Seattle Central remembers unique connection to internment of Americans of Japanese descent

Day of Remembrance events pay tribute to internment of nearly a third of former Broadway High School student body.

In the spring of 1942, nearly a third of the student body at Broadway High School (the future site of Seattle Central College) failed to show up for class. Instead, these Japanese-American young people were removed to internment camps across the West, never to return to school.

This week, Seattle Central College will remember its unique connection to the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066 that resulted in the internment of over 110,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II.

“It is important that we reflect on the injustices suffered by our community in the past as they relate to struggles faced by many in our society today,” said Seattle Central President Sheila Edwards Lange, Ph.D.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, members from the Seattle Central community will share stories and reflections about the impact internment has had on their lives, their families and Japanese-Americans in Seattle.

On Friday, Feb. 17, the campus will hold a candlelight remembrance at the campus’s historic Tsutakawa Fountain. Students in Japanese language classes will read the names of the 200 students of Japanese descent who were forced to leave Broadway High School, which closed in 1946 and later became the site of Seattle Central College. The fountain, created by Japanese-American sculptor and Broadway High School alumnus George Tsutakawa, serves as a reflection of the institution’s past.

Seattle Central’s connection to Japanese internment extends well beyond the impact it had on Broadway High School students. Broadway Performance Hall, the former site of the high school, was one of 10 sites nationwide where reparations testimonials were held in the 1980’s.

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT: 75 Years of Stories and Silence: Spoken Memories of Executive Order 9066

WHERE: Broadway Performance Hall

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

WHO: The event is open to the public. All members of the media are welcome to attend.

WHAT: Candlelight Remembrance of Broadway High School Japanese American Internees

WHERE: Tsutakawa Fountain, first floor of Seattle Central College Broadway Edison building, 1701 Broadway

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, 12 p.m.

WHO: The event is open to the public. All members of the media are welcome to attend.

About Seattle Central: Chosen by nearly 16,000 students each year, Seattle Central College offers a comprehensive range of educational programs and opportunities for academic transfer, workplace preparation, basic skills and continuing education in an urban environment. Visit us online at www.seattlecentral.edu.