Gaman: “Enduring the Seemingly Unbearable with Dignity”
Submission Type
Event
Expected Graduation Date
2013
Location
Atrium, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-20-2013 2:00 PM
End Date
4-20-2013 3:00 PM
Disciplines
Anthropology
Abstract
When considering the process of becoming American, Professor Sumer Seiki has a personal story that reveals the perseverance of four Japanese-American paternal generations that have endured a harrowing journey to become American. Through collaborative methods, participant-observation, ethnographic interviewing, and academic research, this poster provides insight into the lives of Japanese-Americans from the 1880’s to present day. It specifically highlights the hardships that Professor Seiki’s family faced when they were forced into an internment camp in Arizona during WWII. This poster examines and explains how the experiences of Professor Seiki’s great-grandfather, grandfather, and father have shaped her identity and how she understands her American citizenship. It additionally exposes the idea of how family and the determination to improve the quality of life for one’s family persists over all else.
Gaman: “Enduring the Seemingly Unbearable with Dignity”
Atrium, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
When considering the process of becoming American, Professor Sumer Seiki has a personal story that reveals the perseverance of four Japanese-American paternal generations that have endured a harrowing journey to become American. Through collaborative methods, participant-observation, ethnographic interviewing, and academic research, this poster provides insight into the lives of Japanese-Americans from the 1880’s to present day. It specifically highlights the hardships that Professor Seiki’s family faced when they were forced into an internment camp in Arizona during WWII. This poster examines and explains how the experiences of Professor Seiki’s great-grandfather, grandfather, and father have shaped her identity and how she understands her American citizenship. It additionally exposes the idea of how family and the determination to improve the quality of life for one’s family persists over all else.