AUTHOR TO RELATE STORY OF CARLETON COLLEGE'S 1ST NISEI STUDENT DURING WORLD WAR II

Shigemura and his family were unlawfully incarcerated at the government-run concentration camp in Minidoka, Idaho, during World War II. The U.S. government falsely imprisoned over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry during the war. Thanks to the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council, which was administrated by the Quakers, it became possible for Nisei students to leave the camps to attend a college that was willing to accept them.

Hagstrom, in his book, Deeply Honored, documents Shigemura’s story as he left Minidoka for Carleton College in 1943. Thanks to a series of letters Frank wrote to his family, Hagstrom is able to capture much of the story of the first Japanese American to attend Carleton College. Shigemura then enlists in the Army and fights with the famed Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat. He was killed in France in October of 1944.

In the aftermath, Frank’s parents were released from Minidoka, However, when Carleton College produced a memorial "Gold Star" booklet for former students lost in the war, the Shigemuras made the first of many donations to the college. Mrs. Shigemura wrote, "…Frank has often mentioned in his letters about the fair treatment and kindness he received from both the faculty and the students of Carleton College. I cannot find words adequate enough to fully express our thanks." Eventually, Carleton College established a scholarship in Frank Shigemura’s memory and named a room for him in its Memorial Hall.

Hagstrom is the Carleton College Rae Schupack Nathan Professor of Art. A widely respected artist and professor, Hagstrom enjoys creating works that touch on social issues, as well as drawing from nature. In describing the evolution of his artistic interests and goals, Hagstrom believes that "art should be a part of people’s lives, and that it has the power to change the way we view the world."

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