Imagine yourself as a young adult born in America, knowing only the U.S. as your home. Now, picture the country of your birth rounding up you and your family to be imprisoned because your ancestors legally immigrated from a country currently at war with the U.S. How would you deal with this upheaval in your life?
The Minidoka Swing Band dives into this topic, taking you on a journey detailing the experiences of the Japanese Americans during World War 2 as they were forced into internment camps in the U.S. Seeking to create as normal a life as possible, people in the camps formed sports teams, Boy Scout troops, and often held Saturday night dances for young adults and teens, with music by bands formed in the camps.
The Minidoka Swing Band performs swing tunes from the Big Band era—music of the 1930s and 1940s popular in the internment camps of WW2—paying tribute to the resilience of the Americans unjustly imprisoned by the only country they ever knew. This evening will also include a presentation about these troubling events from United States history.
This performance, supported by a City of Hillsboro Performance Series Grant, directly supports the Minidoka Swing Band, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The Immigrant Story.
