Educator Brunch and Learn – AANHPI Heritage Month
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR EDUCATORS (PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT).
Guests:
🔹 Dr. Karen Korematsu, Founder and President, ( Fred T. Korematsu Institute) and
🔹 Richard Yada, (Born Incarcerated at Rohwer War Relocation Center Arkansas Camp; U.S. Air Force Veteran)
Areas of Focus:
The history of Japanese American incarceration – particularly its ties to Arkansas, the landmark Korematsu v. United States Supreme Court case, and the lasting impact of exclusionary government policies.
In response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced relocation and incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans – some of whom were imprisoned in Arkansas. More than 45 years later, the U.S. Government apologized, acknowledging the injustice of that action.
During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Clinton Center invites educators to a special professional development workshop. In this multifaceted program, teachers will screen the film Relocation Arkansas – Aftermath of Incarceration which delves into the stories of those incarcerated at Arkansas camps and their descendants. Afterwards, teachers will engage in an interactive conversation with Dr. Karen Korematsu, daughter of Civil Rights icon Fred T. Korematsu and founder and president of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, and Richard Yada, who was born in the Rohwer Incarceration Camp in Desha County, Arkansas, and is featured in the film.
Through their stories and experiences, teachers will explore the history of Japanese American incarceration – particularly its ties to Arkansas, the landmark Korematsu v. United States Supreme Court case, and the lasting impact of exclusionary government policies as well as gain strategies on empathetic teaching.
Teachers who attend will receive three hours of professional development credit.
Program Itinerary:
🔹 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. – Refreshments
🔹 10:00 a.m. – Welcome remarks
🔹 10:10 to 11:30 a.m. – Screening of “Relocation Arkansas,” which features interviews with President Bill Clinton, Mr. Yada, and others, begins.
🔹 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Moderated conversation with Dr. Korematsu and Mr. Yada about their experiences and work for justice, as well as empathetic teaching strategies.