By Richard McDonough
Can you imagine being imprisoned simply because of your heritage? Can you imagine being given a day or two or a few weeks to be able to settle your affairs rent or sell your home, sell or close your business? Can you imagine being denied the right to the money in your own bank account?
It may be hard to imagine, but for more than 112,000 Americans with Japanese heritage, it was reality. From 1942 to 1945, the United States of America imprisoned these individuals, from babies to senior citizens.
But because of efforts by the U.S. military and religious leaders from a number of faiths, some of the young people were able to be released from the prisons to continue their educations. Individuals and organizations within the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) were among those that helped lead in this movement. Antioch College was one of several hundred colleges and universities that offered to educate American citizens with Japanese heritage.