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Resisters of the Pacific Northwest
It takes a special kind of courage to resist racism and injustice. Resisters of the Pacific Northwest presents the complex stories of those who pushed back, took a stand, and claimed a place in history.
Experience the full and complex story of Japanese American belonging and identity before, during, and after WWII.
Experience the full and complex story of Japanese American belonging and identity before, during, and after WWII.
Minidoka incarcerees headed to Tule Lake
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
people registering for housing
Courtesy of the National Archives, photo no. 210-G-16B-968
new arrivals to minidoka concentration camp
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
Executive Order 9066
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Fumiko Hayashida and her daughter Natalie Bainbridge Island, March 30, 1942
Courtesy of MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Photograph Collection, PI28050
Our Story Begins
Lives of American citizens, altered forever.
The lives of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans, living mostly along the Pacific Coast, were irrevocably altered during World War II. As fear and suspicion surged across the nation in the wake of the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, people of Japanese descent were seen as enemies, even though two thirds were American citizens. Citing national security concerns, the Roosevelt administration issued Executive Order 9066, mandating the forced removal of Japanese Americans from their homes and businesses. They were sent to desolate concentration camps in remote locations across the U.S. This egregious violation of constitutional rights serves as a poignant reminder to us all about the fragility of democracy.
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Beyond the Barbed Wire shares the full and complex stories of the Japanese American experience to remember, to inspire, and to claim a place in American history. It is vital to keep these stories alive and relevant for future generations.
Homepage photos courtesy of: The National Archives, photo no. 210-CMB-Ch2-1787, photo no. NWDNS-210-G-D76, photo no. 210-CMB-SA2-1667, the Mizu Sugimura Collection, Densho