Beyond the Barbed Wire: Japanese Americans in Minnesota is an ongoing digital project that aims to preserve and present the unique experiences of Japanese Americans who came to Minnesota because of World War II. Approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were forced into internment camps after Pearl Harbor. Many of them relocated and restarted their lives in Minnesota after the war. This was largely because of college education, of which St Olaf was part, and military service, as the Nisei attended the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage and then Fort Snelling. How were their lives in the Midwest? What does it mean to be American during and after this critical moment of history? This project is dedicated to these unsung heroes, untold histories, and unforgettable stories. A documentary film of the same name debuted in spring 2017.
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