Bainbridge Island Commemorates 83rd Anniversary of
Day of Forced Removal
By Ellen Sato Faust
NAP Contributor
More than 200 community members gathered on March 30 to commemorate the 83rd anniversary of the day of forced removal at the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, Washington. Bainbridge Island holds a unique place in history as the first community where Japanese Americans were forcibly removed under the U.S. Civil Exclusion Order No. 1 and relocated to the Manzanar concentration camp in California.
Crowd at the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial Wall. Photo credit: Paul Dunn
In 1941, U.S. Army Lieutenant General J. L. DeWitt initially allowed families to “voluntarily” move east of the Cascade Mountains.He suddenly revoked permission three weeks later.On March 24, U.S. Civil Exclusion Order No. 1 was issued, designating Bainbridge Island as the first area that American citizens and their alien parents would be forced to leave.
The commemoration, which was first held in 2002, has grown to include not only long-time dedicated supporters of the memorial but also a new generation of survivors’ descendants, newer residents of the island, staff from the Friends of Minidoka and the Seattle-area U.S. National Park Service as well as local officials and partners who have contributed to the development of the exclusion memorial.
Woman with a walker takes time to visit and hang a string of origami cranes next to a family name located on the memorial wall. Photo credit: Paul Dunn.
This year ’s theme, “A Place to Call Home, “honored the extra ordinary fact that more than 50% of Bainbridge Island’s Japanese American population returned home after World War II—a higher percentage than almost any other West Coast community. This program skillfully wove together historical accounts of survivors with contemporary stories of descendants reflecting the community’s ongoing commitment to inclusivity and resilience.
The event began with a blessing and land acknowledgment delivered by Elilai Abraham of the Suquamish Tribe, followed b y Council member Clarence Moriwaki reading the City of Bainbridge Island’s proclamation designating March 30 as “Nidoto Nai Yoni – Let It Not Happen Again” Day. The proclamation stated, in part: “ On this solemn anniversary, we remember the injustice of Executive Order 9066 and honor the resilience of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American community. We recommit to standing against racism, xenophobia and fear-driven policies—then and now.”
Akira Sakuma pointing to her great grandfather’s name, Satoru Saku-ma, with her grandfather Bryan Sakuma.
Photo credit: Paul Dunn.
Washington State Representative Greg Nance ( District 23 ) reflected on the importance of remembering this history and shared his personal connection to Bainbridge Island, having grown up in its school district. He warmly acknowledged two of his former teachers in attendance: Hisa Matsudaira, a survivor and former physical education teacher, and Joyce Nishimura, Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community Board of Directors secretary and former science teacher. Alongside State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (District 37), Nance demonstrated both a deep understanding of the Japanese American exclusion and a personal connection to the families and communities affected.
Before the keynote addresses, Ellen Sato Faust, executive director of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association, provided an update on the new visitor center, the final addition to the memorial. Despite delays in permitting, she announced that the $4.5 million capital campaign goal had been largely achieved, Bainbridge Island Commemorates 83rd Anniversary of Day of Forced Removal By Ellen Sato Faust NAP Contributor thanks to a combination of federal and state grants, private foundations and broad community support. The City of Bainbridge Island will be sending out for bid construction of the required water main extension on April 2, with work to begin this summer. While external factors continue to influence the visitor center’s timeline, Faust estimated that construction could be completed as early as the first half of 2026.
Keynote Speakers: Voices from the Past and Present
The program concluded with moving keynote addresses by Karen Beierle and Debra Grindeland, both of whom shared deep personal stories that underscored the significance of home and community. Beierle, a lifelong Bainbridge Island resident, described how, as a child, her mother encouraged her to be kind to the Japanese American families who had been taken away. She painted a vivid picture of what it was like to be non-Japanese in the close-knit community left behind after the forced removal. Now on the board of the exclusion memorial association, Beierle also shared that her high school senior prom date was Frank Kitamoto, the late founder of the memorial. She remains deeply committed to preserving history, standing up for justice and supporting the Bainbridge Island community.
In the final keynote address, Debra Grindeland honored the legacy of her mother, Jane Kitamoto Akita, a former public health and school nurse who pioneered the Natural Helpers Peer Counseling Program used in high schools. Akita was only nine months old when her family was sent to Manzanar incarceration camp in California. Her earliest childhood memories were of life in the camps at Manzanar and Minidoka. After the war, her family returned to Bainbridge Island when she was four years old. As an adult, Akita dedicated herself to educating high school students about her family’s wartime experiences.
Though Akita passed away at a relatively young age, her daughter carries on her legacy. Raised on the eastside in Bellevue, Washington, Grindeland later chose to move back to Bainbridge Island with her young family and continue the work started by her uncle Frank Kitamoto and her mother on behalf of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American community. Her story reflects the broader narrative of younger generations returning to Bainbridge Island for its welcoming community, excellent schools and deep-rooted history—a true place to call home.
A Ceremony of RemembranceAs is tradition, the commemoration concluded with the solemn reading of the 276 names inscribed on the memorial wall — each one representing a Japanese American resident of Bainbridge Island in 1942. Thousands of origami cranes, donated from across the country, were distributed to attendees. Participants walked the gravel path to the memorial wall hanging them on the wall in remembrance.
Nidoto Nai Yoni – Let It Not Happen Again.
