“Never Again is Now”: Carcerality and Coalitional Activism at Fort Sill, Oklahoma

Project Title

“Never Again is Now”: Carcerality and Coalitional Activism at Fort Sill, Oklahoma

Faculty Mentor(s)

Project Description

Project Description: 

In this research, I explore both the history of and current activism at the U.S. Army post, Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. Over the past 200 years, this base has been the site of multiple iterations of incarceration at the hands of the U.S. government holding Apache prisoners of war, Japanese American internees, and child migrant detainees. I argue that though each labeled as exceptional by the government, these incarcerations reveal broader patterns of systemic incarceration rooted in militarism and settler colonialism, shaping American notions of citizenship and cultural belonging. Additionally, grounded in ethnographic practices, I delve into the intergenerational effects of these incarcerations, using 2019 protests against a new migrant detention center at Fort Sill to examine cross-cultural solidarity and collective action among Indigenous, Japanese American, and immigrants rights activist groups. I seek to emphasize the importance of healing justice and the significance of Fort Sill as a microcosm of larger American carceral and activist patterns.
 

Why is your research important?

I came to this research based on my own family history of Japanese internment and wanting to learn about how other young Japanese Americans are harnessing these painful histories to speak up against current similar kinds of unjust incarceration. To this end, I conducted ethnographic research to prioritize the voices of those on the ground leading contemporary anti-detention movements. Most importantly, this research demonstrates that these kinds of incarcerations have lasting effects, through generational trauma within families and communities, but more importantly in their resistances and refusals to see history repeat itself and the same systems of power weaponized against others. 

What does the process of doing your research look like?

In the first semester of this project, I connected with interviewees, and then conducted six interviews or oral histories with community organizers. I also conducted mixed method secondary source research to help me form the theoretical components of my arguments. In the second semester of this project, I spent lots of time reading, note taking, talking to interviewees, with whom I have made wonderful connections, drinking coffee, and writing and rewriting drafts! On a day-to-day basis, working with and alongside others (especially the other CAST Honors students) has been so important in staying motivated, seeing where I can make important changes, and finding inspiration. I have enjoyed writing in Slow Train and on the second floor of Mudd by the windows! 
 

What knowledge has your research contributed to your field?

Thus far, this research contributes a comprehensive exploration of the interconnectedness of different forms of incarceration at Fort Sill to the field of American Studies. Prior research on Fort Sill has been somewhat limited and with a view of each iteration of incarceration as separate from one another. Additionally, through ethnographic methods, my work captures firsthand narratives of anti-detention activism not only at Fort Sill but also in wider contexts. Furthermore, it delves into the significance of coalition building and leveraging collective histories of oppression, demonstrating their potential to effect real change. This research underscores the importance of fostering hope, forging connections, building solidarity, and sustaining the resolve to continue the fight for justice and remembrance.
 

In what ways have you showcased your research thus far?
I presented to a committee for the oral defense of my thesis as well as for the public presentations of the CAST department Honors research projects. Because this research has been collaborative through ethnography, I am also giving all the organizing groups and activists involved in my research access and permission to publish or use the paper for their work as desired. The potential and desire for this work to have a positive impact outside the academy and within the communities I interviewed guides my methodology.

 

How did you get involved in research? What drove you to seek out research experiences in college?

This project is deeply personal to me as several of the interviewees in this process are friends of my family from Japanese internment camps. Growing up hearing about their experiences and later, their activism is what drove me to investigate this topic further. From an academic perspective, I was driven to pursue this research after taking an oral histories class in the fall of my third year and experiencing the power of ethnographic research in prioritizing voices typically underrepresented in traditional academic spaces and realizing how I could apply such methodologies to this subject matter.
 

What is your favorite aspect of the research process?

My favorite aspect of the research process has definitely been talking to people, listening to their stories, learning about the communities I interviewed, and making new friends through the interview process. Each interviewee was exceptionally kind and generous, sharing with me their lives and stories. I found so much inspiration in their work, how they supported one another through networks of coalition, and in their generosity of extending those networks to me. It was so rewarding and grounding, reminding me that the reason I came to this work was to foster exactly this kind of connection, especially when the other research and writing parts of this project felt especially tedious. 
 

How has working with your mentor impacted the development of your research project? How has it impacted you as a researcher?

Working with my mentor has been absolutely instrumental to the development of this research project and has impacted me profoundly as a researcher (and person!). Professor Pérez's experience with and understanding of ethnography has shaped how I understand not only the logistical aspects of community-engaged research, but also empathy, cultural competency, humility, and grace in the research process. She has provided me with so much guidance, wisdom, knowledge of subject matter, and many draft edits. This kind of sustained research can be difficult to stick with, but Professor Pérez helped me break down the process into smaller steps and made the whole project feel much more attainable, for which I am very grateful.
 

How has the research you’ve conducted contributed to your professional or academic development?  

This research has truly provided me with so many amazing insights both professionally and personally and has allowed me to combine many disparate passions. I have learned which parts of a long-term research project I enjoy and which parts are more stressful for me - I love conducting interviews, the community-engaged side of research, and feeling like I am contributing important knowledge to the communities where it matters. This kind of interpersonal and communal engagement and research is something I see myself doing professionally in the future.  
 

What advice would you give to a younger student wanting to get involved in research in your field?

My first Oberlin advisor gave me this advice freshman year and it is still a piece of advice I come back to all the time: The most important thing in qualitative research like this is finding your own "so what." In other words, you should have a reason to come back to the work even when it is hard, a motivation to do the work outside of yourself. I think finding purpose, no matter what it is, is what will make the research genuine, ethical, and most of all, exciting to you!