Wernick, Julie and Janelle Flores (6/21/2021)

Wernick, Julie and Janelle Flores (6/21/2021)

Julie Wernick and Janelle Flores are yonsei sisters via their maternal grandfather. Their great-grandfather, Kiyoshi Shimizu, initially settled in Portland, Oregon, where Julie and Janelle’s grandfather and his siblings were born and raised. During World War II, the family was incarcerated at Minidoka. Upon release, the family moved to Cleveland before eventually settling in Chicago. Janelle describes growing up in a four-flat near the business where her grandfather worked as an auto mechanic. A self-described curious child, Janelle recalls family members avoiding the topic of wartime incarceration and reflects on other possible indicators she observed of the trauma they experienced. Younger sister Julie describes learning even less from family members and remembers being frustrated with the minimal amount she learned about incarceration at school. The sisters discuss their decision to travel together to Minidoka in an effort to learn more about their family history and identity, both for themselves and for future generations.

2021-06-21

video

Ueunten, JJ

Wernick, Julie

Flores, Janelle

Minidoka

Mixed-race

Yonsei

Autoport

Uptown

Japantown

Hoarding

Jewish identity

Holocaust

8700