Heart Mountain Week Events April 10

Impacts of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center then and now will be examined during Heart Mountain Week Monday-Thursday, April 10-13, at the University of Wyoming.

The UW College of Law will host a series of panels paying homage to the 75th anniversary of the World War II internment order that created Heart Mountain and explore parallels between the past and present.

During World War II, more than 14,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans were detained in barracks at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center between Cody and Powell. The Park County center was among 10 camps used for the internment of Japanese-Americans who were evicted from the West Coast exclusion zone during World War II by executive order from President Franklin D. Roosevelt after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Events begin with the UW College of Law’s third annual Spence Law Firm Historic Trial Monday, April 10. A mock trial will explore the conflicting ideologies surrounding the military draft of Japanese-Americans incarcerated at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. The mock trial is at 6:30 p.m. in the College of Law large moot courtroom (Room 178). The event is free and open to the public. An overflow room, with a live stream of the trial, will be provided in case of an overflow audience. Refreshments will be provided at the break.

The rest of the week will involve panel discussions:

-- Tuesday, April 11, 12:15 p.m., “Lessons from Heart Mountain,” discussion on the history and experiences of people directly affected by Heart Mountain. Moderated by UW College of Law Professor Steve Easton. Panelists are Darrell Kunitomi, Aura Newlin, and Grace and Jack Ybarra. UW College of Law, Room 178.

-- Tuesday, April 11, 6:30 p.m., “Parallels of the Past and Present: Exploring Executive Orders” will explore the similarities and differences between 1942 Executive Order 9066, which allowed the internment of targeted groups of people during World War II, and Executive Order 13769 and the subsequent Executive Order 13780 issued by the current presidential administration to limit travel to the U.S. from certain countries. Moderated by Suzie Pritchett, UW College of Law assistant professor. Panelists are Doug Bandow, Qusair Mohamedbhai, former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson and Grace Ybarra. UW College of Law, Room 178.

-- Wednesday, April 12, 2 p.m., “The Economic and Academic Impacts of Marginalization” will focus on the economic and academic impacts of current events as they relate directly to UW, and the broader repercussions to the state of Wyoming and the nation. Moderated by UW history Professor Phil Roberts. Panelists are Anne Alexander, Mohamed Salih and Sasha Skiba. UW College of Business, Room 127.

-- Thursday, April 13, 5:30 p.m., “Know Your Rights: Immigration Panel and Clinic” is organized by UW student organizations. The workshop is a resource for international students interested in learning what rights they have going forward with the changes in immigration policies. Panelists are Jill Johnson, Carrie Hesco and Suzie Pritchett. Wyoming Union.

For more information about Heart Mountain Week, visit the UW College of Law website at www.uwyo.edu/law/events/heart-mountain-events/.