Canisius library exhibit: “A Resilient Faith”

By: Helena Kottas, Assistant Features Editor

If you stopped by the library this past week, you may have seen the new exhibit, “A Resilient Faith.” If not, make sure you check it out before it leaves campus at the end of November. This exhibit tells the story of Japanese American Christians, specifically Baptists, during World War II, and how their lives, especially faith, were affected by forced removal, incarceration and discrimination in the United States. The American Baptist Historical Society (ABHS) works to document the ways in which religious communities helped people survive, stay connected and rebuild their lives and communities.

Dr. Jonathan Lawrence, a faculty member at Canisius and an ordained minister with the Baptists, helped bring the “A Resilient Faith” exhibit to campus. According to The American Baptist Historical Society’s archives website, “During World War II, over 42,000 Japanese migrants and 70,000 U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast of the United States were sent to incarceration camps. Among them were ordained Baptist pastors and their congregations, numbering about 2000, who would hold on to their faith as they struggled to understand and find hope in their experience. This exhibit, ‘A Resilient Faith,’ presents work the ABHS has done since 2023 to digitize records related to this history and provide educational resources for scholars, congregations and members of the public.”

This exhibit highlights the importance of community. Over 300,000 people from Japan migrated to the West Coast and Hawaii from 1880 to 1920. Japanese American Baptist churches became an essential part of their lives. These buildings served as more than just somewhere for worship. Also, they learned English there, and established a sense of belonging and community in their new country. 

However, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the prejudice towards Japanese Americans intensified. In 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that resulted in the removal of over 100,000 Japanese Americans from their homes, forcing them into incarceration camps. Thus, the churches served extreme importance for religion and community.

This display helps to show how faith and religious communities remain extremely important in difficult times. Whether you are reading about this for the first time or have already viewed it in the library, this serves as a reminder that community is important no matter your faith. Librarian Matthew Kochan explained how many students have stopped to view this exhibit and inquire about it. If you are interested to learn more, reach out to Dr. Lawrence or attend the reception next Thursday, Nov. 12 from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. where food will be served and community can be found.