The year 2017 marks the 75th year of Executive Order 9066 which forcibly removed and incarcerated over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast.
The Washington State Fairgrounds was a temporary detention facility from April to September 1942, for over 7,600 Japanese and Japanese Americans from Seattle, Alaska, and rural areas of Pierce County. On September 2, 2017, the Puyallup Valley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) will bring together, not only the Japanese American community but political leaders, fair attendees and the local community at-large for a variety of activities to observe this wartime experience.
On Saturday, September 2, 2017, at the Coca-Cola Stage from 10am to 11am we will remember and honor over 7,600 Japanese & Americans of Japanese descent who were sent to the Puyallup Fairgrounds from April to September 1942.
Mistress of Ceremonies – Lori Matsukawa, KING 5 News
Keynote Speaker – Tom Ikeda, Executive Director of DENSHO
A re-dedication of the George Tsutakawa sculpture, Harmony and the unveiling of the Historical Marker of Names will follow.
The Fair Museum will house interactive exhibits and displays. The Silent Fair, a video of personal recollections, will also premier inside the museum.
All Japanese American survivors and their families from all detention centers and camps are invited, as well as the general public. Acknowledgment will be given to those in attendance who were forced to live at the Puyallup Assembly Center.
This community event and program is hosted by the Puyallup Valley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). To learn more about this event, and to learn more about the Puyallup Assembly Center please visit the Puyallup Valley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League website : http://www.puyallupvalleyjacl.org/
