Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial_7784

"Nido to Nai Yōni" -- Never Let it Happen Again.

On March 30, 1942, 227 men, women, and children of Japanese descent were rounded up and sent to internment camp. Two-thirds of them were American-born citizens; whereas first generation "Issei" were not allowed to even own land due to the laws of the time. We met some of the survivors and heard their stories, saw photos and items on exhibit in the museum. A 97-year-old woman told how her parents made her throw away all the gifts from her grandmother in Japan in order to show their loyalty to the United States -- and how that grandmother was killed in Hiroshima by the atomic bomb.

There are a pile of seashells left -- perhaps because it's an island version of leaving rocks?

[Maggiemae]

You have taken this shot so well and it really is quite moving! fav

[Richard Hickey]

Fantastic picture.

[Taffy]

What a powerful experience this must have been. The photo is perfectly composed with the fine details like the shells.

[Lynda McG]

Beautiful image and memorial- fav

[Issi Bannerman]

Wow. What a beautiful image Junko. I have read quite a lot about what happened to people of Japanese descent during WW2. It must have been quite horrific for these people.

[Pat Knowles]

Very moving photo. My grandson is working in Japan at the moment. He's on the Japanese JET programme an assistant teacher in Takasaki. He's loving it!

[Joan Robillard]

We think that we have to get rid of hate, But we really have to get rid of fear. Fearful people do horrible things and this is a perfect example

[Jane Pittenger]

Poignant

[Marnie]

This image really made sit back and think. I find the artwork and your description very moving and thought-provoking. I can only echo your sentiments for peace. Australia also interned both Japanese and Italians here, plus Germans, of course. Many of those interned as 'enemy aliens' were nothing of the sort.

[Walks @ 7]

One of the most cruel actions is to have trust destroyed. We have so much to atone. We must always remember so that the unbelievable doesn't every happen again. This simple but phenomenally power image is beyond description. Fav!!!!!

[Domenico Dodaro]

I am reading all I can on this JAE program, the spies who made the attack on Pearl Harbor possible and so effective, and the photographers who were allowed the internment camps. A lot of stories in that piece of history, indeed.