OREGON — The Asian Pacific American Employees Association invites you to listen guest speaker Sam Mihara, a national lecturer on the topic of mass imprisonment in the United States, as he shares his experiences living with his family in a prison camp.

In 1942, the U.S. government forced 9-year-old Mihara and his family, along with everyone of Japanese ancestry living in the West, out of their homes and into prison camps. Mihara and his family were sent to a prison camp called Heart Mountain in desolate northern Wyoming where he stayed for 3 years.

Mihara has been a sought-after guest speaker across the country. The first Japanese American to receive the national Paul A. Gagnon Prize as the history teacher of the year, Mihara lectures at UCLA, Harvard, Columbia and in front of Congress about why the World War II camps were created and the forcible removal of people from their homes. He discusses what daily life in camp was like, how they got out of the camp, forest products used to create the camp and what it was like for many people when they returned home.

What: Webinar: Personal stories of imprisonment (virtual, agency-wide)

When: Wednesday, June 26, 11:00-12:00 Pacific

Where: Zoom registration link

This webinar is funded by the Pacific Southwest Region and presented by The Office of Civil Rights Zone III and the Asian Pacific American Employees Association.

ASL interpreters are available for this event.