanar List of inmates of Topaz War Relocation Center Estelle Peck Ishigo Ralph Lazo Isamu Shibayama Elaine Black Yoneda
Literature and arts	Allegiance Born Free and Equal Farewell to Manzanar Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Judgment Without Trial No-No Boy Snow Falling on Cedars The Buddha in the Attic The Invisible Thread The Moved-Outers Under the Blood Red Sun Weedflower When the Emperor was Divine List of documentaries List of feature films Go for Broke!
Legacy	Redress and court cases Evacuation Claims Act Civil Liberties Act of 1988 Renunciation Act of 1944 Day of Remembrance Fred Korematsu Day Empty Chair Memorial Go for Broke Monument Japanese American National Museum Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project Japanese Evacuation and Resettlement Study The Long Journey Home Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Japanese American Internment Museum Sakura Square Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education
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1999-2012

Awards

Exhibits

See also

References

External links