Artist Talk: Jon Masuo Yamashiro and Jennifer Pearson Yamashiro: The World War II Incarceration of Japanese Americans – Bridging Past and Present Through Photographs and Words
FREE & OPEN TO ALL!
October 22, 5:50 PM to 7:05 PM, ART 100
Jon Masuo Yamashiro was born the oldest son and raised as a third generation Okinawan American in the “cultural pastiche” of Honolulu, Hawaii. He traveled from the islands to study at Washington University in St. Louis and received his BFA in 1985, then went on to earn an MFA in photography from Indiana University in 1991. Since the fall of 1993, he has had the privilege of teaching photography to college students at Miami University. Jon has exhibited his photographs internationally, nationally and regionally. In 2009 he received the prestigious Effective Educator Award presented by the university’s Alumni Association for his teaching at Miami University. Jon lives in Liberty, Indiana with his wife Jennifer. They have two children, daughter Lydia (Miami ’22) and son Luke (Miami ’25).
Jennifer Pearson Yamashiro was surrounded by art in her childhood home in the upper Midwest and used these creative sparks to build an academic foundation. She earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in both Art History and English Literature before pursuing a PhD in Art History. In 1994, she and her husband Jon settled in Liberty, Indiana, from where she commuted to make history as the first professional curator for the renowned Kinsey Institute—launching a versatile, 25-year career defined by collaborative leadership, empowerment catalyst, and educational excellence.Today, Jennifer channels that energy as a Teaching Professor at Miami University Regionals and a Certified Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach, carrying a heavy teaching load alongside dedicated university and community service, including six years as Vice President of the Union County Community Foundation. At the cutting edge of modern pedagogy, she focuses heavily on coaching and mentorship, transparency in teaching and learning, and aligning classroom learning with employer demands. Her standout 2026 innovations include serving as a NACE Faculty Fellow, joining the AAC&U Curriculum to Career Institute, and collaborating to design a creative new course for the university's Polytechnic core.
Jon and Jennifer will discuss a visual and written investigation compelled by hurtful remarks made to their children questioning their ancestry in elementary school. In this project the family journeyed to multiple Japanese American incarceration sites. Jon Yamashiro’s photographs with our biracial children are strikingly different from other artistic projects and research on the sites. The project forced them to confront their country’s egregious history of prejudices and xenophobia without diminishing respect for our great nation.