| Description |
The purpose of this thesis is to explore the role of art in publications created by interned Japanese Americans during World War II. Newspapers and magazines published inside internment camps were examined to see how they depicted art as a response to various needs and loss, in what ways camp publications showed art contributing to a sense of community, and how camp publications used art to reflect residents' identity. This thesis is based on a review of camp publications between 1942 and 1944. They cover two locations and four publications totaling 10 separate issues and hundreds of pages that featured an array of artwork. After analyzing the publications, it was determined that during the initial two years of confinement that camp newspapers and magazines fulfilled the roles above in specific ways. Needs and loss were addressed through the depiction of the forced removal that caused evacuees to lose comfort and luxury, familiarity, and privacy. A sense of community was forged through garden art, landscaping, construction, and carpentry projects. Finally, art forms like flower arranging, illustrations, and a nature woodcut print were used to evoke Japanese identity, while sketches and short stories were used to express American identity. The art depicted in the camp magazines reflected aspects of American cultural identity, Japanese cultural identity, and a new identity that combined the two, consistent with scholar Catherine Luther's research. |
