FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2006
The German American Internee Coalition (GAIC) has been advised by the California Civil Liberties Education Project (CCLPEP) that it has been awarded a $10,000 grant. The GAIC will use the grant to develop a multicultural curriculum package with lesson plans focused on World War II alien enemy issues.
Speaking on behalf of the GAIC, co-founder Heidi Donald said today, “This is a huge step forward in our efforts to promote public awareness of the tragic history of the World War II enemy alien internment program.”
The curriculum packages will include three Reader’s Theater one-act dramas, suitable for classroom performance. The first of the dramas was written by John Christgau, author of Enemies. Entitled ZIP, it is based on the internment experiences of former Crystal City internee Eberhard Fuhr. It will be presented on June 10th at Manzanar National Historic Site in California. The Manzanar program will also feature opening ceremonies for a summer-long appearance of the photo-exhibit “The Enemy Alien Files: Hidden Stories of World War II.” The exhibit and opening events at Manzanar are a collaborative effort of the German American Internee Coalition, the National Park Service, the National Japanese American Historical Society, the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, and the Enemy Alien Files Consortium.