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Alternative title
Cultural Exchange and Memories of Internees from Latin America 1938-1948
Date of Award
Spring 2025
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Department or Program Affiliation
History
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
López, A. Ricardo, 1974-
Second Advisor
Cameselle-Pesce, Pedro
Third Advisor
Seltz, Jennifer, 1970-
Abstract
The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II has been the subject of investigation through a multitude of social, environmental, and political histories. Japanese, German, and Italian internees from Latin America have not been subject to an equal amount of historical investigation. This investigation seeks to examine the experience of internees from Latin America during internment from 1938 to 1948. Internees held various cultural, linguistic, political, and socioeconomic backgrounds, yet interacted, shared cultures, exchanged ideas, and developed relationships to survive internment. The state imposed a uniform cultural hegemony upon the internees, but internees retained and maintained their cultural identity and developed new cultural practices. Cross-cultural interactions were created by internees inside internment camps all across the United States such as Crystal City, Kooskia, Missoula, Santa Fe, Kenedy, Seagoville, and Lincoln. The historiography of internment requires adjustment from the assumption that cross-cultural interactions were limited. Cross-cultural experiences were a feature of camp life, experienced by multitudes of internees as documented in oral and written histories. Historians, internment victims, and advocates benefit from the examination, and reexaminations, of what camp life looked like.
Type
Text
Keywords
internment, Japanese American, World War II, Latin America, Germans, Italians, Crystal City, cross-cultural, exchange, oral history, interviews, cultural exchange, children
Publisher
Western Washington University
OCLC Number
1518432589
Subject – LCSH
World War, 1939-1945--Forced removal of civilians--Latin America--Historiography; World War, 1939-1945--Deportations from Latin America--Historiography; World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, Japanese--Historiography; World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, German--Historiography; World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, Italian--Historiography; World War, 1939-1945--United States--Japanese Americans--Historiography; Japanese Americans--United States--Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945--Historiography; Cultural relations; Internment camps--United States--20th century; World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Japanese; World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, German; World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Italian
Geographic Coverage
Latin America--History--20th century; United States--History--20th century
Format
application/pdf
Genre/Form
masters theses
Language
English
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Recommended Citation
Johnston, Andrew J., "Cultural exchange and memories of Latin American internment 1938-1948" (2025). WWU Graduate School Collection. 1355.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/1355