While in Japantown in San Francisco, I found myself visiting the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS). During my time there, they were hosting a special exhibit of “Children of the Camp.” In this section, they had a multitude of pictures of the internment camps and the kids who grew up in them. The museum was mainly full of photographs that captured the everyday lives of the children.

The photos were in black and white and had a haunting effect for the viewer. In almost all of the images, the children do not look like they are in the position to act like children. In the camps, they were able to meet other kids who were similar in age, and the photos reflected that.

The museum itself, was rather small and more set up as a place of research. I found this especially compelling, since it encouraged passersby to stop by and learn about the Japanese American experience. There was a small gift shop where the proceeds went back to the original funding of the museum and its goal to have research opportunities.

When I visited the museum, I was surprised to see a follow up exhibit in a different part of San Francisco. While on my trip, I visited the Presidio where they were having their own exhibit on the Japanese American Internment camps.

The exhibit I attended was called, “Exclusion: The Presidio’s Role in World War II Japanese American Incarceration.” Compared to NJAHS, the Presidio’s exhibit was much larger.  It focused on the Presidio’s place in having these Japanese Americans in the nearby area sent to internment camps. When walking inside, the first part that stood out to me was the exclusion orders that were plastered on the walls. In addition, the exhibit had a memorial wall consisting of the names of those who were interned. Further into the museum, it had artwork as well as photography of life inside the camps. Additionally, towards the end of it, there was a focus on the prejudice that the Japanese American community faced and what we can do to counteract something like this happening again. It was refreshing to see such an extensive and hands on museum in the center of the Presidio. In many ways, both “Exclusion” and “Children of the Camps” offer information that is vital for everyday citizens to acquire. They are both centrally located which makes it a great place to visit and reflect on the past.

NJAHS and the Presidio