The oral testimony of the Seabrooks and their workers effectively conveys the complicated nature of the American home front. In addition, the internment and treatment of Issei and Nisei citizens also raise complex questions about race and racialized stereotyping. Finally, the experience at Seabrook provides a window into the history of agricultural labor relations and commercial, scientific farming. The history of Seabrook captures each of these themes nicely. From Seabrook at War.
Students can easily grasp all the major themes, and the various voices evoke vivid images.
A Seabrook Worker. Cover from Seabrook at War. Though some of the workers themselves depict the harsh conditions they faced, the interviewers might have included more voices of discontent, including perhaps some contemporary anti-Japanese radio clips. Because Seabrook ultimately employed 2,500 of the 120,000 interned Japanese-Americans, it received wide coverage in local and national newspapers and magazines. The internment itself has of course gained much scholarly attention by legal, political, and social historians, and Seabrook is the subject of at least one article.