Full Audio Descriptions

TADAIMA! OPENING CEREMONY — AUDIO DESCRIPTION SCRIPT

Audio Description Spoken Script

VIOLIN TSUNAMI

A music video introduces the Opening Ceremony of Tadaima! Community Virtual Pilgrimage 2020. It comprises a montage of historic images that covers the history of Japanese Americans from early immigration in the 1860s to the World War II incarceration.

Text appears on screen: In 1853, the U.S. Navy forced Japan to end 250 years of isolationist policy. This catalyzed an era of Japanese imperialism and migration.

A painting depicts the arrival of American sailors on the shores of Japan. This is followed by a montage of historic black-and-white photos.

A ship called the Africa Maru, and several portraits of Japanese immigrants: a man wearing a bow tie, women wearing kimonos, and a mother with her child.

A postcard shows three people in a whimsical flying contraption flying over Portland, Oregon. A woman grows flowers in Hawaii. A miner pans for gold on the US mainland. Two women hoe a strawberry field. A couple pose with their baby on their farm. Hunters find a seal in Alaska. A fisherman collects oysters. Two men tend a field in front of a greenhouse. A group sits by a lake for a picnic. Women and children relax at a river. Loggers sit on a fallen tree.

A women’s society. A jewelry store. A family’s new car. A baseball team. A cafe. A parade. A bookstore. A delivery wagon. A laundromat. A family of three generations. A boy serenades a girl in a flapper’s dress. A five and dime store.

A sign tells Japs to keep moving. Don’t let the sun set on you here. Two men hold up large fish. A woman smiles with her daughters. A shop owner stands in front of his store. More signs say, Japs keep moving. This is a white man’s neighborhood. Japs or Hindus not wanted. A large family sits on a farm. A middle-aged couple wear their finest clothes. Staff operate a general store. People shopping in Japantown. A judo team with a trophy. A door painted with the words, Jap keep out you rats. Women working in a greenhouse. Young men sailing to Alaska for work.

Captured on film, a plane approaches Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona is destroyed. Newspaper headlines predict exclusion. A storefront sign says, I AM AMERICAN. Instructions to all persons of Japanese ancestry are taped to a wall. Children of all ethnicities pledge to the American flag. Businesses advertise Closing Out sales. Families try to sell furniture. People board up their storefronts, their houses, and barns.

An army truck takes a family from their home. People carry luggage down a dirt road, eventually joining thousands of others at a train station. A World War I veteran arrives in uniform. A toddler watches an armed soldier. A woman wears a tag with her identification number. Families board the train. A man says goodbye to his friends. A woman cries and people lean out of the windows for one last look. They are brought to a desert with barbed wire fences. People carry their belongings through rows of military barracks. An aerial view shows the camp is completely isolated. Surrounded by guard towers, a man carries his grandson on his shoulders. The buildings are mostly empty. A teenager stares into the distance. A young woman and a corporal wearing his Army uniform look into the camera. Workers harvest potatoes in a field. Men cut away sagebrush in the desert. Women make camouflage nets. A hand reaches out to cut the barbed wire fence.

In the present day, a drone flies over what is left of each of camps:

- the desert of Gila River - the canal at Minidoka - crumbling barracks at Poston - a walking trail at Amache - the visitor center at Heart Mountain - a single chimney stack in a field at Jerome - Castle Rock at Tule Lake - a visitor center beneath the mountains at Manzanar - the old cemetery of Rohwer - and the sagebrush of Topaz.

The credits roll over an animation of military barracks. Glowing with warm light, the barracks rise up and fly off into a starry night sky.

This video was edited by Keiko Ozaki. Animation provided by by Tandem Media and Brain Box. Music is Violin Tsunami by Kishi Bashi.

A title card reads: Tadaima! A Community Virtual Pilgrimage. Opening Ceremony, June 13th, 2020.

WELCOME ADDRESS by David Ono & Tamlyn Tomita

Filmmaker and news anchor David Ono stands beside actress Tamlyn Tomita inside the Japanese American National Museum. Behind them is a historic barrack from one of the camps.

Hello! I’m David Ono.

And I’m Tamlyn Tomita. Welcome to Tadaima! A Community Virtual Pilgrimage in a time of social distancing.

We’re here at the Japanese American National Museum to introduce to you a summer-long celebration.

