Japanese American storyteller Megumi will be in Eugene on Saturday presenting her one-woman show “Floodgates of Memory.” The show, based on Megumi’s interviews with former internees of Japanese American internment camps during World War II, will take place at Sheldon High School auditorium at 7 p.m.
An afternoon panel, “Homeland Security: Yesterday’s Lessons Speak to Today’s Tragedy,” will also be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in Room 110 of the Knight Law Center.
Megumi does not tell her audience how to feel about historical events. Instead she takes them there with her storytelling.
“I try to make them feel emotionally involved with the events that happened 60 years ago,” Megumi said. “I create a connection, through storytelling, that makes me feel closer and more involved with the events and people.”
Megumi has been telling stories about World War II Japanese internment since 1997. However, she said since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, she feels it is even more important to educate her audiences about the necessity of protecting civil rights.
“Right now with impending war, there have been thousands of people of Arabic, Islamic and Muslim decent detained without due process,” Megumi said. “It’s sort of the same thing that happened with people of Japanese descent after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. People need to be vigilant in the maintaining of civil and constitutional rights … if we are not careful, they can be violated.”
Local residents who were once detained in internment camps will also lead a panel discussion. Martha Yamasaki, a member of the panel, will be speaking about her experiences and her internment at Camp Three in Poston, Ariz.
“The psychological effects of the confinement have really affected my sense of well-being, especially as I have grown older,” Yamasaki said. “I didn’t talk about this experience for 40 years. When I was growing up, there was such hatred toward the Japanese, and that just intensified after the war.”
Yamasaki said she is concerned current government mandates will cause further race-related problems.
“The present political climate is very worrisome,” Yamasaki said. “I see myself reliving the past. Right now things are moving so slowly, but the present political situation is following the same patterns as before the camps.”
The discussion at the law school will focus on drawing connections between historical events and current government action, especially enactment of the USA PATRIOT Act. The panel will include former internees of the World War II camps, two activists who are also descendants of internees and University law Professor Ibrahim Gassama.
“The event is very timely,” said Bettie Luke, a representative of Eugene 4J School District Multicultural/Equity Office. “It illustrates a lesson in history, and offers a chilling reflection on the same type of occurrences and problems that are happening now with the USA PATRIOT Act and plans for war.”
Both events are free and open to the public.
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