The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is calling for the return of a statue from Seattle’s Peace Park.
The statue is of Sadako Sasaki—a girl who died of leukemia after exposure to radiation in the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Sasaki has come to symbolize the hope for world peace due to her tragic death and the Peace Park was created due to the leadership and activism of Floyd Schmoe, who dedicated his life first to fighting the injustice of Japanese American mass incarceration during World War II.
“The removal of this statue is an affront to the legacy of Floyd Schmoe, and in the face of increasing political and wartime violence, is an unfortunate reminder of the deterioration of the dream of world peace,” a JACL statement said.
Seattle Chapter President Kyle Kinoshita added, “In just a few weeks, on Aug. 7, we will be joining several Seattle organizations in the annual lantern floating ceremony to honor the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and other victims of violence. It is especially disturbing that this would happen so close to the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. Floyd Schmoe, who led efforts to establish the park and erect the statue, was a lifelong supporter of our community and did more than anyone to advance the civil and human rights of all people.”