Tadaima! is a collaborative effort to bring together the Nikkei community, so we can honor our history, engage in cultural activities, and find connection.

But before we get to that, it is worth mentioning the protests that we have all been witnesses or participants of in recent weeks.

A panoramic photo shows thousands of people crowded around the State Capitol in Boise for a vigil. Then more photos show protestors of all races wearing protective face masks and holding signs to honor George Floyd. The signs say: Black Lives Matter. Hands up, don’t shoot. No Justice, No Peace.

A black woman holds a sign asking, Am I next?

Millions of people across the country are working hard to dismantle 400 years of systemic racial trauma and murder. The Black Lives Matter movement is leading a radical change in policing, community investment, and anti-racism education. Emotionally, it’s a lot to process: we are grieving for our black sisters and brothers, while confronting biases in our institutions and in ourselves. However, I think most of us are cautiously optimistic.

What makes these reform efforts unique is that they are set against the backdrop of a global pandemic.

Why Are We Here? As you all know, the pandemic of the novel coronavirus has drastically changed the way we live our daily lives and interact with one another. This means staying home whenever possible, taking precautions when in public, and avoiding crowds. Unfortunately, this also means canceling events, including annual pilgrimages to the World War II incarceration sites.

A sign posted on a door says a National Park visitor center is Closed. We return to David and Tamlyn.

We want to thank you for virtually joining us today, as we commemorate the struggles of the Japanese American community and its resilience during a dark period in our nation’s history.

Historic black and white footage shows Heart Mountain, a barbed wire fence, and a dust storm sweeping through barracks while a person runs for shelter. Historic color footage shows Castle Rock, the desert, and barracks at Tule Lake.

Defining Nikkei Incarceration In February 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This authorized the US Army to exclude all persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast. Allowed to bring only what they could carry, people were forced to vacate their homes and abandon their lives as they were removed to some of the most desolate places in the country. In total, over 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were imprisoned without due process of law.

We return to David.

Japanese Americans weren’t the only ones. Thousands of Japanese Canadians and Japanese Australians were incarcerated in their respective countries, and Japanese Mexicans were ordered to leave their homes on the Pacific Coast. Nikkei civilians from a dozen Latin American countries were even deported to the United States and held in camps run by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

The system of confinement facilities in the U.S. was vast, and more complicated than most people realize. For this Virtual Pilgrimage, we hope to expand the traditional narrative. Scholars, artists, educators, and representatives from many different contingents of the community have come together to provide a fuller understanding of Japanese American history.

What To Expect from TADAIMA! Tamlyn replaces David.

Rather than ten separate pilgrimages for each of the camps, Tadaima! will combine many of the unique traditions from each site, along with new content that is spread across nine themed weeks.

Banners appear on screen to represent each week of the virtual pilgrimage. The theme of Week #1 is Immigration and Settlement, June 14th to June 20th. Week #2 is Pre-War and Forced Removal, June 21st to June 27th. Week #3 is Sites of Incarceration, June 28th to July 4th. Week #4 is A Question of Loyalty, July 5th to July 11th. The theme of Week #5 is, What is Citizenship? July 12th to July 18th. Week #6 is Resettlement, July 19th to July 25th. Week #7 is Nikkei Incarceration Abroad, July 26th to August 1st. Week #8 is The End of War to Redress, August 2nd to August 8th. Week #9 is Reconciliation and Identity, August 9th to August 15th.

Photos show a discussion panel, a museum exhibit, and a black and white photo of a garden in camp. Then we return to Tamlyn.

The Virtual Pilgrimage will feature pre-recorded and live-streamed content, as well as opportunities to engage with presenters. There will be online exhibits, workshops, performances, lectures, film screenings, and more--so we can all learn, share stories, and build community from the safety of our homes.

As an online event, Tadaima! poses a unique opportunity to connect not only the Japanese American community, but the global Nikkei community. We hope that these programs can help people find connection in spite of our isolation.

Meaning of TADAIMA! “Tadaima!” means “I’m home!” in Japanese. It is our way of acknowledging the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in as we gather together, separately. “Tadaima!” is also a reminder that “home” is wherever we find support and feel most comfortable.

ADDRESSING COVID-19

David replaces Tamlyn.

