The year is 1941. You are 16-year-old Henry Tanaka, a fictional Japanese American teen born and raised on a farm in Bainbridge, Island, Washington. When Japan declares war and the US government forces your family into a military prison camp in Manzanar, California, how will you react? Will you help your community? Support the war? Resist injustice? When your loyalty is questioned, how will you respond? Playing as Henry, you will learn about a lesser known chapter of American history, meeting other Japanese Americans with a variety of viewpoints and backgrounds. And as you grapple with challenges faced by more than 120,000 Japanese Americans unjustly incarcerated during World War II, the choices you make will help determine the outcome of Henry’s story.

“Prisoner in My Homeland” is the sixth installment of the acclaimed MISSION US interactive gaming series that immerses young people in transformational moments in American history. Winner of the Games for Change Award for “Most Significant Impact,” the MISSION US series has been called “one of the most captivating educational games online” and “a powerful game that all kids should experience.” Teachers have noted that the games are “a great way to make history real for 21st century learners” and “virtual learning at its finest.” Multiple research studies show that using MISSION US leads to measurable gains in historical knowledge and skills among students.

GAME FEATURES:
• Innovative choice-driven story with over 15 possible endings and a badge system
• Includes interactive prologue, 3 playable parts, and epilogue - approx. 1.5-2 hours of gameplay, segmented for flexible implementation
• Cast of characters features a diverse range of perspectives and experiences from the Japanese American community
• Primary source documents integrated into game design
• Includes text-to-speech, Smartwords, and glossary features to support struggling readers, as well as closed captioning, play/pause controls, and multi-track audio control.
• Collection of free classroom support resources available at mission-us.org includes document-based questions, primary sources, class activities, vocabulary builders, standards alignments, writing prompts, and visual aids.

ABOUT MISSION US:
• AWARDS include: Games for Change Award for Most Significant Impact, Japan Prize, multiple Parents’ Ch