This mini lesson includes a video that focuses on the Panama Hotel in Seattle, a historically preserved site that holds significant ties to Japanese American history. It served as a temporary storage facility for belongings left behind by Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes during World War II incarceration. Shokichi Tokita, a former inmate, shares his experience of being sent to the Minidoka camp at a young age. Along with historical context, speaker notes, and age group specific discussion questions, teachers can facilitate this as an opener/closer to a lesson or during May AANHPI Heritage Month.
