Educational Video

Democracy Under Pressure Japanese Americans and World War II. 2000. 27 minutes.VHS.

Produced and distributed by the Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego. Funded in part by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Project and the National Japanese American Citizens League Legacy Fund Grants Program.

Designed specifically for the classroom use, "Democracy Under Pressure" recounts the odyssey of over 2000 Americans of Japanese ancestry who were forcibly removed from San Diego, California during World War II. Prom the personal narratives of two former internees, the larger story of incarceration and the post-war return to the West Coast unfolds through historic photographs and newsreel footage. The video highlights this American tragedy and illustrates how our democratic experience is an on-going learning process. An ancillary teacher curriculum guide is also available.