Type: Exhibition section

Name: Teaching Diversity: Japanese Americans at Seabrook

Detail: It was in 1944 that the small town of Seabrook experienced an influx of Japanese Americans, which profoundly impacted the experience of its residents. The school system in particular was deeply affected by the abrupt arrival of Nisei, second generation Japanese-Americans who would attend the school. As Elaine Glendon Laws, a student at Seabrook, recalled, “Suddenly everything had changed. There were TWO fifth grades. Not only that, but the classrooms were half filled with strangers!” Through the arrival of new students from a different background, Seabrook School found itself teaching and incorporating the rich history and cultural experiences of Japanese-Americans into its curriculum and recreational activities. This change to a more pluralistic focus paradoxically coincided with the arrival of displaced Japanese families after one of America’s most prominent examples of institutional racism. While Seabrook school took in the children of Japanese Americans and pushed an agenda of teaching about multiple cultures, the social climate of America in 1944 still held racially charged misconceptions towards Issei and Nisei.
The first image is from a school talent show at Seabrook, and shows dancers performing a traditional Japanese dance in traditional Japanese clothing. The talent shows at Seabrook were a chance for peoples of all different origins to celebrate their background—Estonian dancers, for instance, were also documented performing at these shows. The second photograph shows one of the school teachers, Alice Mukoda, displaying in closer detail a traditional Japanese outfit called a kimono, and a traditional style fan. The students in the front of the class are looking up at her with great interest and she is smiling while pointing to the classic Japanese imagery painted on the fan. These two traditional items encapsulate the customary artistry of Japan and show that the teachers of Seabrook School were interested in highlighting different cultures within their curriculum. Both non-Japanese and Nisei students were educated about traditional aspects of Japanese culture as many Nisei had grown up in the U.S. and were often more assimilated with American culture than Japanese culture. For Issei, Seabrook then became a way of teaching and preserving aspects of Japanese customs. The third image is an aerial view of Seabrook School in the center of the picture, surrounded by housing that was used primarily by the Japanese-American workers of Seabrook Farms in 1944. Both literally and metaphorically, the school was encompassed by the Japanese American families that came from the internment camps. The effect this had on those attending the school and those in the town was profound, leading to a more diverse education for children and adults of Seabrook alike. In a time where racism against Japanese Americans was commonplace, the initiative taken by both Japanese Americans and the Seabrook school system in order to expand their curriculum to be more inclusive was remarkable.

Type: Exhibition caption

Detail: Alice Mukodo displays a fan and kimono for a class at Seabrook School, teaching both non-Japanese and Japanese American students about traditional aspects of Japanese culture.