Act of Bellevue College vice president defacing a mural of two Japanese American children in a World War II incarceration camp leads to a remembrance ceremony and show of support. Read on:
Remembrance Ceremony Announcement
On Tuesday, March 3rd at 1:30 p.m., there will be a short commemoration ceremony and show of support for Bellevue College Asian Pacific Islander (API) students faculty and staff; the API community; and Erin Shigaki, the Japanese American artist whose incarceration art exhibit was defaced. This event is open to the public. People will start gathering at the fountain near the exhibit and the C-building (cafeteria) at 1:00 p.m.
Survivors and their families plan to attend the event as well as leaders from the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the largest Asian civil rights organization in the USA; Tsuru for Solidarity, a project of Japanese American social justice advocates working to end detention sites and support immigrant and refugee communities that are being targeted by racist, inhumane immigration policies; and Densho, a Seattle-based organization whose mission is to preserve and share the history of the WWII Japanese American incarceration to promote equity and justice. Represetatives from JACL and Tsuru for Solidarity are also helping with the commemoration.
Description of the Remembrance Ceremony
The Remembrance Ceremony is a way of honoring those in the present and past who have suffered injustice, who survived or succumbed, who might otherwise be forgotten. It is a symbolic way of saying that we will not forget, we will stop repeating history, and we recognize never again is now if we want to prevent future pain and suffering.
– Belle Nishioka, Bellevue College Faculty