75 Years Since Executive Order 9066

February 19, 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 that called for the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Every year, the Japanese American community in Chicago comes together to remember President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signing of EO9066 as a reminder of the fragility of civil liberties in times of crisis, and the importance of remaining vigilant in protecting the rights and freedoms of all. This year, you are invited to a weekend of remembrance as we commemorate the Japanese American experience during this turbulent era in America’s history.

Program

Film Screenings

• The Orange Story (2016): Koji Oshima is the proud owner of a small corner grocery store, but he must now abandon everything and report to an assembly center, en route to a more permanent confinement site. His belongings, his business—everything must be sold except for what he can carry in one large duffel bag. Running time: 18 minutes.
• A Song for Manzanar (2015): A young mother and her family are placed in the Manzanar confinement site during WWII. The film draws upon a true story, depicting the closeness of two sisters shown in glimpses of childhood experiences, a conversation as young women, and the dogged efforts of the older sister to get a letter out to her sister in Hiroshima. Running time: 18 minutes.

Poetry Reading
Featuring acclaimed local poet and writer Dwight Okita

Panel Discussion
Sandra Yamate moderates a talk with:

• Jason Matsumoto,The Orange Story executive producer
• Erika Street Hopman, The Orange Story writer and director
• Kazuko Golden, A Song for Manzanar writer and director
• Dwight Okita, novelist and poet

Day of Remembrance is sponsored by the Chicago Japanese American Council, the Chicago Japanese American Historical Society, the Japanese American Citizen League–Chicago Chapter, the Japanese American Service Committee, and the Japanese Mutual Aid Society of Chicago.