These are unprecedented times we find ourselves in, when embracing a loved one can put them at risk; when disease is driving the recovery of the natural world; when a crisis can catalyze positive change. Understandably, many of us are left feeling disoriented.

Our uncertainty for the future is compounded by the extraordinary political era we live in. Division is rife, and government response to a health issue has become a controversy. We also live in an era of relentless misinformation, which makes us doubt our own perception of reality. All nations are fighting a global crisis that should unite us, yet it’s easy to feel disconnected from the rest of the world.

So let’s take this time to breathe, and to reflect on our hopes and values. Despite the challenges we are facing, this is our chance to re-engage with ourselves and to think about who we want to be when this is over.

Thanking Essential Workers

Tamlyn replaces David.

Let us also say thank you to the helpers:

People who are risking their lives to fight against the virus, such as scientists, medical professionals, sanitation workers, and public safety officials.

People who provide us with food and necessities, such as grocery, delivery, factory, and farm workers.

People who keep our society functioning, such as the trades specialists who maintain our utilities, the journalists who keep us informed, and the educators and caregivers who provide structure for our children.

Photos show essential workers, including Dr. Brianna Aoyama of Maryland, ranger Sam Bowlin of Minidoka National Historic Site, Dr. Erika Tanaka of Colorado, and firefighter Mike Fujii of Hawai`i. Then we return to Tamlyn.

This pandemic has reminded us of who our greatest assets are. However, it has also magnified our systemic flaws. So let us remember the workers who cannot afford to stay home, and the communities who do not have access to food and healthcare. And let us do what we can to protect those who are most at-risk for Covid-19—the elderly, the homeless, the incarcerated, and people with disabilities and underlying conditions.

During World War II, allies of the Japanese American community reached out to assist families or provide comfort in their time of need. As the camps closed and Japanese Americans picked up the pieces of their lives, they helped each other find jobs, housing, and services. If ever we need a source of inspiration, let’s remember our ancestors who set the example over seventy-five years ago.

Mental Health Support David replaces Tamlyn.

We must also remember: that reaching out to our neighbors means to ask for help as much as it means to offer it. There is a stigma that needing assistance is a sign of weakness or failure, particularly when it comes to mental health. But that is the purpose of a community-- to lift each other up, so we can all hope for a brighter tomorrow.

It’s okay to feel anxious and frustrated and listless. And it’s okay to grieve. People have lost their loved ones, their sources of income, their health insurance, their social interactions, and their sense of stability.

So for the next few moments, we would like to honor those losses and all the people who could not be with us today.

The screen fades to black while a Buddhist priest rings a gong.

PILGRIMAGE BLESSING by Duncan Williams

Rev. Duncan Ryuken Williams of Los Angeles performs the pilgrimage blessing.

Shujo Muhen Seigando — Sentient Beings are Numberless, We Vow to Liberate All Bonno Mujin Seigandan — Delusions are Inexhaustible, We Vow to Overcome Them All Homon Muryo Seigangaku — Dharma Gates are Infinite, We Vow to Master Them All Butsudo Mujo Seiganjo — The Buddha Way is Unsurpassable, We Vow to Embody It

Tadaima - the Japanese word to announce one’s return home; a return to where one belongs. The WWII Japanese American incarceration experience was a sudden shattering of that sense of home, of belonging. A forced removal from one’s home to many different types of confinement sites. Postwar pilgrimages to those sites of dislocation are journeys of remembrance and a way to reclaim a sense of belonging and a sense of home.

Today, we begin the 2020 virtual pilgrimage - Tadaima. A journey to remember that which excluded on the basis of race or religion, And a solidarity necessary to regain a sense of belonging.

Jorai Shiguseigan o Fujusuru Kudoku Wa. We Dedicate the Merit of Reciting the Shiguseigan by Honoring and Recalling the Names of

James Hatsuaki Wakasa, April 1943. 65-year old Japanese cook shot by a military police sentry whilst taking a walk parallel to the fence at the WRA Camp Topaz, Utah. Together, We Recall and Honor: Ahmaud Arbery, February 2020. 25-year old unarmed Black man shot by vigilantes in a pickup truck whilst jogging in his neighborhood in Glynn County, GA

We Recall and Honor: Tatsuo Ryusei Inouye, December 1943. A 33-year old Japanese confined in a prison within a prison; enduring a hunger strike within the Tule Lake Stockade to protest food shortages and the brutal treatment of community leaders in the Tule Lake concentration camp, CA

Together, We Recall and Honor: Ronal Umaña - March 2020. 30-year old immigrant from El Salvador who endured a hunger-strike within the ICE detention facility in Hudson County, New Jersey, demanding toilet paper and soap for immigrant detainees to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus.

