What is the purpose of this project?
The project has two main goals:
1. to create a curated digital collection of records documenting both the experience of Japanese Americans, and the ministry of Northern Baptists with and among Japanese Americans, 1941-1946;
and
2. to create an online exhibit of selected documents to interpret events and experiences documented by the records.
How will ABHS accomplish this?
First, ABHS is digitizing materials from collections it holds that relate to the experience of Japanese Americans interned during World War II.
Second, ABHS will digitize related documents held by families and churches.
What about my family’s records?
If you or someone you know would be willing to share items related to the Japanese American experience during WWII, please contact Jenny Manasco, Project Director.
Items of interest include letters, photos, diaries, ID papers, travel passes, service or education records, and the like.
Can my family’s and my church’s documents be included without giving them away?
Yes! You do not have to donate the documents to ABHS. You can attend one of the Community Scanning Days ABHS will host on the west coast where we will digitize the documents on-site.
Should you wish to ensure their long-term preservation in a climate-controlled environment, managed by a professional archivist, you may choose to give them to ABHS.
What if my family was not Baptist in the 1940s?
We want to ensure the preservation of documents and stories from anyone who experienced confinement as a result of Executive Order 9066. Participation is not limited to people who were Baptist then, or now.
If your family’s documents have already been digitized by another organization or project (like Densho or JANM), they are already included in the historical record and it is not necessary to have them digitized by ABHS, as well.
Who will have access to the digital collection?
By its very nature, the impact of this project will be widespread, making documents findable, accessible, and searchable to anyone with an internet connection. Researchers will be able to read about daily life as well as about large-scale institutional responses, including advocacy on behalf of Japanese Americans before the U.S. government.
Can I limit who can read my family’s documents online?
Yes. Documents that are particularly sensitive can be marked as restricted access, allowing only scholarly researchers access upon special request.
Who is paying for the project?
The US National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites program has awarded ABHS a grant of $120,000. The JACS grant is a 2:1 matching grant; ABHS must raise at least $60K to complete the project funding.
Can I donate to the Matching Funds campaign?
We gratefully accept contributions!
To donate using a credit or debit card, use the “Give Now” button on our home page.
To donate by check, mail your contribution to
the address below.
In the “Sub-Fund” box indicate that you are contributing to the JACS project.
How long will this take?
ABHS began work on the JACS project in August, 2023. It is slated to be complete by October, 2025. Community Scanning Days will take place during 2024.
More questions? Contact us:
Email: Jenny Manasco, Project Director
American Baptist Historical Society
3001 Mercer University Drive
Atlanta, GA 30341
678/547-6680
