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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.

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