Events commemorating the Japanese exclusion from the West Coast during World War II will take place on Bainbridge in the coming week.
The one-woman theater group Living Voices will present “Within the Silence,” a production about the Japanese American internment experience at 7 p.m. March 26 at Bainbridge Performing Arts. The performance is part of the “Seeds of Understanding Grow a Community” benefit sponsored by the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community, the Bainbridge Island School District Multicultural Advisory Council and Eagle Harbor Book Company.
A multicultural book fair will be held prior to the performance from 1-5 p.m. March 26 at Sakai Intermediate School, and will travel to the Playhouse for display during the BPA performance.
“Our island history reveals a community enriched by a vibrant mix of cultures and socioeconomic group,” Jing Fong and Charlotte Rovelstad, co-chairs of BISD’s Multicultural Advisory Group said in a press release about the event.
“As our population grows more homogenous, it is imperative that we not lose sight of the importance of understanding people of diverse backgrounds.”
Proceeds from the interpretive theater performance and book fair will provide scholarships for teachers’ participation in classes and workshops on multicultural perspectives in education. Call 842-9041 for information.
On March 30, Gov. Gary Locke and other dignitaries will join members of the Japanese American community to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the exclusion. The governor will attend the 11 a.m. ceremony at Taylor Avenue, site of the former Eagledale ferry landing from which the island’s citizens of Japanese heritage departed.
The event will include performances by the Seattle Kokon Taiko drum group, and followed by a reception at city hall.
There is no parking at the Taylor Avenue site, but free bus service by the Bainbridge school district begins at 10 a.m. from Bethany Lutheran Church, Bainbridge Alliance Church, Blakely Elementary School, and the 9:25 and 10:15 a.m. Winslow ferries. Call 842-9038 for information.
