IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – The Museum of Idaho and Friends of Minidoka have partnered to present a new local exhibit, Nisei Trials: 80 Years – Remembering the Minidoka Draft Resisters, which is now on view at the Museum of Idaho.
The exhibit debuted on Wednesday, September 11, in the Museum of Idaho’s upstairs Masonic gallery.
The new exhibit highlights the experiences of Japanese Americans who were unconstitutionally incarcerated at the Minidoka Relocation Center during World War II, with a focus on the 1944 Nisei Trials.
“What they were trying to do is stand up for their community. Stand up for the ideals of America, the idea that everybody has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” said Museum managing director Chloe Doucet. “And as American citizens, they were being profiled for their race and they were not being afforded the regular freedoms that every American is promised. Instead, they were being asked to give in the fullest measure…their lives.”
Through personal stories and historical artifacts, museum staff says visitors will uncover the challenges faced by those incarcerated and the remarkable bravery of thirty-seven Nisei men who resisted the draft in protest of their unjust treatment.
The trials revealed a deep conflict between civic duty and civil rights as these men fought to reclaim their status as U.S. citizens. Doucet says the exhibit honors their legacy and reflects on the lasting lessons for today.
“If we can learn more about what has happened in the past, we can figure out how to apply the decisions that were made at that time to future decisions that we might have to make,” said Doucet. “I think that coming to this exhibit in particular, will give people an opportunity to explore more about a story that was nearly forgotten in a lot of ways.”
