February 1942. President Roosevelt has just signed Executive Order 9066, which authorizes the forced removal of 120,000 ethnic Japanese from their homes and into incarceration camps throughout the U.S. The Orange Story is a 17-minute movie based on these historical events. It follows Koji Oshima, the proud owner of a small grocery store, as he prepares to abandon everything and report to an assembly center. His belongings, his business – everything must be sold or left behind, except what he can carry in one large duffel bag.
On this website, the movie is shown in four chapters. Between chapters, you will be invited to examine archival documents and images, as well as oral histories from Japanese Americans, who offer their own memories of this time period. After you are finished exploring this material, feel free to move on to the next chapter of Koji’s story by clicking the link at the bottom of the page. The full experience should take less than an hour to complete. Note: Some primary sources may contain offensive racial epithets, and are included on this site solely for historical accuracy and context.
For high school and college classes, this experience can serve as a launching point for more in-depth discussion. Suggested questions and links to more resources and curricula are provided in the Teacher’s Resources section. Citations for the archival materials are also provided, and are available both by chapter or type of material.
The Orange Story movie and website were developed in partnership with a team of filmmakers, educators, and scholars. A full list of credits is provided here.