Topaz: Lesson Learned OR Unlearned
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

The Topaz Museum mission is to preserve the Topaz Incarceration site and its World War II history; to interpret the impact of Topaz on the incarcerees, their families, and the citizens of Millard County; and to educate the public in order to prevent a recurrence of a similar denial of American civil rights. This course will focus on the tragic facts of this World War II injustice vs. the fake news of the day. The intent of the course is to answer the following questions: Were citizens and "enemy aliens" of Japanese ancestry truly a threat to national security during World War II? Was military action necessary? Is fear a justifiable reason to forcibly remove an entire population of marginalized people from an area? What were the conclusions of the "Personal Justice Denied" report? Can we learn from the past?