Fight at the Museum: An Ethnographic Study Investigating Staff and Volunteers at WWII Museums and Memorials

Museums are places where events of the past can be explained, appreciated, and understood. While efforts are often taken to provide a neutral position in the presentation of complicated and emotional historical events, there may exist external pressure to present a more overtly nationalist narrative to please a particular audience or group of funders (Fujitani 1997). This creates a conflict of interest with respect to fair, accurate, and/or honest representation (White 1997b) for museum staff to navigate. The goal of this thesis is to investigate stories that museums are permitted to tell within the context of Japanese and American narratives of WWII as told in prominent national museums and memorials located in Japan and the U.S. Following Japanese anthropologist Takahashi Fujitani (1997), I explore how different representations of major events such as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the use of atomic weapons against the Japanese affect museum narratives. The purposes behind each of the museum studied are similar in that they were established as a way to honor and remember the past and the loss of lives associated with wartime events. The museums narratives often align with dominant perspectives of their local regions, but recent peace and reconciliation efforts have taken place between museums in Japan and the United States that emphasize remembrance and healing. These developments highlight a commitment to a continuation of peaceful relations between Japan and the United States that exemplify the need for open collaboration and understanding today and in the future.