Nihonmachi Outreach Committee will present its 45th annual Day of Remembrance on Sunday, February 16, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event commemorates Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin Roosevelt which led to the forced removal and incarceration of over 125,000 persons of Japanese descent during World War II.

 

This year’s theme is “Women Activists Leading Change,” focusing on Asian American women activists and their influence and leadership in political and social movements. Guest speakers are Professor Alice Yang, Chair of the History Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Diana Tsuchida, independent historian and creator of the oral history project Tessaku.

 

Professor Yang curated the exhibit, “Never Again is Now,” about Japanese American women who protested within the World War II U.S. concentration camps, were active in the social movements of the 1960’s, and organized campaigns for Redress and Reparations. “Never Again is Now,” a multimedia art exhibit, was on display at UC Santa Cruz and the Japanese American Museum of San Jose.

 

Diana Emiko Tsuchida is the creator of Tessaku, an oral history project dedicated to preserving stories of survivors from the WWII Japanese American incarceration. Her father and grandparents, who were American citizens, were incarcerated and transferred to several different confinement sites during WWII.  Diana and her work were featured in the 2024 documentary Snapshots of Confinement.

 

The program will also feature community speakers, the traditional candle light ceremony honoring survivors of the camps, the candle light procession through San Jose Japantown, and performances by San Jose Taiko and Aswat Women’s Ensemble.

 

San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin is co-sponsoring the event which will be held at the Church’s Annex at 632 North Fifth Street, San Jose. Doors open at 5:00 pm and seating is limited.

 

Nihonmachi Outreach Committee is a voluntary organization dedicated to educating the public about the incarceration of immigrants and U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry, including their children who were U.S. citizens by birth. While the forced removal and incarceration happened over 80 years ago, their effects reverberate today.  We are committed to defending all communities on issues of civil and human rights, justice, equality, and peace.

 

This event is free of charge but donations are welcome.