LITTLE ROCK — I’m no expert, but I imagine all states have their historical dark sides.
One of Arkansas’ involved the War Relocation Authority, created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in March 1942.
Under that authority, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans were shipped to secured compounds known as internment camps for the duration of World War II.
There were 10 camps in all, two of which were located in the eastern quadrant of Arkansas. Today, other than commemorative markers, not much remains of the camps, known as Jerome (in Drew County) and Rohwer (in Desha County), but together at their height they housed 16,000-17,000 men, women and children.
One of those children at Rohwer may be known to you. He is the actor George Takei, a.k.a. Mr. Sulu on “Star Trek.” Born in Los Angeles in 1937, he was about 5 when he, his family and about 8,000 others were relocated to Rohwer.
On his blog, Takei describes Rohwer as a barbed-wire enclosure of black tar paper barracks where soldiers with guns watched over the throng from tall guard towers.
“All we had was the luggage we carried,” he wrote in December 2003. “President Roosevelt had signed an executive order imprisoning Japanese Americans in 10 camps like this one simply because we happened to look like the enemy.”
Among other notable Rohwer internees: sculptor Ruth Asawa, actor Jim Ishida (“The Terminal,” “Armageddon,” “Back to the Future II,” among others) and poet Janice Mirikitani.
I mention all this by way of introducing an upcoming program in Bentonville that will be of interest to many history buffs and family researchers.George Takei and his fellow notables won’t be there-repeat, won’t-but Susan Turner Purvis will.
Purvis, art specialist at Little Rock’s Gibbs Magnet School of International Studies and Foreign Languages, is one of nine master teachers selected to work on a joint project of the public history program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Public History Program and the Japanese American National Museum of Los Angeles (with the “generous” support of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, I’m told)..
To shed a little light on a dark subject, she is scheduled to speak about the fruits of that project, “Life Interrupted: The Japanese Experience in WWII Arkansas,” at 6 p.m. this coming Monday, Feb. 28, at Bentonville Public Library. Admission is free. The Northwest Arkansas Historical Society is hosting Purvis’ appearance.
Born after WWII near the tail end of the so-called Baby Boom, I was grown before ever hearing of Rohwer and Jerome. When I say grown, I mean out of high school and out of college.
It was later still when I learned that the state also was home to a half dozen German prison camps, one of which was Jerome after it was closed to the Japanese Americans.
Never took a single history course, or any other kind of course, where Arkansas’ role in that war was mentioned. The only thing I really knew growing up was that there had been ordnance plants around Jacksonville at the time, and I only knew this because that’s how my parents met. They were both bus drivers, ferrying workers to and from the plants. Mama, I guess, was between jobs. Daddy was waiting to get his notice to report for boot camp.
Most of what I’ve learned about Rohwer and Jerome since then is what I’ve stumbled across in documentaries and firsthand accounts such as Takei’s, so I’m sorry that work will keep me away from the Bentonville event. Maybe you can go and tell me about it afterward.
Addendum
Speaking of genealogy, the free spring workshop of the Arkansas Genealogical Society ought to be coming up soon in North Little Rock. According to the AGS website, topics will include the Civil War, DNA and censuses. I’ll try to pass it along when I get more information.
Other events that have been firmed up include a genealogy seminar on March 12 at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library in Benton and a family history workshop on March 26 at the Coronado Center in Hot Springs Village.
More information on these and other events can be found online at agsgenealogy.org.
Associate Editor Meredith Oakley is editor of the Voices page.
Editorial, Pages 17 on 02/23/2011