As Seattle prepares to host the 2024 National APIA Historic Preservation Forum from Sept. 12-15, anticipation grows around the pivotal role of historic preservation in shaping cultural narratives.
Reporter Carolyn Bick has been actively engaging with local partners such as the Wing Luke Museum, Friends of Little Saigon, Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association (BIJAEMA), and Historic South Downtown.
Today, our spotlight turns to BIJAEMA, situated on the tranquil shores of Bainbridge Island, Washington. Led by Ellen Sato Faust, BIJAEMA memorializes the impact of the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Are there any specific areas of historic preservation you specifically focus on?
Yes, we are chartered with the responsibility of preserving and stewarding the historic place, where the very first group of Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to a concentration camp in Manzanar, California, as a result of Executive Order 9066 during WWII. Pursuant to our mission, we have restored the path leading to the former Eagledale Ferry Dock, which the exiled Japanese Americans walked on March 30, 1942, as they boarded the ferry that took them from the island. It is now lined with a 276′ Story Wall that lists the names of all 276 islanders who were excluded that day, and includes interpretive art friezes that depict the lives of the Japanese on Bainbridge before, during, and after the war. We have also built a Departure Deck that overlooks Eagle Harbor, evoking the experience of islanders as they walked the dock to the ferry with only six days’ notice, not knowing where they were going and for how long they would be gone. The emotional and educational experience we have created at the memorial not only honors our survivors, but also aims to teach visitors about the racism, government overreach, and violation of human rights that occurred during this dark time in U.S. history, as well as the positive power of community here on Bainbridge. We hope to inspire all with our maxim “Nidoto Nai Yoni,” or “Let It Not Happen Again.”
What makes historic preservation near and dear to your heart? Why is it personal to you?
We commemorated the 82nd anniversary of the forced removal of Japanese from Bainbridge Island this year. The very youngest survivors are in their 80’s, and we have said goodbye to many of our treasured survivor friends over the past few years. Fortunately, our survivors and their families spoke up about their experience and participated in recording oral histories and donating historic artifacts to be shared with the public. Now that the wonderful people who told their stories are almost gone, it is imperative that we preserve their stories and continue to share them. We, as a community, respected and admired them as individuals—for their frankness, resilience, and humor. Personally, I lost my own parents over the past couple years. My father was incarcerated at the Tule Lake concentration camp, and my mother—an American citizen—was trapped in Japan during WWII. When you finally realize what questions to ask, the people who can answer them are gone. Historic preservation helps us all to learn from the past, and given the current socio-political climate, it is as important as ever to learn from history.
How does your organization make historic preservation accessible? What ways can folks engage with historic preservation, even if they are not part of a committee or a specific group focused on it?
We have about 20,000 visitors tour the Exclusion Memorial each year. In addition, we host private tours for about 100 K-12, university, business, and community groups each year. Every person who walks our outdoor Memorial engages in historic preservation. We have a diverse group of visitors, including many from across the country and across the globe. When they walk away understanding more about the history of the Japanese on Bainbridge Island, from immigrants, to incarcerees, to present-day families and community leaders, they walk away being able to relate to an important American story, parts of which may be similar to events they’ve experienced in their own lives. Every time they aspire to “let it not happen again,” they are participating in spreading and preserving our history.
What is a BIJAEMA project or initiative you are excited to share with APIAHiP Forum attendees from around the country?
The Exclusion Memorial is a 20-plus year, grassroots, community project. This year, we will break ground on the final phase of development, a Visitor Center. Finally, we will have shelter in which to share our films, oral histories, and historic artifacts. And, our tour groups will have a place to sit and discuss what they’ve learned out of the cold and wet weather. We are very excited to share this final development, and hope it serves as inspiration for others who are nonprofits working largely with volunteers and tight budgets. What may start as a small idea can deliver substantial impact.
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