Densho

Mission: 

Densho documents the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II before their memories are extinguished. We offer these irreplaceable firsthand accounts, coupled with historical images and teacher resources, to explore principles of democracy and promote equal justice for all.

Densho is a Japanese term meaning “to pass on to the next generation,” or to leave a legacy. The legacy we offer is an American story with ongoing relevance: during World War II, the United States government incarcerated innocent people solely because of their ancestry.

Densho is a nonprofit organization started in 1996, with the initial goal of documenting oral histories from Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. This evolved into a mission to educate, preserve, collaborate and inspire action for equity. Densho uses digital technology to preserve and make accessible primary source materials on the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. 

Today, our Densho Digital Repository comprises over 1,000 oral histories and 100,000 digital historical materials that have been used by hundreds of filmmakers, authors of adult and children's books, playwrights, educators, website developers and others who have all sought to educate the public about various aspects of the incarceration history.

Please GiveBIG and help us raise $30,000 to keep preserving our history 

After many years of use, our current book drive scanner is wearing down and it is time to purchase a new scanner for our hardworking Collections Team. It is incredibly important that Densho has the proper equipment needed to digitize and preserve various items like bound pamphlets, books, photo albums and diaries. 

This BookDrive scanner allows us to preserve and digitize bound items safely such as yearbooks, diaries, and magazines. The media gallery below includes a brief selection of the many collections we've been able to preserve thanks to our current scanner as well as a video that provides insight into our collections process. 

Please consider giving today to help us reach our goal so our Collections Team can keep doing what they do best to preserve our history. Thank you for supporting Densho!