Description
“Am I An American or Am I Not?” asks visitors to think about examples of unfair treatment from our country’s past and present in order to protect the American promises of life, liberty, and justice for all.
The exhibition’s title comes from Fred Korematsu, who famously challenged the mass imprisonment of over 125,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. When faced with criminal charges for not following the military orders to leave his home without due process, the U.S. born citizen remembered his Constitutional rights and asked, “Am I an American or am I not?”
Developed in partnership with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, the exhibition draws on timeless themes to bridge past and present, highlights stories of connection, and encourages civic participation to stand up for equal rights. It features stories of loyalty and resistance, belonging and othering, and solidarity and resilience. “Am I An American or Am I Not?” explores how fear, discrimination, and government actions led to the violation of Constitutional rights during the war and how this history relates to the experiences of other communities, including Native Americans and African Americans.
Importantly, the exhibition addresses stories of other historic and modern-day events that parallel aspects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans to encourage visitors to take action today and stand up for the rights of all Americans.
Exhibit Sections:
- Introduction
- Immigration and Citizenship: Who gets to be an American?
- Othering: What does it mean to be an American?
- Loyalty and Resistance: What do you stand for?
- Resilience and Solidarity: How do you respond to injustice?
- Conclusion: How will you make a difference?
“Am I An American or Am I Not?” was developed in partnership with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, Anthony Hirschel, and Exhibit Envoy, with funding from the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) and the JA Community Foundation.
This project was funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government.
Specs
- Audience:
- Elementary Students, Teens, Adults
- Rental Fee:
- $3,000 for Main Gallery Exhibit (Version A) for 8 weeks + shipping via van line
- $1,000 for Freestanding Exhibit (Version B) for 8 weeks + shipping via FedEx
- Size:
- Version A: 1,200 – 1,500 sq. ft.
- Version B: 700 – 800 sq. ft.
- Languages:
- English
- Security:
- Moderate (Version A) / Limited (Version B)
Exhibit Components:
- Version A will include 40 photographs by Dorothea Lange, Clem Albers, and other WWII-era and contemporary photographers; original and replica artifacts and ephemera; text panels organized thematically (rather than chronologically); and more
- Version B will include 12-14 modular, freestanding exhibit components that distill the ideas and images from Version A into a smaller, easy-to-install exhibition (30″ x 30″ x 78″ footprint)
- Both Version A and B will include exhibition press kit with publicity images and credits; social media templates; a printable timeline handout; educational materials; and more.
Schedule and Availability: Version A (Main Gallery Exhibit)
January 5, 2025 – February 2, 2025 (4 weeks) | Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, OR |
February 16, 2025 – March 16, 2025 (4 weeks) | Loveland Museum, Loveland, CO |
March 30, 2025 – April 27, 2025 (4 weeks) | Museum of History Benicia, Benicia, CA |
May 18, 2025 – June 14, 2025 (4 weeks) | Sponsored Booking – Venue in the contracting process! |
June 29, 2025 – September 21, 2025 (12 weeks) | La Quinta Museum, La Quinta, CA |
October 19, 2025 – December 14, 2025 | AVAILABLE |
January 4, 2026 – March 1, 2026 | AVAILABLE |
March 22, 2026 – May 17, 2026 | AVAILABLE |
June 7, 2026 – August 2, 2026 | AVAILABLE |
August 23, 2026 – October 18, 2026 | AVAILABLE |
November 8, 2026 – January 3, 2027 | AVAILABLE |
December 6, 2026 – January 31, 2027 | AVAILABLE |
Schedule and Availability: Version B (Free-Standing Exhibit)
November 17, 2024 – December 22, 2024 (5 weeks) | National Council for the Social Studies Conference, Boston, MA |
January 5, 2025 – February 2, 2025 (4 weeks) | Sponsored Booking – Venue in the contracting process! |
February 16, 2025 – March 16, 2025 (4 weeks) | Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale, MS |
March 30, 2025 – June 1, 2025 | International Peace Museum, Dayton, OH |
August 3, 2025 – September 28, 2025 | AVAILABLE |
October 19, 2025 – December 14, 2025 | AVAILABLE |
January 4, 2026 – March 1, 2026 | AVAILABLE |
March 22, 2026 – May 17, 2026 | AVAILABLE |
June 7, 2026 – August 2, 2026 | AVAILABLE |
August 23, 2026 – October 18, 2026 | AVAILABLE |
November 8, 2026 – January 3, 2027 | AVAILABLE |