National Museum of the Pacific War Marks Day of Remembrance for Japanese-American Internment

The National Museum of the Pacific War will host its annual Day of Remembrance, commemorating a critical event for the Japanese American community and for all U.S. citizens. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which led to the forced removal and incarceration of some 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry. This special program is free, open to the public, and will be held in and around the Museum’s Nimitz Hotel Ballroom and grounds.

Special programs include the screening of the documentary, The Registry, hosted by its directors Bill Kubota and Steve Ozone followed by a Q&A, appearance by Stephanie Morrill, author of young adult novel, Within These Lines, a love story set in this tumultuous time, and a talk by San Jacinto College history professor and expert on the U.S. internment record, Abbie Grubb.

Other activities include live performance of Taiko, an ancient Japanese form of percussion by the group Austin Taiko and tours of the museum’s Japanese Garden of Peace, a gift from the Japanese government in 1976 and rededicated in 2017.