Recounting Displacement through Space and Time: An Analysis of a Japanese American Oral History

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Emerging Directions in Historical Methods

Abstract

Rather than serving merely as background, space and time can play constitutive roles in shaping a narrative, particularly in oral storytelling. This study draws on interview transcripts from the Teen Chicago Oral History Project to examine a Japanese American individual's recollection of displacement in the post–World War II era. Using Bayham’s (2015) framework of space and time as narrative actions, the analysis reveals that these dimensions function as central mechanisms through which the speaker constructs their Japanese American identity and expresses a diminished sense of agency in addressing contemporary social issues. The findings highlight oral history’s potential to illuminate how individuals make sense of historical events and incorporate them into their identities.

Author

• Shuihan Yi, Northwestern University