Joan Fujisawa Arai (1908–1976), a second-generation Japanese American, led a quiet life in Chicago until she was propelled into activism during WWII. In 1942, the federal government relocated her family to an internment camp in Colorado. While there, Arai set up activities for the camp's many children to keep them occupied and allay the fears of Japanese American parents who worried about their children missing years of schooling. After the war, Arai and her family settled in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood where she remained committed to community work. Arai volunteered at the YWCA and was instrumental in establishing a middle school in the neighborhood that now bears her name.
Source: Chicago Park District "Celebrating Significant Chicago Women"
Source: Chicago Park District "Celebrating Significant Chicago Women"
Joan Fujisawa Arai (1908–1976), a second-generation Japanese American, led a quiet life in Chicago until she was propelled into activism during WWII. In 1942, the federal government relocated her family to an internment camp in Colorado. While there, Arai set up activities for the camp's many children to keep them occupied and allay the fears of Japanese American parents who worried about their children missing years of schooling. After the war, Arai and her family settled in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood where she remained committed to community work. Arai volunteered at the YWCA and was instrumental in establishing a middle school in the neighborhood that now bears her name.
Source: Chicago Park District "Celebrating Significant Chicago Women"
Source: Chicago Park District "Celebrating Significant Chicago Women"
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