We Recall and Honor: Hirota Isomura, July 1942. 59-year old fisherman forcibly removed from his home in San Pedro, California shot by a U.S. Army guard. Accused of trying to escape the US Army Camp Lordsburg, NM despite being physically disabled and barely able to walk.

Together, We Recall and Honor: Breonna Taylor, March 2020. 26-year old African American Emergency Medical Technician, killed in her own bed at her Louisville, KY apartment by police officers who had stormed in without knocking or identifying themselves, striking her with at least eight shots.

We Recall and Honor: Jungo Kino, December 1941. A 65-year old Japanese garage mechanic shot in Stockton, CA due to rising anti-Japanese vigilantism after the Pearl Harbor attack.

Together, We Recall and Honor: Bawi Cung, March 2020. A Burmese American father attacked and stabbed in a Sam’s Club in Midland, TX by a man claiming that Chinese- looking people were spreading the COVID-19 virus.

And finally, We Recall and Honor: Kanesaburo Oshima, May 1942. 58 years-old Japanese store owner shot by guards in the back of the neck at the fence at the Fort Sill Internment Camp in Oklahoma – leaving behind his wife and 11 children in Kona, Hawaii.

Together, We Recall and Honor: George Floyd, May 2020. An unarmed 46-year old Black man and father of five children, killed by a knee of a police officer on his neck for 8 minutes 46 seconds; his last words Mama, Please, and I Can’t Breathe.

Negawaku wa kone kudoku o motte amaneku issai ni oyoboshi. Warera to shujo to mina tomo ni butsudo o jozen koto o. We have recalled and honored the names of those who have come before us. May they together with us and all sentient beings achieve liberation together.

Tadaima - As we undertake this pilgrimage, let us discover ourselves in our interlinked histories with many communities.

Tadaima - As we undertake this pilgrimage, let us find refuge, come home together.

ROLL CALL by Lawson Fusao Inada

A black and white photo shows Lawson Fusao Inada. His reading of his poem “Concentration Constellation” was recorded in May 2020 for the virtual pilgrimage.

The photo fades to a map of the mainland United States. Jagged lines like scars cut through Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona to show the exclusion zone from which Japanese Americans were removed. The locations of temporary assembly centers are also indicated as dots along the West Coast. As Lawson Inada names each of the camps, a small barrack marks its place on the map.

Concentration Constellation

In this earthly configuration, We have, not points of light, but prominent barbs of dark…

Begin between the Golden State's highest and lowest elevations and name that location

Manzanar. Rattlesnake a line southward to the zone of Arizona, to the home of natives on the reservation, and call those Gila, Poston.

Then just take your time winding your way across… just make yourself at home in the swamps of Arkansas. for this is Rohwer and Jerome.

But now, you weary of the way. It's a big country, you say. It's a big history, hardly halfway through - with Amache looming in the Colorado desert, Heart Mountain high in wide Wyoming, Minidoka on the moon of Idaho, then down to Utah's jewel of Topaz before finding yourself at northern California's frozen shore of Tule Lake…

Now regard what sort of shape this constellation takes. It sits there like a jagged scar, massive, on the massive landscape. It lies there like the rusted wire of a twisted and remembered fence.

The color of the map darkens, and the camps become constellations glowing in a night sky.

A text appears: We would also like to acknowledge other sites of Nikkei confinement in the United States, and the innocent people who were held there during World War II.

Dozens of names roll across the screen, beginning with the WCCA Temporary Detention Centers:

Fresno, California Marysville, California Mayer, Arizona Merced, California Owens Valley, California Parker Dam, Arizona Pinedale, California Pomona, California Portland, Oregon Puyallup, Washington Sacramento, California Salinas, California Santa Anita, California Stockton, California Tanforan, California Tulare, California Turlock, California

Then, the Department of Justice Internment Camps:

Crystal City, Texas Fort Lincoln, North Dakota Fort Missoula, Montana Fort Stanton, New Mexico Kenedy, Texas Kooskia, Idaho Old Raton Ranch, New Mexico Santa Fe, New Mexico Seagoville, Texas Forest Park, Georgia

Then the Citizen Isolation Centers in Leupp, Arizona; Moab, Utah; and Lihue Plantation Gymnasium at the Kauai County Courthouse in Hawai`i.

