After worship concludes, we will travel to the Puyallup fairgrounds and Northwest Detention Center as we remember the history of Japanese Americans and use our voices to advocate for others who face incarceration, family separation, and inhumane conditions today at the NWDC.
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 2024 REMEMBER AND RESIST / SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18, 1:00PM-3:30PM!
Please come to both parts of this important event - we will remember our past AND speak out for the rights of others! Locations:
- 1:00 - 1:45pm at Washington State Fairgrounds’ Agriplex (5th St SW, Puyallup, WA 98371)
- 2:30 - 3:30 pm at Northwest Detention Center (1623 E J Street, Tacoma, WA 98421)
February 19, 2024 will mark 82 years since the signing of Executive Order 9066, ordering the forced removal and mass incarceration of Japanese Americans on the West Coast. Most Japanese Americans in the Seattle area spent their first few months in detention at the Puyallup Assembly Center, ironically nicknamed “Camp Harmony.” It’s now the site of the State fairgrounds.
The trauma of family separation, child imprisonment, poor sanitation, bad food, inadequate health care, and uncertain futures CONTINUES today at Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, just a 20 minute drive from Puyallup. NWDC is a private prison with capacity to hold 1500 immigrants, but Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) is secretive and never disclose how many are incarcerated or who they are. We know most are from Mexico, Central & South America, Southeast Asia, India, Africa and the Middle East who seek asylum and and opportunity in the US. Conditions inside are horrific; detainees often hold long hunger strikes demanding humane treatment and their legal rights. There were 7 last year and another in January. This private for profit prison in our state must shut down. Join us to hear from incarceration survivors at both Puyallup and Tacoma - Japanese American camp survivors and people recently detained at NWDC. There will be Taiko! When we raise the roof with drums and voices, those held inside know they are not forgotten. Please come to both parts of this important event - we will remember our past AND speak out for the rights of others. Organized by Tsuru for Solidarity, La Resistencia, Puyallup and Seattle chapters of the JACL, Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, and Densho. For more information, media inquiries, and to find out about volunteer opportunities email info@seattlejacl.org.
