Over the years, those who were imprisoned in the ten US war-time concentration camps for US citizens of Japanese ancestry and their descendants began making a pilgrimage to their respective camps in remembrance of what happened in the US back in the 1940’s when a US President, with the flick of a wrist signed into law the single largest forced removal and mass incarceration of US citizens in US history. The act would effectively erase the rights of citizenship and exclude anyone with 1/16th Japanese blood from the protection of the four freedoms promised to everyone anywhere in the world.
This was to be an important year. It would be 75 years since the camps began closing when those imprisoned would be forced to yet again leave what had become “home” with only what they could carry, 25 dollars and a bus ticket courtesy of the US government to face a possibly hostile world outside the barbed wire fences into an uncertain future. Many who had never been back had been planning to make this journey, some for the first time, for others it was to be their last. However due to Covid 19, all of the annual pilgrimages to the camps were canceled this year. As a result, many of the planners got together, along with the NPS and other historical organizations, to create a Virtual Pilgrimage to the camps. It's a reminder of how easily hard fought freedoms can be lost and that race did matter then and obviously still does today in 2020. There are many stories in America. Most focus on the struggles of "whites" or "African or persons of African descent," the two groups eligible for citizenship as stipulated in the 1870 Naturalization Law established after the Civil War. It would necessitate a whole new group of laws which would govern those who were not 'African" but were also "not white" by law. The Asian American experience falls within this penumbra and I believe is the missing link to understanding race in America. The Virtual Pilgrimage is open to anyone who wants to register. I will be presenting a talk about my Yellow Bowl Project on June 19th, 2020. We can virtually visit all ten of the camps as well as seven other places my tea bowls took me in my examination of this American story. There are many other stories and lesson we can learn while the pilgrimage lasts, from June 13 until August 16, 2020. Here is a ink to the complete schedule and registration information for the Virtual Pilgrimage. FYI, I’ve finally created a twitter account, @SetsukoWinches1, if you’d like to share. Hope you find it interesting!
2 Comments
I wanted to express my gratitude for your insightful and engaging article. Your writing is clear and easy to follow, and I appreciated the way you presented your ideas in a thoughtful and organized manner. Your analysis was both thought-provoking and well-researched, and I enjoyed the real-life examples you used to illustrate your points. Your article has provided me with a fresh perspective on the subject matter and has inspired me to think more deeply about this topic.
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6/29/2024 08:22:15 am
This topic resonates with me because it shines a light on a part of American history that often gets overlooked. The incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II is a dark stain on our nation's history, and the virtual pilgrimage offers a valuable opportunity to learn more about this event. It's important to remember these stories, not just for those directly affected, but to understand the complexities of race in America and how easily freedoms can be eroded. The virtual aspect is a great way to make this pilgrimage accessible to a wider audience, and I appreciate the inclusion of the Yellow Bowl Project and other stories.
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Setsuko WinchesterMy Yellow Bowl Project hopes to spur discussion around these questions: Who is an American? What does citizenship mean? How long do you have to be in the US to be considered a bonafide member of this group? Archives
June 2021
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