Then the US Federal Prisons in Tucson, Arizona; Leavenworth, Kansas; and McNeil Island, Washington.

Next, the US Army Internment Camps:

Angel Island, California Camp Blanding, Florida Camp Forrest, Tennessee Camp Livingston, Louisiana Camp Lordsburg, New Mexico Camp McCoy, Wisconsin Florence, Arizona Fort Bliss, Texas Fort Howard, Maryland Fort Lewis, Washington Fort Meade, Maryland Fort Richardson, Alaska Fort Sam Houston, Texas Fort Sill, Oklahoma Griffith Park, California Honouliuli, Hawai`i Sand Island, Hawai`i Stringtown, Oklahoma

Then the Immigration and Naturalization Service Detention Stations:

East Boston, Massachusetts Ellis Island, New York San Pedro, California, Seattle, Washington Sharp Park, California Tuna Canyon, California U.S. Immigration Station, Hawai’i

And finally, other incarceration sites in Hawai`i and Alaska

Honolulu Military Police Station Hilo Independent Japanese Language School Waiakea Prison Camp Kilauea Military Camp Maui County Jail Haiku Military Camp Lana'i City Jail Kaunakakai County Jail Wailua County Jail Kalaheo Stockade Waimea Jail

Burnett Inlet Funter Bay Killisnoo Ward Lake CCC Camp Wrangell Institute

PILGRIMAGE HISTORY by David Ono and/or Tamlyn Tomita

We return to Tamlyn Tomita. After the end of World War II, survivors of the incarceration often referred to something called “camp,” but were reluctant to describe exactly what it was. Their children were coming of age in the 1960s. They became deeply influenced by the Civil Rights and anti- war movements that highlighted the decade. Then, in 1969, a group of students from Los Angeles set out to find answers. Their journey to the former Manzanar concentration camp became the first of many pilgrimages, and kindled a new wave of activism.

Historic footage shows Japanese Americans traveling to Manzanar on the first pilgrimage in 1969. At the site, people repaint the Soul Consoling Tower, an obelisk in the Manzanar cemetery.

The Japanese American community organized to demand recognition and redress from the U.S. government, until finally, in 1981, President Carter opened a Congressional investigation into the events of World War II. It concluded that the Nikkei removal and incarceration was not the result of national security, but of race prejudice, war hysteria, and failure of political leadership. In 1988, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, offering an official apology and reparations to the living survivors of the Japanese American incarceration.

A mix of photos and video from the present day shows people at various pilgrimages across the country. People traveling on a bus observe Heart Mountain in the distance. People speak at education sessions and workshops. Camp survivors gather for a group photo. Four young people show off matching tattoos featuring a family crest. Ten flags representing each of the camps are lined up in front of the Sierra Nevada mountains at Manzanar.

A park ranger looks on as veterans parade with flags past the Honor Roll at Minidoka.

Camp survivors wear t-shirts that say Never Again. They raise fists over a sign erected in memory of James Hatsuki Wakasa, who was shot and killed at Topaz.

Today, the pilgrimage lives on as Japanese Americans gather together to share stories and to heal decades of intergenerational trauma. But even as we remember our past, we keep the future in mind. As new generations of Japanese Americans work to keep this history alive, they continue the tradition of advocacy, serving as allies in new civil rights issues and reminding the country of what must never happen again, to any group.

WHAT DOES PILGRIMAGE MEAN TO YOU? by community members Japanese Americans of various generations are asked, What does pilgrimage mean to you?

Mia Russell, shin-nisei: Pilgrimage means experiencing the power of place, creating community, and reclaiming history.

April Buscher, yonsei: Pilgrimage is learning something that wasn’t in my history books.

Kurt Ikeda, shin-nisei: Pilgrimage means tadaima, I’m home. It’s all of the conversations that we never got to have with our grandparents. To me, pilgrimage means okaerinasai. It’s our ancestors saying, welcome home.

Emily Teraoka, yonsei: My family was incarcerated in Arkansas and Arizona, but no one ever really talked about it. So for me, pilgrimage means telling our elders that their voices matter and we want to hear their stories.

