No politics, rain, nor storm or medical emergency could stop the ABC Unified School District from holding the sixth edition of its award-winning Day of Remembrance program during the week of Feb. 19 this year, marking the 83rd anniversary of Executive Order 9066.
President Franklin Roosevelt’s signing of the executive order on Feb. 19, 1942 led to the incarceration of all Japanese Americans living on the West Coast, without due process.
Over three days in 13 packed assemblies across three high schools, two middle schools and 1,000 fifth-grade students, the stories of Japanese American nonagenarians who experienced mass incarceration during World War II were told.
Presenters varied from Joyce Okazaki, who was photographed by Ansel Adams in 1943 and 1944, to Heart Mountain draft resister Tak Hoshizaki (recently interviewed on CBS), to Hal Keimi, who was a Boy Scout at the time.
Richard Murakami, an elementary school student at the time, recalled being moved from the Tule Lake camp in Northern California to Jerome in Arkansas to Heart Mountain in Wyoming.
The students from top-ranked Whitney High School heard the story of how “Bacon” Sakatani got his name, and how Esther Taira’s parents endured incredible hardship to keep her childhood normal despite abnormal conditions.
As adverse weather conditions affected presenters, Kay Oda stepped up and provided his experience as a child and the after-effects of incarceration on his family.
School Board President Ernie Nishii “ubered” Keimi and Murakami through the rain-soaked streets to Gahr High school. Whitney student volunteers at Tabitha Yuen, Monicka Manni, and Sara Omura led the student Q&A period.
Superintendent Dr. Gina Zietlow noted, “ABC is unique in being the only school district in the nation to include this chapter of history as an integral part of its curriculum. Awarded by the Asian Pacific Islander School Board Association with its Outstanding Program award in 2024, ABC dedicates substantial resources in staff, books, curricula, professional development to ensure that all students empathize and understand the importance of civil rights.”
This year ABC invested in purchasing the book “Sylvia and Aki,” a story about civil rights icon Sylvia Mendez, whose case desegregated schools, and her friendship with Aki Munemitsu, a Japanese American incarceree.
Particular details to ensure authenticity were provided, including an original suitcase donated by Mary Jane Fujimura and art created by Ernie Jane Masako Nishii depicting the thousands of innocents behind barbed wire.
ABC students completed the effort by displaying their original art, essays, poems, newspaper articles, videos, and even graphic novels reflecting their experiences and feelings regarding civil rights and the incarceration of families without due process.
June Berk, a former Rohwer incarceree, noted, “I am speaking to these future leaders so that they can know in their hearts that the failure to believe in civil rights is NOT an abstract concept. It happened to me and I was only an innocent child. These future leaders will need to remember our talk, listen to their moral compass, and stand up to bullies and politically popular pundits. In this way I make a difference and my parents’ suffering is not in vain.”
This year had particular impact to the students at Gahr High School, where several had walked out as a result of executive orders threatening their families.
“Just as it happened 83 years ago, it is happening again with executive orders threatening innocent children. I am just amazed they have the courage to come out and speak to us,” one student said.
Nishii said, “Special thanks go to Jenny Chomori, Janet Fujii, Kyoko Oda, Teeny Miyano, Jan Tokumaru and Esther Taira for their incred-ible efforts to keep this alive for our future leaders. The effort could not succeed without student leaders Monicka Manni, Tabitha Yuen, and Sara Omura and district efforts by Bryan Glonchak, Jackson Woodbury, Dr. Carola Castro, Julie Yabumoto.
“Community leaders such as Cerritos Councilman Frank Yokoyama, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva’s deputy Joe Pak, Supervisor Janice Hahn’s deputy Lauren Yokomizo, and School Board members Jan Baird, Francisco Noyola, and Tatiana Yokoyama-Bui enhanced our understanding.”