Dana Ogo Shew

Dana Ogo Shew is the Oral Historian and Interpretive Specialist at the Anthropological Studies Center of Sonoma State University. She received her Master’s Degree in archaeology from the University of Denver where she completed a master’s thesis focused on the experience of women at Colorado’s WWII Japanese American concentration camp, Amache. She has also participated in archaeological field work at Topaz, Utah and Kooskia, Idaho. Her role as an oral historian and interpretive specialist has allowed her to continue exploring and sharing stories related to Japanese American history. Examples of projects she has led include an oral history project focused on Japanese American flower growers in the San Francisco Bay Area (www.janurseries.com), museum exhibits highlighting handmade art and objects from incarceration camps, interpretive panels and exhibits at the site of Amache, and an ongoing project that aims to connect former Topaz toddlers with artwork they created while at the [Topaz Preschool http://www.topaztoddlers.com .] As a Topaz descendant she has a personal interest in the WWII Japanese American experience and a commitment to continue learning, sharing, and preserving this important part of American history.