By Bruce Rutledge
When Bellevue High School celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this year, it helped make up for all those missing yearbook photos during World War II.
As part of the high school’s centennial celebrationon September 30, it held a Japanese American Student Recognition Event to honor the students who were unable to graduate and were not included in the school yearbooks because they were incarcerated at concentration camps during the war.
Today a plaque in the school library honors the 36 students who were not allowed to attend graduation ceremonies for the classes of 1942 through 1945.
Acting Consul General Junichi Sumi attended the event and spoke about Genji Mihara, a first-generation Japanese immigrant who came to this region in 1907 from Sumi’s hometown of Izumo, Shimane Prefecture. Sumi said that when he thinks about the hard work and service of Mr. Mihara, it inspires him to be a better public servant.
