DeepSummary
This transcript is an excerpt from Emily Kwong's podcast series 'Inheriting' about Asian American and Pacific Islander family histories. In this episode, Emily speaks with Leah Bash about how the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II may have impacted the mental health of her family for generations. Leah discusses her father's struggles with panic attacks and her own diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, leading her to wonder if there is a connection between these issues and the trauma experienced by her ancestors in the internment camps.
Emily provides context on the forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, including statistics on the negative physical and mental health impacts on those who were detained. Leah expresses her desire to understand if her family's mental health challenges could stem from this historical event and the intergenerational trauma it caused.
The excerpt highlights the lasting effects of traumatic events on individuals and their descendants through disciplines like epigenetics. It also touches on the cultural stigma surrounding mental health discussions within Japanese American families after the war, contributing to a 'conspiracy of silence' that made it difficult to address these issues openly.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II had significant negative impacts on the physical and mental health of those detained.
- There may be intergenerational effects of this trauma that contributed to mental health issues like anxiety and panic attacks in descendants of incarcerated families.
- Disciplines like epigenetics are exploring how traumatic events and stress can alter genes in ways that affect later generations.
- Cultural stigma and a 'conspiracy of silence' made it difficult for Japanese American families to openly discuss mental health after the war.
- Leah Bash wants to understand if her family's struggles with conditions like anxiety disorders could be linked to their ancestors' experiences in the internment camps.
- Investigating intergenerational trauma involves examining complex genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors that can shape mental health across generations.
- This excerpt highlights the lasting impacts of historical injustices and the need to explore how trauma can ripple through families over time.
- Increased awareness and open discussion of these intergenerational effects is important for healing and understanding the root causes of mental health challenges within affected communities.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “If things aren't, like, 100% happy, I get kind of like, uneasy and anxious. Like, okay, how do we get this happy again? How do we make happy?“ by Leah Bash
- “If that is the toll of camp on the people who were there, what did it do to their children and grandchildren?“ by Emily Kwong
- “To Leah, the connection between intergenerational trauma and mental health is so complicated. It's driven by so many factors, genetic, behavioral, environmental.“ by Emily Kwong
Entities
Company
Person
Product
Book
Episode Information
Short Wave
NPR
6/15/24
Leah is an avid runner, a dog mom, a wife – and there's a part of her family's history she can't stop thinking about. Both sides of her family were incarcerated during WWII, alongside 125,000 other Japanese Americans. After Leah learns about her father's struggles with panic attacks and is herself diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she starts to wonder: Could those experiences at camp have far-reaching consequences decades later?
Listen to Inheriting and check out the show's resource guide for more information on getting personal with the past.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy