Japanese American incarceration, Heart Mountain topics of Dec. 11 talk

The Wyoming State Archives Speaker Series will present author Eric L. Muller discussing his book “Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe” on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.  Muller’s presentation will be in Cheyenne, but can be viewed online by registering at eventbrite.com/o/wyoming-state-archives-49902991693.

During World War II, the U.S. government forcibly relocated over 110,000 Japanese Americans to incarceration camps, including Wyoming’s Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Park County. At each camp, the government assigned white lawyers with a contradictory mandate: provide legal counsel to prisoners while keeping operations running smoothly.

In “Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe,” Professor Muller examines how three of these lawyers—who believed they were helping prisoners—ultimately became complicit in perpetrating racial injustice. Through archival evidence and compelling narrative, Muller reveals how well-intentioned individuals contributed to a system that stripped people of freedom and dignity.

Muller is the Dan K. Moore Distinguished Professor of Law in Jurisprudence and Ethics at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

The Wyoming State Archives Speaker Series hosts presentations on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., offering both in-person and virtual attendance options. For the complete events calendar and upcoming topics, visit wyoarchives.wyo.gov/index.php/about-archives/events.