On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, the order that would trigger the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans in internment camps, many of them in Southern California. To mark the 75th anniversary of that dark chapter in American history, several local museums and organizations are holding events and educational programs.
Tomorrow, the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo opens a special exhibit, "Instructions to All Persons: Reflections on Executive Order 9066," focused on the internment period, including the signed physical copy of Executive Order 9066, which will be the first time it's ever been displayed outside of Washington, D.C. The exhibit also contains documents, photographs and works of art that grapple with the subject.
To mark the opening, the Day of Remembrance Committee, comprised of leaders from several local Japanese American organizations, will give a presentation at 2pm outside the museum, followed by a rally at 3:30pm.
"It just felt really important for the nisei to witness firsthand documents that have never been shown on the West Coast," Clement Hanami, curator of the Japanese American National Museum told KPCC, noting that remembering the story of the internment camps feels all too relevant in the country today.
Later in the month, the Aratani Theater in the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will present a special one-night production by the East-West Players of Question 27, Question 28, a documentary drama that gives the testimony of a group of real-life women who were removed from their homes and interned in camps around California. The title refers to the famous so-called ‘loyalty questionnaire’ that was administered to detainees.
"Instructions to All Persons: Reflections on Executive Order 9066" will be open at the Japanese American National Museum from February 18 to August 13. The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm and Thursday from noon to 8pm. Admission is $6 to $10, free after 5pm on Thursdays. Question 27, Question 28 will be performed at the Aratani Theater on February 26 at 3pm; the performance is free with advance RSVP.
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