Returning the Gaze: A Visual Analysis of Jack Iwata’s Photography in Japanese American Internment Camps

Abstract

This work explores photography’s potential to return the gaze and challenge powerholders within spaces of control. The authors analyzed 167 photographs from the Japanese American National Museum Jack Iwata Photo Collection to understand disciplinary mechanisms within a carceral landscape and the potential surveillance therein. The authors concluded that these historical photographs can not only supplement historical narratives of internment but also provide insight on methods of actual and potential visibility. At the same time, the authors contend that Iwata’s images are composed in ways that challenge authority.

Acknowledgments

The authors contributed equally to this article and are listed in alphabetical order. The authors wish to thank the Japanese American National Museum for its assistance with this project.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this project was provided by the Charles E. Zumkehr Professorship at Ohio University.

Notes on contributors

Roger C. Aden

Roger C. Aden is Charles E. Zumkehr Professor of Speech Communication in Ohio University’s School of Communication Studies. E-mail: [email protected]

Alexis J. Karolin

Alexis J. Karolin is a history major in Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College.