Interviewed by Leonard Chan

When I started this article, it was meant to be a quick status report on a number of AAPI sites in light of recent government cutbacks and changes in policy. We were only able to get one location’s information done in time for this newsletter article. Please stay tuned for more articles on this subject.

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Marlene Shigekawa is the president of the board of the nonprofit organization “Poston Community Alliance.” Poston Community Alliance work includes preserving the Poston Internment Camp and the stories and memories of those that were there.

Marlene is also a filmmaker and a children’s book author (“Blue Jays in the Desert” and “Welcome Home Swallow”). She was born at Poston and spent the first few months of her life there.

I know your organization has been working hard at trying to restore some of the buildings at the Poston incarceration site. One of your goals is to restore the former library at the Poston Elementary School site and turn it into a visitor’s center.

Part of the funding for your efforts has come from the National Park Service’s Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program in the past. Do you currently have a grant through this program and is there any concern from your organization about cuts to the National Park Service and possibly this program?Has your concerns resulted in any changes to your plans such as the search for alternative funding or timing of your project?

We were fortunate to have received funding and initiate our two restoration projects before cuts from the National Park Service. However, another grant for which we applied – the Norm Mineta Education Fund – is no longer available at this time, forcing us to seek alternative funding.

We have two grants from the National Park Service JACS Grant Program. We just recently completed the restoration of the Poston I Elementary School Site Library so these funds were applied toward this project. Our other grant for adobe classroom restoration has been received, and we now need to raise matching funds of $300,000. We continue to apply for nonfederal funds to help match this grant requirement. This effort was in place before the government cutbacks.

Is there anything that our readers can do to help?

Yes, we received a highly competitive grant from Save America’s Treasure, a NPS sponsored grant, to restore a few of our adobe classroom buildings by the Japanese Americans during their incarceration at Poston. These classrooms were used by the Colorado River Indian Tribes students after the Japanese American departed. Additionally, they are historically significant as the Poston I Elementary School Site, designated as a National Historic Landmark, is the only camp site among the ten camps with classrooms standing in their original location.

We need matching funds for the Save America’s Treasure Grant. The grant award of $296,000 needs to be matched in this same amount. Donations can be made at:

https://www.postonpreservation.org/donate

There has been a lot of recent criticism over signs that National Parks are required to display. The signs are basically asking visitors to report anything that they would find offensive. Although it may seem like a measure to make everyone happy, it could also be weaponized to silence truthful information that people don’t agree with or don’t want to hear (NPR article “National Park signage encourages the public to help erase negative stories at its sites”).

Since the Poston Elementary School Site has been designated by the National Park System as a National Landmark is there any requirement for you to post these signs at Poston? What do you think of about these signs being posted at other Japanese American Confinement Sites?

Currently, there is no signage at the Poston I Elementary School Site. Since the owner of the land on which the Poston Site rests is the Colorado River Indian Tribes, we are not responsible for posting any of these signs. I am not aware if the Tribal Council has been contacted about this.

It is my belief that efforts to erase the histories of people of color—such as those seen during the Trump administration—constitute a form of historical genocide. These actions attempt to strip away the narratives, identities, and truths of communities whose histories are foundational to understanding America’s full story.

The original people of this land were the Native American nations, who lived, governed, and thrived across what is now the United States long before European contact. The arrival of white European settlers led to violent displacement, land theft, and cultural destruction—a legacy that continues to shape contemporary struggles for sovereignty, justice, and recognition.

To forget or erase this history is not a neutral act—it is a deliberate continuation of historical injustice. Remembering and teaching these stories, including the interconnected experiences of Native and Japanese Americans at places like the Poston Incarceration Camp, is essential to advancing truth, equity, and healing in our country.

Can you give us a preview of what you have planned for this year’s Poston Pilgrimage on October 24-25th. What will people see and be able to do? Is it too late to sign up, and if not, where can they go to do that?

For the 2025 Poston Pilgrimage, we are honored to host the Ireicho Book of Names. Attendees will have an opportunity to pay tribute to those incarcerated by placing a stamp near their family names. Since it has been 80 years since resettlement, the focus of our keynote speaker, Brian Niya of Densho, will be on resettlement. We will also designate a time for Poston survivors and their descendants to share their stories and any photos or artifacts. In addition to our opening ceremony with the tribal community,tours of the Poston Memorial Monument and memorial bricks, tours of the Poston site, and presentation of six workshops, a hands-on one is planned. Attendees will have an opportunity to build a adobe wall, using adobe bricks made by our preservation architect, Barbara Darden.

Those interested can find information on our program and how to register at:

https://www.postonpreservation.org/pilgrimage

Our latest achievement includes this webinar. Presented by the Poston Community Alliance and the Asian American Education Project, this multimedia course explores the intersection of Indigenous and Japanese American histories at Poston and the broader implications for civil liberties and social justice today. Curriculum has been developed and is available for educators. It has been endorsed by the New York City Department of Education for educator continuing education and by the Los Angeles School District for educator salary points.