Days of remembrance

Feb 17 & 19, 2018 in Fresno, CA

Join the Yonsei Memory Project (YMP) for a special weekend commemorating the signing of Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of the Japanese American community during World War II. These unique public events invite us to open our hearts and understand Japanese American experiences of racism, loss of civil liberties, and incarceration—and the reverberation of those forces in present-day struggles for justice. 

On SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 9:30AM-11AM, YMP and Fresno Mindfulness Walks will co-lead a special walking tour of sites of Japanese American culture and history in the Fresno Area. To join the walk, please arrive at Central Fish Market (1535 Kern St.) at 9:30AM for this walking tour. Please visit Fresno Mindfulness Walks for more information and visit YMP's accessibility page for directions. No need to RSVP!

On SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1PM-3:30PM, join YMP facilitators, Nikiko Masumoto and Brynn Saito for a bus tour of significant historical sites related to Japanese American struggle and resilience in the Central Valley of California. Together, we will visit the Pinedale Assembly Center Memorial and the Soul-Consoling Tower built from barrack wood by valley farmer, Dennis Simonian at Simonian Farms. Even if you've visited these places before, this promises to be a unique, arts-led exploration of memory, power, and community! Bus tours will depart from the back parking lot of the United Japanese Christian Church, 136 N. Villa in Clovis. Visit our accessibility and directions page for additional info. RSVPs for the Memory Bus Tour are currently closed! 

On MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19 (the anniversary of E.O. 9066), 10AM-NOON, all are invited to a special community gathering at the Fresno Fairgrounds Assembly Center Memorial, where over 5000 people of Japanese ancestry were detained in the months leading up to the mass incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese immigrants and citizens in 1942. Together, we will listen to stories, poetry, and testimonies, then engage in a participative collective art-making activity. Drawing on Brynn and Nikiko's "Hold This Stone" performance, we will co-create a special Stone Mandala specially designed by yonsei artist, Patricia Wakida. See more information on our directions and accessibility page.  No RSVP required for this unique community gathering—and all are invited!