Please join the Wisconsin Maritime Museum on May 4th at 6:30pm for our free Think & Drink series presentation “125,284 – Japanese Internment, Racism, and Americanism” with in-person speaker Joy Block. The featured drink of the night will be a Matcha Mint Julep.

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, over 100,000 people of Japanese descent lived on the U.S. mainland. About two thirds were full citizens, born and raised in the United States. Following the attack, a wave of anti-Japanese sentiment and fear led the U.S. government to pass drastic legislation. Executive Order 9066, which violated essential constitutional rights, forced 125,284 Japanese Americans from their homes and into internment camps.

Join UW Madison’s Joy Block as she talks about Japanese internment, the anti-Japanese sentiment during wartime that swept across the U.S., and what proving American allegiance meant for Japanese Americans, especially 2nd-generation immigrants. Learn about Wisconsin’s role during this period of persecution and the Japanese Americans who lived and worked in the state as well as those who trained at Fort McCoy.

Alcohol and nonalcoholic drinks will be available for purchase at the limited bar.

Doors and bar open at 6:00 pm. The talk and live stream portion begin at 6:30 pm. To access the live stream of this event, please register here: https://forms.gle/VRxvKcy9SFAZysNt8

Admission is free both in-person and virtually.

For more information about this talk and upcoming events at the museum please visit our website https://www.wisconsinmaritime.org/ or on Facebook @WIMaritimeMuseum.

This program is funded in part by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the State of Wisconsin. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Please note: although these events incorporate a thematic drink, there is no requirement or emphasis on alcohol consumption. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol and/or drug abuse, please reach out to the national substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.