December 8, 2021
Heart Mountain Interpretive Center invites educators to apply for a professional development workshop focused on the 80th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, to be held on February 19, 2022. The workshop will be hosted at the interpretive center and is free to attend, but registration is required and space is limited.
February 19 marks the 80th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of some 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Each year, the Japanese American community observes a Day of Remembrance on this date. On this Day of Remembrance, Heart Mountain is hosting an educator workshop centered around the order and the wartime experiences of Japanese Americans.
Former Heart Mountain incarceree and nationally recognized speaker Sam Mihara, who will attend virtually, will headline the workshop. Mihara said that he feels a responsibility to talk about what happened to him, to help prevent future injustices. “I believe it is important that I speak about my experience as a child prisoner of the massive camp at Heart Mountain,” Mihara said. “The lessons learned from these events should be a part of every U.S. History curriculum.”
The workshop, made possible through a grant from the Wyoming Humanities Council, will also feature presentations by Heart Mountain staff and a walking tour of the grounds and historic buildings. Participants will be provided with lunch and will also receive complimentary books and materials about the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. Registration is free, but space is limited so educators are encouraged to apply a soon as possible.