Commemorating Remembrance Day for Japanese Americans
By Terry Nguyen ‘20
The diverse city of Los Angeles contains boundless opportunities to immerse yourself in unfamiliar cultures and their traditions. February, although mostly celebrated as the month of love, is also Black History Month and in this stormy political climate, a significant and relevant time to commemorate the Day of Remembrance for Japanese Americans.
On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, issuing the order to legally contain Japanese Americans in separate internment camps on American soil. The Day of Remembrance should be made aware of, and while we shame this period of American history for its discriminatory legislation, we should also strive to commemorate and understand the stories of those affected by this Executive Order.
Below are a few events, exhibits and destinations you can visit if you want to further your understanding of American history and the effect of EO66 on the lives of many Japanese Americans.
Allegiance
- George Takei’s broadway musical Allegiance is being screened for a limited time in specific theaters on Feb. 19 in honor of Remembrance Day. Allegiance follows the lives of the Kimura family, whose lives were uprooted by Executive Order 9066 after Pearl Harbor. The musical stars George Takei (Star Trek) and Lea Salonga (Mulan), and it will be screened nationwide in select theaters at 12:55 p.m.
Japanese American National Museum
- The Japanese American National Museum is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles near Little Tokyo. General admission for adults is $10 while for students with proper ID, the museum is only $6. Their current exhibitions showcase artworks that profoundly represent the Japanese American experience in the United States, especially during the World War II era where the community underwent countless struggles. “Only the Oaks Remain” and “Sadako’s Crane” are a few of their ongoing exhibitions. On Feb. 20, they will also have a talk at the museum comparing the current possible legislation against Muslim individuals to the ones issued against Japanese Americans decades ago.
- USC will have the chance to host the Hapa Japanese Festival from Feb. 22 to Feb. 26. The festival aims to celebrate multicultural individuals and the overall diversity of individuals’ identities. There will be film screenings, discussions with Hapa experts and a highly anticipated performance at Bovard Auditorium by USC alumni Kina Grannis. The Japanese American National Museum will be hosting a few screenings as well. This year, the festival’s theme is “trans” and seeks to explore the different ways that trans is represented in our society – through transcultural and transgender individuals, transgressions, and transmigrations
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