Joyce Parks, sansei: I was born in Heart Mountain in 1944, so the pilgrimage for me was an opportunity to come full circle. It was painful and emotional at times, but fortunately I was there with my family for support and that made all the difference in the world.

Amelia Huster, gosei: Getting to be there with her and watching her have her own embodied experience going back to this place that is such a site of trauma, while it was super super difficult, was I think in a way healing for her, and that was healing for me.

Karen Kiyo Lowhurst, yonsei: We stood together in that field and thought about our heritage and my mom and what her life meant, and it really felt like I was more whole than I’d been before.

Paul Tomita, sansei: Unfortunately in our world today, a lot of other people of color, particularly, are experiencing the same kinds of abuse and mistreatment that we experienced during World War II. And so it is incumbent on us to speak up, to participate in demonstrations, or whatever we have to do to tell the public of today that even though seventy-eight years have passed, that this is not right.

Fujiko Tamura Gardner, nisei: America needs to know the history of the internment camps. We did not fail our country. Our country failed us. And it should never happen again.

George Takei, sansei: I go to pilgrimages to mourn. I mourn those good, innocent people who died behind barbed wire due to natural causes—cancer, stroke, diabetes. I go also to mourn those who died behind barbed wire due to unnatural causes, who died of soul- crushing despair, of the burning fever of angst stifled, and of suffocation by the unbearable weight of oppression.

I go to mourn the death of the ideals of a land of democracy, the rule of law, a justice system that rests on the pillar of due process and the pledge for liberty and justice for all.

I go on pilgrimages to remember the struggles since, to restore those noble ideals. I go on pilgrimages to hope that this young generation of Americans will continue the work because there is much still to be done to make those ideals shine strong and true and righteous.

I go on pilgrimages to mourn and remember and hope.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE by Kimiko Marr & Hanako Wakatsuki

For the next segment, the screen is split in two, with ranger Hanako Wakatsuki speaking from her office at Minidoka National Historic Site and Kimiko Marr speaking from her home office.

Hi everyone! My name is Kimiko Marr and I’m the Co-Founder of Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages.

And my name is Hanako Wakatsuki. I’m Chief of Interpretation and Education at the Minidoka National Historic Site.

Hanako and I are the co-chairs of Tadaima! A Community Virtual Pilgrimage. We came up with this idea a few months ago after we learned that all of the pilgrimages to the Japanese American confinement sites had been canceled due to Covid-19.

The annual pilgrimages mean a lot to us. Kimiko and I both grew up outside of the Japanese American community so pilgrimages are important to explore identities and find a sense of belonging. These pilgrimages mean the world to me personally because they fill my emotional bucket, as they feel like a family reunion and I look forward to them every year.

The thought of a year without a pilgrimage was unimaginable to me, so we decided to organize this virtual pilgrimage—not only to make sure that there was a pilgrimage in some capacity this year, but to allow those who were unable to attend in this past to be able to participate virtually. To us, our elders are a precious resource for the younger generations to learn from so we couldn’t afford to wait another year to have a pilgrimage.

Initially, we had considered a ten-day program that focused on the War Relocation Authority camps. But then we thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to create our ideal pilgrimage. We wanted to explore the Japanese American experience from immigration to today and to look at the broader Nikkei incarceration experience around the world.

Now it’s a nine-week program. It seems like a lot, but we’ve tried to plan it so there’s something of interest for everyone. You can find scheduling information online at the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages website.

The website URL is www.jampilgrimages.com

Each of the nine weeks focuses on a different time period of Japanese American history, while each day of the week features a different theme.

Each week will start with Sunday—also known as Community Sunday—where we’ll have Elder Panels and a Sunday Supper activity.

Logos appear at the top of the screen for each day of the week. Each logo is a colored square with a white circle inside it. The square for Community Sunday is red.

Next we have Museum Mondays, which will focus on artifacts. Every Monday will feature The 50 Objects, 50 Stories Project, and Curator’s Corner, where you’ll have the chance to see items from museum collections across the world. Mondays will also provide a space to showcase the Community Archive, where people at home can share their family objects.

Museum Monday is a violet square.

Tend Your Garden Tuesdays are for—you guessed it—gardening and agriculture. We’ll feature farmers, archeologists, and a vegetation ecologist from Minidoka National Historic Site.

