Honoring Japanese Americans forced to leave Bainbridge Island

Honoring the Japanese Americans forced to leave Bainbridge Island during WWII

During WWII, on March 30th, Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island were forced to leave their homes and head to the dock where the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial is now located. On Sunday, they held a commemoration ceremony to remember and honor those individuals. The event marked 83 years since this happened.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA - It’s a place that holds powerful and painful memories of the past. During WWII, on March 30, Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island were forced to leave their homes and head to the dock where the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial is now located.

The backstory:

On Sunday, they held a commemoration ceremony to remember and honor those individuals. The event marked 83 years since this happened. Some say, given the current political climate, it seems as if history is repeating itself.

"At that time, they had no idea where they’d be going, how long they’d be gone and if they could come back," Carol Reitz, President of the Bainbridge Island Japanese Community said. The families were forced to leave for three years.

"This year’s theme was a place to call home," Reitz said.

Multiple speakers shared their story and the stories of those who came before them. They also read the names of the 276 people who lived on Bainbridge Island, and placed origami cranes, which is a symbol of peace and healing.

"Bainbridge Island was one of the most welcoming places for people to return to once they were released from the concentration camps. They had the highest percentage of people who were able to return home," Reitz said.

She’s a third generation Japanese American. Her parents and grandparents were imprisoned in 1942. She told FOX 13, talking about what happened then helps everyone have a better understanding of the generations before them, like her dad.

"We’re grateful for all the people who want to know and learn more and understand the connection with what happened then and what’s happening today," Reitz said.

A time in history that’s never too far from the minds of those impacted by it. "The issues are still relevant even more today, which is kind of sad," Reitz said.

The Source: Information for this report comes from original interviews from FOX 13's Shirah Matsuzawa.