internment

  • 81 Years of Remembrance

    February 19th marks the 81st anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing Executive Order 9066 in 1942, removing Japanese Americans from their homes, jobs, and taking away their freedom on the basis of race. The Seattle Public Library honors the legacy and deeply felt impact of this order that has echoed through generations of Japanese… Continue reading

  • Introducing Higo! New Central Exhibition

    Introducing Higo! New Central Exhibition

    Higo 10 Cents Store, owned by the Murakami family and a social hub in Seattle’s Japantown, has a long and fascinating community and family history. Meet Me at Higo welcomes younger generations to connect with and explore what it means to be Japanese American. Today, Higo 10 Cents Store (or Higo Variety Store) is KOBO… Continue reading

  • In Their Own Words: Densho and Japanese Americans making oral history

    In Their Own Words: Densho and Japanese Americans making oral history

    Join us on Saturday, July 23, at 1 p.m. for a conversation with Densho’s executive director Tom Ikeda, Michael Shiosaki of Seattle Parks and Recreation, and author Daniel James Brown about writing Facing the Mountain and the importance of oral histories in revealing a legacy of resilience and courage. The event will include a book… Continue reading

  • “We Hereby Refuse” – Sharing the History of Japanese American Resistance, 80 Years Ago

    “We Hereby Refuse” – Sharing the History of Japanese American Resistance, 80 Years Ago

    Just over 80 years ago, on March 30, 1942, more than 200 Bainbridge Island residents were expelled from their homes and forcibly relocated and incarcerated in American concentration camps. They were among the first of the 120,000 Japanese Americans – according to a recent story in the Seattle Times – who were incarcerated during World… Continue reading

  • A Day of Remembrance with Khizr Khan

    Gold Star father Khizr Khan made headlines when he offered to lend his copy of the Constitution to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, asking him to read the document and “look for the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of law.’” Khan will be speaking at Seattle Center on Sunday, February… Continue reading

  • Never Again: Japanese American WWII History and American Muslim Rights Today

    Seventy-five years ago, approximately 7,000 Seattleites were ordered by the U.S. military to leave their homes and sent to incarceration camps. Most ended up at desolate Minidoka in southern Idaho. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, signed on February 19, 1942, two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, forcibly evacuated 120,000 Japanese Americans… Continue reading

  • 20 Essential Seattle Books, Part 2: Diversity

    Here at the library, we’re often asked by both locals and newcomers, “What books are must reads for Seattleites?” While we’re not much for ‘must’ or ‘should,’ we thought we’d list twenty titles that capture essential aspects of the history and culture of this place. Not a definitive list: a jumping off place. Our first post looked at Seattle’s history, and… Continue reading

  • A Day to Remember Infamy

    Seventy-five years ago today, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese forces resulting in the deaths of over 2,500 soldiers and civilians and the destruction of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Within hours, the Japanese empire had also launched attacks upon Guam, Wake Island, Malaya, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines, engaging the United States and its allies in a global conflict which would cost many millions… Continue reading