Website Review A
More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans & the U.S. Constitution The September 11th attacks upon United States soil have refocused Americans upon the delicate balance between civil liberties and national security. Opponents of racial profiling of Arabs point to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as an example of the gross civil rights violations that can emerge when the tenuous balance between individual rights and the power of the state capsizes. Eager to share the voices and the stories of those Japanese Americans who experienced the consequences of such upset, between 1995 and 1998 the Smithsonian converted their physical exhibit into an interactive online website. Superbly organized and stylishly presented, A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the Constitution,A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the Constitution harnesses the interactive powers of the web, allowing its viewers to chart their own course through hundreds of artifacts. The site presents a visually stimulating and deeply stirring account of the Japanese American experience during World War II. Containing over 800 artifacts, A More Perfect Union, is organized chronologically around short topical "movie" strips. For example, under the first major heading, "Immigration" there are four mini-sections: Issei, Hawaii, U.S. Mainland, and Legalizing Racism. Each mini-section contains a short "movie style" presentation of artifacts and commentary. Controlled by the movement of the viewer’s mouse, images, commentary, and personal quotes pass across the screen. If clicked upon, each image/ artifact will open into a separate window where the artifact title and date are provided along with a short description. Viewers can choose to follow the prompts through each "movie," and experience the story chronologically, or they can click on subtitles and chart their own course topically. Aside from this main "Story Experience" section, the viewer can also read the responses of previous viewers or add their own in the "Reflections" section. In "Collection Search" and "Resources," the Smithsonian staff compiled bibliographic materials, links, and a search option to find specific artifacts within the site. Navigation of the site is quite straightforward, providing the viewers with hours worth of profitable exploration. Curator Jennifer Locke Jones, tells the Japanese American story primarily through material culture—artifacts and images. Little commentary allows the images and documents to "speak for themselves." Through a rich display of photographs, artifacts, and personal interviews, the realities of life for Japanese Americans comes alive. Noticeably absent, however, are the transcriptions of many of the documents posted as images. While transcriptions of interviews and racially inflammatory bubble gum wrappers can be found, the Constitution and especially, Executive Order 9006, which provided the legal justification for Japanese internment, are only contained as image documents. The inability to read newspaper articles, and especially influential government documents, can be frustrating for those interested in moving beyond the visual to engage the ideas which motivated the actions of the government and society. Rich in material culture, unfortunately, by not including specific texts, the producers limit the educational value of the site. Interestingly, while the title indicates that the focus of the site will be on the tension between "the rights of a citizen and the power of the state" the reader finds more material on the injustice the Japanese experienced rather than legal issues of civil rights. A lack of political documents discourages the readers from analyzing the issues that created the internment crises. This becomes especially clear in the two classroom assignments suggested in the "Resources" section. Their stated objective, for both elementary and secondary classes is "To help students become aware of, and sensitive to, the Japanese American interment camp experience. They will develop a sense of empathy by simulating the situations which Japanese American children faced."1 While empathy remains an important issue, the Smithsonian producers missed an opportunity to encourage critical evaluation of the Constitution and government laws that could help produce an informed citizenry who would be able to respond to modern crises such as Arab profiling. A More Perfect Union harnesses the multi-sensory options of the web. Providing audio accounts of personal GI’s, or internees, visually stimulating pictures of Japanese American dedication on the battlefield, and moving images that allow the viewer to interact with the material, the organizers of this site appeal to all learning styles. Going beyond the static quality of physical museum exhibits, the movement of movie strips and clicking between images enlivens the site. Utilizing the web’s non-linear aspects, viewers can pursue the story in a personalized, non-chronological method. Additional resources, such as a timeline and contextual information, would further strengthen the site’s educational value. Overall, the classy design and strong organization accompanied by clear theme and rich image promises to provide viewers young and old with a visually intriguing historical experience. In light of the events of 9-11-01, this site becomes more significant, as Americans in the twenty-first century must grapple with the same issues facing those in 1942. Stephanie
R. Hurter September 2002 |