Tend Your Garden Tuesday is a blue square.

For Wisdom Wednesdays, we’ll host Education Sessions based on the themes of that particular week. Throwback Thursdays will focus on Japanese American genealogy, where folks will have an opportunity to look up their family history in Genealogy Sessions. A podcast featuring history will be available as well. Wisdom Wednesday is a green square. Throwback Thursday is a yellow square.

Fine Arts Fridays are an opportunity to showcase both historic and contemporary artists in the community. For the readers out there, we will also be hosting a Book Club.

Fine Arts Friday is an orange square.

And finally: Socially-Distances Saturdays will feature the “Nikkei Block Party,” so we can all enjoy some live concerts and performances.

Socially Distant Saturday is a pink square.

What’s really exciting about this program, is that viewers can learn about new research and preservation efforts they might not have known about. But most importantly, the community will have a unified space to continue our healing process.

We only had about two months to plan this event, which is not very long at all. So we’d like to give a special shoutout to our partners for all they’ve contributed, even when under constraints of time, a pandemic, and a protest. They’ve shown us what the Nikkei community and our allies are capable of when we come together.

Hanako and I are so grateful to share this moment with all of you. Without further ado, we hope you have a safe and happy summer.

NIKKEI STRONG by George Takei

The screen fades to black. Actor and activist George Takei appears again, speaking from his home. He is somber as he recalls the injustices towards Japanese Americans.

Certain rhetoric regarding the origins of Coronavirus has inspired violent hate crimes against Asian Americans. Unfortunately, this widespread racism is nothing new.

Years ago, our fellow Americans called us “enemy.” They wrote laws to hinder our hard-earned prosperity. They banned our friends and relatives from entering the country. They imprisoned us. They tried to deport us. They even tried to strip us of our citizenship. Yet here we are. So don’t let the haters get you down!

Our story is an American story. What makes us Japanese does not divide us from others, but rather enriches the collective American identity.

Japanese immigrants were once pioneers of the west. They started new lives in an unfamiliar land, building railroads and businesses. They brought sophisticated farming techniques that transformed American agriculture.

Then, during the war, Japanese Americans showed true courage through sacrifice and resistance. Thousands of brave men and women served in the military, while the resolute resisters protested the injustice of incarceration and conscription.

In the years following, they set out to change American policy, and to ensure that history would be remembered, not repeated.

This is the legacy we follow, and which we leave behind.

George smiles.

To all the young people watching: take pride in who you are and where you come from. Be an active participant in the world. In the face of adversity, change it for the better. The strength of the Nikkei community, your community, is behind you.

And remember that there is no singular Nikkei identity. Some of us are the children of immigrants. Some are fifth-generation Americans. Some are bilingual, and some of us lost our family heirlooms during the war. Even as an ethnic group, we come in many creeds and colors and nationalities. When we are together, we are home.

A video montage shows Japanese Americans celebrating their heritage from the post-war era to the present day. Music is Shou ga nai by Takenobu.

Boy Scouts in uniform carry an American flag and smile. Two girls with cameras hanging from their necks sit at an Old West tourist attraction. A group of teenage girls in basketball uniforms laugh together. A family enjoys a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. A woman waves from the window of a building during a camp pilgrimage. A man in a hat and suit waves for an old home video. A group of women wearing kimonos sing in an outdoor concert. A woman dances during an obon festival. A group of people dance in a line. Women in kimonos sing while a man plays the shamisen.

A woman pounds rice while a group of volunteers make mochi. A taiko group performs on a stage. Children play outside in a tub of water. A man with a baby waves his daughter’s hand at the camera. Young girls in matching kimonos dance for obon. A crowd of people dance around a platform while singers and drummers perform. Protestors make signs and light candles. In the evening, they march for civil rights. Photos show Japanese American hanging origami cranes on a fence to protest the detention of migrant children. Families pose with a book that honors Nisei soldiers of World War II. A group of people smile at a cultural event. A group of children stand in front of a colorful art piece of geometric shapes. A young family smiles at a Colorado baseball game. A group of people gather for a photo at a restaurant. An old home video shows two children running with balloons toward a man. The man takes their hands and they walk down the street.

END OF CEREMONY by David Ono & Tamlyn Tomita

David Ono and Tamlyn Tomita speak from the museum.

