Storytelling Arts of Indiana will launch its 39th season with an evening of compelling historical storytelling exploring courage, injustice and the Japanese American experience during World War II.
Acclaimed storyteller Alton Takiyama-Chung will present “The Japanese American Experience of WWII” on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. Audiences can attend the performance in person or watch via livestream.
Through two deeply personal stories, Takiyama-Chung will illuminate the bravery of Japanese Americans who endured discrimination both on the battlefield and at home.
One story follows Ben Kuroki, the only Japanese American permitted to fly combat missions in the Pacific theater during World War II. Kuroki survived 30 missions over Europe and earned numerous military honors, yet he continued to encounter racism in his own country. During the war, a white passenger even refused to share a taxicab with him.
Five decades later, Kuroki received the Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his extraordinary military record and lifelong stand against racial discrimination. His journey offers a striking portrait of patriotism, perseverance and the painful contradictions faced by Japanese Americans during the war.
Takiyama-Chung will also perform “Sagebrush Santa,” a reimagining of a young girl’s makeshift Christmas at the Minidoka incarceration camp in 1942. The story was shared with the permission of Mako Nakagawa, who was seven years old when she and her friends found themselves questioning the perceived differences between Japanese and white people.
By viewing incarceration through the eyes of a child, “Sagebrush Santa” brings an intimate and human perspective to one of the most troubling chapters in American history.
A talkback session will follow the performance, giving audience members an opportunity to reflect on the stories and engage more deeply with their historical and contemporary significance.
“The Japanese American Experience of WWII” begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
General-admission tickets are $20, student tickets are $10 and livestream access is $15. Tickets may be purchased in advance at StorytellingArts.org or at the door.
