We’ll Miss You Emily Teraoka!

In February, Minidoka National Historic Site and Friends of Minidoka said goodbye to Lead Interpretation Ranger Emily Teraoka. Emily is continuing her National Park Service journey where she will serve as a park ranger at Manzanar National Historic Site in California. 

Emily leaves behind a legacy of critical, community-based projects, according to Minidoka National Historic Site Director of Interpretation and Education Kurt Ikeda.

“Everything you read at Minidoka National Historic Site has come from Emily’s pen – from waysides to the honor roll, from exhibits to unigrid brochures,” says Kurt. “For years to come, Minidoka staff will speak of her in hushed tones as a legend within the Visitor Center that she helped open.”

Due to family connections to both Arkansas camps and Poston in Arizona, Emily had a general knowledge of the Japanese American incarceration camps when she took a position as a Minidoka intern in 2019. Her internship was extended not once, but twice, as Emily’s relationship with the Japanese American community, knowledge base, and feelings for Minidoka grew stronger. She eventually became a full-fledged ranger in 2021. Emily has been an indispensable member of the Minidoka team, and everyone – from survivors, to descendants, to NPS staff, to the Friends of Minidoka team – will miss her deeply.

Friends of Minidoka is grateful for all of Emily’s incredible contributions to the site over the years, and wishes her the very best in her new role at Manzanar!