Japanese-American internment camp survivor Mihara goes 'On the Issues' at Marquette Law School

September 26, 2016

MILWAUKEE — Sam Mihara, a Japanese-American internment camp survivor, will be the featured guest in an upcoming "On the Issues with Mike Gousha," Tuesday, Oct. 4, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. at Marquette University Law School's Eckstein Hall, 1215 W. Michigan St.

Two months after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order forcing all Japanese-Americans to evacuate the West Coast. Sam Mihara was one of them. He was just nine years old when he and his family were forcibly removed from their San Francisco home and transported under guard to the Heart Mountain internment camp in Wyoming. They were imprisoned there for three years. Heart Mountain was one of 10 internment camps, which housed approximately 120,000 people, most of whom were American citizens.

Once his family was released, Mihara went on to become a rocket scientist and successful businessman. Today, he travels the country, telling the story of his family's experience and the lessons America can learn from what happened 75 years ago.

Gousha, an award-winning television journalist, is the Law School's distinguished fellow in law and public policy. His "On the Issues" series of conversations with newsmakers supports Marquette Law School's commitment to serve as a modern-day public square for the city of Milwaukee, the state of Wisconsin and beyond.

Through public programming such as the Marquette Law School Poll, debates featuring candidates in significant political races, Gousha's "On the Issues" conversations with newsmakers, public lectures by leading scholars and conferences on significant issues of public importance, the Law School serves as the region's leading venue for serious civil discourse about law and public policy matters.

Seating for the event is complimentary; advance registration is required and is available online. Members of the media who are interested in attending should contact Chris Jenkins in the Office of Marketing and Communication.