Japanese American Day of Remembrance observes the 70th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. It authorized the evacuation and incarceration of 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast, most of whom were U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents

In Washington state, nearly 13,000 people of Japanese descent were ultimately sent to detention centers. Most Seattleites ended up at Camp Minidoka near Hunt, Idaho, while the majority of rural Western Washington evacuees were sent to Tule Lake in California.

South Seattle Community College is holding a series of events to recognize this historic date.

Wednesday, February 15
11 – 11:50 am - Mary Matsuda Gruenewald will discuss her memoir, Looking Like the Enemy, and share her story of living in several Incarceration Camps
12 – 1 pm – Mark Mitsui, South’s former vice president of Student Services and current president of North Seattle Community College will discuss the significance of this Day of Remembrance with author, Mary Matsuda Greunewald.

Monday, February 13 – Friday, February 18 Photographs by Teresa Tamura
Photographer Teresa Tamura created a series of black and white images that record the remains of the Minidoka Relocation Center, as a means of affirming the spirit and resilience of those who lived through the incarceration. The collection will be on display in the South Seattle Community College library. Ms. Tamura’s photos have been displayed at Whitman College, Missoula Art Museum, and published in the Seattle Times.

The public is invited to remember and learn more about this period in our history through the words and experiences of these special guests. The events are free and open to the public. Driving directions: www.southseattle.edu/campus/map.htm#sscc.

This program is part of the learning series From Prejudice to Genocide, sponsored by the Office of Diversity & Retention at South Seattle Community College.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012
11 am – 1 pm, Brockey Student Center