GRIT is an educational theatre project for middle and high school students about the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. In particular, the project addresses two issues not often discussed about this event: the resistance to the U.S. policy of drafting incarcerated Japanese Americans for combat duty, and the government’s decision to confine orphaned children. The project intends to deepen the understanding of this story by using theatre as a teaching tool.
The first component is a performance of the play GRIT, which is followed by two drama-in-education (DiE) lessons. The curriculum employs DiE techniques to further explore the themes of the play and how they connect to issues of today. Designed by Janet Hayakawa and Tere Martínez, the project’s ultimate goal is to reach beyond the facts, to develop empathy, to recognize the nuances and to grapple with the fragile nature of our constitutional rights.
GRIT is funded by the Kip Tokuda Memorial Washington Civil Liberties Public Education Program.
Manzanar High School – Graduation – Summer 43. Courtesy of Manzanar National Historic Site and the Shinjo Nagatomi Collection