Program on Japanese-American confinement scheduled

A traveling exhibit on the Japanese-American confinement in New Mexico during World War II will return for a panel discussion and reception at Fort Stanton April 27.

The exhibit, created by the New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League, focuses on the stories of wartime confinement sites that included Fort Stanton. Internment camps also existed in Santa Fe, Old Raton Ranch and Lordsburg.

The goal of the exhibit is to educate New Mexicans on the histories of Japanese American internment in the state and to inspire conversation about issues of citizenship, identity and civil liberties, said Steve Duffy, president of Fort Staton Inc.

The travelling exhibit entitled "Confinement in the Land of Enchantment" originally opened last July for the Fort Stanton LIVE annual event.

A speakers forum is set for 1:30 p.m., April 27, at the Fort Stanton Visitor’s Center.  Following the forum at 3:30 p.m., an opening reception for the exhibit, including refreshments, is scheduled.

Guest at the forum will include keynote speaker Dr. Roy Ebihara, who was imprisoned at the Baca Camp; Tessa Moening Cencula, who was the lead researcher on the Fort Stanton experience for Japanese Americans; and Dr. Diane Ball, CLOE project coordinator, who will discuss the project and exhibit in terms of educational outreach in the state.

The forum and reception are free and sponsored by NMJACL, a National Parks grant and the Fort Stanton State Historic Site. 

Stories of internment

Among the stories included in a brochure about the exhibit is a description of victory huts, where those interned were segregated.

The huts contained two steel cots with mattresses, a table with two chairs, two shelves, a small coal burning stove and a light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

The fort staff issued two blankets and a pillow to each man. With doors and windows closed, a hut could be kept relatively comfortable, according to former segregates. But frequent windstorms necessitated constant sweeping of sand from the floor.

The guards were painted as "uncompromising and generally suspicious" of their charges, but left the segregates to their daily schedule with little interference.

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For more information, contact Fort Stanton Historic Site at info@fortstanton.org or Victor Yamada, CLOE Project Director at vyamada@yahoo.com.

The fort is on New Mexico Highway 220, between U.S. Highway 380 and NM 48, north of Ruidoso. The visitor center is located at 104 Kit Carson Road.