Overview

Often overlooked in the infamous history of US internment during World War II is the plight of internee children. Drawn from personal interviews and multiple primary source materials, ""Schools Behind Barbed Wire"" uncovers this chapter in American history. Previous to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the children of German and Japanese nationals took their ""Americaness"" for granted. Many were citizens, born on American soil. Many had worn Boy Scout uniforms, pledged allegiance to the flag, and even collected tin foil in order to do their ""bit"" for the war effort. But, all this changed with the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Without warning their American identity was suspect and on the basis of their parents' nationality, they too were treated as enemies of the state and shipped off to remote internment camps. ""Schools Behind Barbed Wire"" is the story of the boys and girls who grew up in the Texan internment camp of Crystal City and spent the war years attending one of its three internment camp schools. These children attended regular classes in math and English, joined clubs and tried to go about ""normal"" life in the most extraordinary of circumstances. For many, their wartime experiences were often the defining moments of their lives. Professor Karen Riley has recorded the struggles these children faced everyday.

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9780742501706

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Book of the week. Schools Behind Barbed Wire meticulously charts the short but varied histories of these three institutions [Japanese, German, and American schools], offering in the process a string of fascinating cameos highlighting how schools are culturally defined, and how they, in turn, shape and define the pupils who pass through them... Times Educational Supplement Seldom is groundbreaking history written from the experiences of children, especially the German and Japanese children whose families were arrested and imprisoned as 'Enemy Aliens' during World War II. Dr. Riley's remarkable study of the Federal schools at the Crystal City Family Internment Camp analyzes the internal pressures of camp life, the contradictions between tradition and wartime patriotism, and the difficulties of teaching children about democracy behind barbed wire. Extremely well-written and based on interviews and original documents, Dr. Riley has brought the history of a little-known government education program out of the shadows of World War Two. -- Arnold Krammer, Texas A&M University, author of Undue Process: The Untold Story of America's German Internees and Nazi Prisoners of War in A Schools behind Barbed Wire is a beautifully written, well-researched, and fascinating book about a previously forgotten topic. It should appeal to educators, to historians interested in the treatment of enemy aliens during the Second World War, and to people intrigued by the acculturation of racial minorities. It is also a refreshing contrast to the dismal story of the internment of Japanese-Americans. -- Bruce F. Pauley, University of Central Florida, author of From Prejudice to Persecution: A History of Austrian Anti-Semitism and other books Recommended. CHOICE A useful addition to the literature on internment of enemy aliens. American Historical Review Karen Riley has helped us restore the memory of the complicated lives and educational experiences of people who were caught up in the effects of international conflicts. This richly detailed book deserves to be read by anyone who wants to understand what can happen to schooling in times of such conflicts. -- Michael W. Apple, John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison; author, <i Book of the week. Schools Behind Barbed Wire meticulously charts the short but varied histories of these three institutions [Japanese, German, and American schools], offering in the process a string of fascinating cameos highlighting how schools are culturally defined, and how they, in turn, shape and define the pupils who pass through them. Times Educational Supplement Numerous interviews and extensive use of previously unexamined primary sources bring some pithty evidence to light about the experiences of a unique set of World War II detainees. The Journal Of Southern History Schools Behind Barbed Wire adds a remarkable chapter to World War II literature... Anyone interested in civilian internment, education, and the south during World War II must read this important book. Southern Historian

Karen Riley has helped us restore the memory of the complicated lives and educational experiences of people who were caught up in the effects of international conflicts. This richly detailed book deserves to be read by anyone who wants to understand what can happen to schooling in times of such conflicts.--Apple, Michael W.

Book of the week. Schools Behind Barbed Wire meticulously charts the short but varied histories of these three institutions [Japanese, German, and American schools], offering in the process a string of fascinating cameos highlighting how schools are culturally defined, and how they, in turn, shape and define the pupils who pass through them... Times Educational Supplement Seldom is groundbreaking history written from the experiences of children, especially the German and Japanese children whose families were arrested and imprisoned as 'Enemy Aliens' during World War II. Dr. Riley's remarkable study of the Federal schools at the Crystal City Family Internment Camp analyzes the internal pressures of camp life, the contradictions between tradition and wartime patriotism, and the difficulties of teaching children about democracy behind barbed wire. Extremely well-written and based on interviews and original documents, Dr. Riley has brought the history of a little-known government education program out of the shadows of World War Two. -- Arnold Krammer, Texas A&M University, author of Undue Process: The Untold Story of America's German Internees and Nazi Prisoners of War in A Schools behind Barbed Wire is a beautifully written, well-researched, and fascinating book about a previously forgotten topic. It should appeal to educators, to historians interested in the treatment of enemy aliens during the Second World War, and to people intrigued by the acculturation of racial minorities. It is also a refreshing contrast to the dismal story of the internment of Japanese-Americans. -- Bruce F. Pauley, University of Central Florida, author of From Prejudice to Persecution: A History of Austrian Anti-Semitism and other books Recommended. CHOICE A useful addition to the literature on internment of enemy aliens. American Historical Review Karen Riley has helped us restore the memory of the complicated lives and educational experiences of people who were caught up in the effects of international conflicts. This richly detailed book deserves to be read by anyone who wants to understand what can happen to schooling in times of such conflicts. -- Michael W. Apple, University of Wisconsin, Madison, author of Cultural Politics and Education (John Dewey Lecture) and other books Book of the week. Schools Behind Barbed Wire meticulously charts the short but varied histories of these three institutions [Japanese, German, and American schools], offering in the process a string of fascinating cameos highlighting how schools are culturally defined, and how they, in turn, shape and define the pupils who pass through them. Times Educational Supplement Numerous interviews and extensive use of previously unexamined primary sources bring some pithty evidence to light about the experiences of a unique set of World War II detainees. Journal Of Southern History Schools Behind Barbed Wire adds a remarkable chapter to World War II literature... Anyone interested in civilian internment, education, and the south during World War II must read this important book. Southern Historian

Author Information

Karen L. Riley is associate professor in the School of Education at Auburn University, Montgomery.

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