Chasing Cherry Blossoms
Reframing American history through the Japanese experience:
An educational podcast series featuring conversations with Japanese Americans and beyond
As Americans grapple with increasing tension and division, what can we learn from the past to connect with each other? The series illustrates generations of Japanese immigrants' experiences through intimate conversations and explores what it means to be an American today.
Produced by an educator and students with multicultural backgrounds, it aims to empower immigrant communities and others to define their own histories and reimagine our future together.
Chasing Cherry Blossoms
Episode 7: The Strength of the Camps
Guest: Dr. Patricia Allyn Biggs at National Park Service, Manzanar National Historic Site
Every year, Japanese American communities across the nation organize a pilgrimage to former WWII incarceration camp sites. One of those sites is Manzanar National Historic Site in Southern California, preserved by the National Park Service. Historian and park ranger Dr. Biggs describes the everyday lives of 10,000 people who were forced to leave their homes, and their resilience while incarcerated in barracks in the middle of the desert.
Produced by Reina Higashtiani
Check out other episodes and slide shows on our website.