Ardsley Students Connect with History Through Primary Source Presentation

Students from Ardsley Middle School and Ardsley High School recently had the unique opportunity to hear firsthand from Sam Mihara, a nationally recognized speaker and survivor of Japanese American internment during World War II.

The event, organized by social studies teacher Stephany Olivieri and social studies teacher and AP History teacher Jess Berman, brought together eighth-grade and AP U.S. History students for a powerful lesson in history and civic understanding. At just nine years old, Mihara and his family were forcibly removed from their home and sent to the Heart Mountain incarceration camp in Wyoming, where they remained for three years.

During the virtual presentation, Mihara shared his personal experiences, discussed the causes and consequences of Japanese American internment, and described what daily life was like inside the camp. Students were highly engaged throughout the program, asking thoughtful questions and gaining valuable insight from a living primary source.

Following a distinguished career as a Boeing rocket scientist, Mihara has become one of the nation's leading lecturers on this chapter of American history. He has spoken at more than 500 schools, universities, and government institutions, and in 2024 was named the National Endowment for the Humanities Jefferson Lecturer, the highest honor the federal government bestows for achievement in the humanities.

The presentation provided students with a meaningful opportunity to deepen their understanding of an important period in American history and hear a firsthand account of resilience, perseverance, and the importance of protecting civil liberties.