Courage and Compassion at the Idaho State Museum
by Shannon Reagan, Project Manager, Beyond the Barbed Wire: Japanese American Stories of the Pacific Northwest
The Idaho State Museum is hosting Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American World War II Experience through March 16, 2025. This traveling exhibit, presented by the Go For Broke National Education Center, powerfully showcases the bravery and integrity of the Japanese American community in the days and years following the attack on Pearl Harbor. While everyone of Japanese heritage was forcibly removed from the West Coast and incarcerated, many who lived inland faced blatant racism and discrimination. Courage and Compassion shares the many ways in which life changed for Japanese Americans across the country during and after WWII, and also highlights stories of support for the community – both in Idaho and across the nation. The exhibit features first-hand survivor accounts, artifacts, and archival images that immerse viewers in the history and legacy of the Japanese American community.
The Idaho State Museum hosted a Grand Opening on Saturday, May 4 with performances by Sangha Taiko, a gallery talk by Dr. Emily Anderson from the Japanese American National Museum, and a panel discussion moderated by Kurt Ikeda, Chief of Interpretation and Community Outreach at Minidoka National Historic Site. Members of the panel included Dr. Anderson, former Idaho Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice Jim Jones, and Teresa Tamura, author of Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp.
Courage and Compassion is available to view with regular admission and tickets are available online at the Idaho State Museum website.
Members of Sangha Taiko perform outside the Idaho State Museum to commemorate the grand opening of Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American World War II Experience.
Saturday, June 22nd @ Idaho State Museum
The public is invited to a free event at the Idaho State Museum on Saturday, June 22 in connection with the Idaho Humanities Council’s Human Ties: Conversations That Matter program. “Courage and Compassion: A Conversation about the Japanese American WWII Experience” will feature primary historical sources and address themes of incarceration, patriotism, citizenship, and belonging. Shelley McEuen Howard, an English professor at the College of Southern Idaho, will facilitate the discussion. For more information, visit the Idaho Humanities Council website.