HAYLEY JOHNSON, LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Proposal Type
Traditional Panel
Seeking
- Seeking Additional Presenters
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
Related Topics
- Archives
- Public Engagement
- Social Justice
Abstract
Uncovering the histories of marginalized groups that have been forgotten within the larger historical narrative is hard but rewarding work. This panel will explore how various professionals from varied fields were able to bring these histories to the forefront of their work, how they were able to disseminate these histories widely, and how these marginalized histories connect to present day events.
Description
We are looking for additional panelists to partner on a proposal – open to elaborating or focusing the proposal to suit potential partners. We would like this panel to highlight the hidden or difficult histories of marginalized groups. Specifically, we are looking for panelists that can speak to the uncovering of these types of histories, their importance, and what they are doing with the histories they have uncovered. Did you publish? Are you using them in teaching? How are you actively making sure that these histories are included in current discussions? Has finding these histories changed you and your approach to historical research?
Our project centers on the discovery of a forgotten history of Japanese civilian internment in Louisiana during World War II by two academic librarians. Through conducting oral histories and intense archival research, we were able to uncover a long-standing and systemic racism that targeted Japanese immigrants and put them under surveillance for decades in preparation of war. While the sharing of this history is paramount to the work that we do, we also use this history to teach college students about not only the history that occurred in their state, but how that history connects to the larger, present-day political maneuverings taking place across the country.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Hayley Johnson, Louisiana State University, [email protected]
All feedback and offers of assistance should be submitted by July 6, 2020. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
Great panel idea, and sounds like a really interesting project on Japanese incarceration during WWII in Louisiana. I wonder if another theme to draw out is how to connect the histories of marginalized groups to those who have been telling that history either in other places or outside of institutions? For example, do some of the individuals who have done oral histories through Densho, JANM, Manzanar, or other people/organizations have experiences connecting to Louisiana, too? Trying to get at– how can public historians also tap into existing resources to tell these stories, even if those resources are from different regions?
This sounds like a wonderful proposal to pursue. I especially love the connection to current events. I’d be interested to hear more about the dissemination of this work–and other marginalized histories–during the pandemic. Have institutions pushed for a “back to basics” approach to what they share and interpret (hewing more to conservative or traditional stories), or is there more space for an expansive array of narratives now that everything has been turned upside down? If these stories are getting “out there,” how have they been received? I’d genuinely love to attend this panel, and hope it works out!
After reading through your panel proposal – and I agree with other folks who have commented that it sounds terrific – I’ve been thinking about the term “marginalized.” To whom are histories hidden or marginalized and then uncovered (and who uncovers them?)? What collecting systems hide some stories while making others visible? And how do we disrupt that? It sounds like you have a case study that could assist in thinking through these questions. I also think it’s interesting that your project focuses on a narrative that appears to be well known at this point but still offers new insight that can be connected to contemporary issues.
This panel proposal made me think of a lot of the underexplored immgiration history in the american south. i don’t know if i fully understood it until i was interning at the Levine Musuem of the New South. The musuems, at the time i was there, used this information in musueum education and outreach but its definitely worth an ask.
My Contact at the Levine Museum of the New South is Eric Scott and he’ll be back from leave on July 20th and is hoping to hear from you if you are interested.
I would encourage you to talk to Ted Gong of the 1882 Foundation (https://1882foundation.org/). They are using historic preservation and national designations to help disseminate recovered Chinese American history.
I am a Japanese American historian researching Japanese American mixed race and disability history. While mixed race Japanese American history has been researched for some time, it focuses on white-Japanese families. It is only recently that Black, Asian, Indigenous (both in the US and Japan), multi-racial, and others have been included, though they are still on the fringes.
Asian American disability history has only recently begun to be researched. Despite several Japanese Americans being greatly involved in the ADA movement (including Yoshiko Dart, wife of Justin Dart AKA “Father of the ADA” and Atsuko Kuwana, wife of Michael Winter who participated in the Capitol Crawl), Hannah Takagi (who testified during the Redress hearings in the 1980s, their contributions have been overlooked.
I echo others here when I say that this sounds like a fantastic idea. I agree with Katrine that language is important — “uncovering” for whom? And how do we decenter the dominant narrative with our word choice? My thought (which I throw in with all these other wonderful ideas) is to see if you can pull in a community partner to give their perspective on working with academic institutions. There are some real benefits for them but also some potential drawbacks. Not only how do academics use this history going forward, but how do community partners stake a claim over their own pasts and use the project?