On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the exclusion and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Families of Japanese ancestry were removed from the West Coast based solely on their nation of origin and veiled under the guise of national security. While behind barbed wire, keeping the family together and safe was of utmost importance to the incarcerees.

Today, also under the guise of national security, migrants from Central America are similarly being held in detention centers. Young children have been torn from their parents as they sought safety and asylum in the United States. Just like Japanese immigrants before WWII, these migrants dream of a decent life for their family and safety for their children. The legacy from the Japanese American redress movement is to make sure we stand up and speak out when we witness people being treated inhumanely by our government as we were during WWII.

Please join us for the 2019 Los Angeles Day of Remembrance as we honor and remember those who were incarcerated during World War II and address our theme, Behind Barbed Wire: Keeping Children Safe and Families Together, exploring the racist parallels of past and present.

Presented in partnership with Go For Broke National Education Center, Japanese American Citizens League–Pacific Southwest District, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Kizuna, Manzanar Committee, Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress, Nikkei Progressives, Organization of Chinese Americans–Greater Los Angeles, and Progressive Asian Network for Action (PANA).

Admission to this event and the museum are both pay-what-you-wish on this day. RSVPs for the Day of Remembrance program are strongly encouraged using the form below.

Our online transaction system is currently undergoing maintenance, which may impact your ability to make an online donation to JANM at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you experience difficulty, please check back later to see if the issue has been resolved or contact us by phone during our business hours for assistance with purchases or donations. You may also make a donation when visiting the museum for Day of Remembrance, should you wish to do so.