That concludes our opening ceremony.

In just a few minutes, we will begin a screening of two documentary films: “Manzanar” by Robert Nakamura, and “Pilgrimage” by Robert’s son Tad Nakamura.

Clips from the films Manzanar and Pilgrimage show the remains of the camp in the 1970s, and ceremonies in the early 2000s. Then We return to David and Tamlyn.

But first, we would like to thank you all for joining us, and we hope that you will enjoy all the activities and performances that will be available this summer. The Pilgrimage Committee, in cooperation with the National Park Service, has worked hard to make a seemingly impossible idea become a momentous occasion in just a matter of weeks. So thank you to our sponsors, our partners, and all those who have provided content for making this pilgrimage a reality. If you need assistance or would like to learn more about the upcoming programs, go online to the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimage website for information.

The screen shows the front page of the pilgrimage website.

We hope that all of you watching at home are safe and healthy. Regardless of where you come from, or your ties to this history, we look forward to having you with us.

END CREDITS

The credits roll on a white screen while on the left side, Joe Ozaki, a survivor of Crytal City Internment Camp, plays ukulele. He sings Don’t Fence Me In with Erin Aoyama, who is a descendent of Heart Mountain.

Contributors to Opening Ceremony: Lawson Fusao Inada David Ono George Takei Tamlyn Tomita Duncan Ryuken Williams

Erin Aoyama April Buscher Marissa Fujimoto Fujiko Tamura Gardner Clement Hanami Amelia Huster Kurt Ikeda Karen Kiyo Lowhurst Evan Kodani Stefi Lacy Kimiko Marr Yuka Murakami Courtney Ozaki Joe Ozaki Keiko Ozaki Joyce Parks Mia Russell Emily Teraoka Paul Tomita Hanako Wakatsuki

Tadashi Nakamura Robert Nakamura Karen Ishizuka

Film and Images by: Densho Digital Repository Japanese American National Museum University of Alaska Fairbanks, Elmer E. Rasmuson Library National Japanese American Historical Society National Park Service Library of Congress National Archives and Records Administration Manzanar Committee, Ron and Don Rundstrom Toyo Miyatake Studio Japanese American Museum of Oregon Tsukie Eileen Oshiro & Aoyama families Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation

Logo Design: Erin Shigaki Eugene Tagawa Marie Johnston

Executive Planning Committee: Kimiko Marr, JAMP Hanako Wakatsuki, NPS Erin Aoyama, NPS Nicole Tanner

Advisory Committee Clement Hanami, JANM Courtney Ozaki, Ja-Ne Dakota Russell, HMWF John Tonai, AHS II Hiro Edeza, JAMP Haruka Roudebush, JCCCNC Jason Matsumoto, Full Spectrum Features Koji Lau-Ozawa Mia Russell, FoM Natasha Varner, Densho Rob Buscher, PAAFF Royce D’Orazio Ryan Kozu, MPPC Stephen Kitajo, MPPC

Partners: 50 Objects, 50 Stories Amache Historical Society II Amache Preservation Society Amache Special Resource Study Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community Brandon Shimoda Brynn Saito Crystal City Pilgrimage Committee David Ono Densho Emma Ito Frank Abe Fred T. Korematsu Institute Friends of Minidoka Full Spectrum Features George Takei Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Historic Fort Snelling Historical Museum at Fort Missoula Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i Japanese American Citizens League, National Japanese American Citizens League, Chicago Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium Japanese American Citizens League, New Mexico Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages Japanese American Museum of Oregon Japanese American Museum, San Jose Japanese American National Museum Japanese Arts Network Japanese Community Youth Council Jeff Chiba Stearns, Meditating Bunny Studios Jerome/Rohwer Pilgrimage Karen Ishizuka King Kamehameha V Judicial History Center Kizuna Lorene Oikawa Manzanar Committee Mikami Vineyard Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee Minoru Yasui Legacy Project Mira Nakashima Mukai Farm & Garden National Association of Japanese Canadians National Japanese American Historical Society National Park Service NHK Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival Poston Community Alliance Regina Boone Smithsonian Stop Repeating History Tadashi Nakamura Tamlyn Tomita Tessaku Tsuru for Solidarity Tule Lake Committee Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition University of Denver Amache Project Wakamatsu Farm The Wing Luke Museum Yonsei Memory Project