Loading ...Arab American Museum’s Sept. 11 anniversary town hall examines Japanese internment, Muslim ban
By: Dearborn Press & Guide Staff
Source: Arab American National Museum
The Arab American National Museum will host its third annual 9/11 Anniversary Town Hall at 6 p.m. Sept. 8.
The free event — “Executive Orders: Japanese Internment & the Muslim Ban” — will reflect on the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II and its contemporary counterpart, the executive order known widely as the Muslim Ban.
The major anniversary arrives as the nation comes to grips with a new executive order that similarly targets and discriminates based on national origin and religion.
A panel comprised of members of the Japanese, Arab and Muslim American communities will explore Japanese internment, draw parallels to the current Executive Order 13769 affecting travel among the Arab and Muslim American communities, and examine its future impact.
Taking part on the panel will be:
-Ahmad Abuznaid a Palestinian American born in Jerusalem who was motivated by the murder of Trayvon Martin to co-found Florida-based Dream Defenders and currently serves as director for National Network for Arab American Communities, an institution of ACCESS.
-Soji Kashiwagi, a San Francisco native who has been executive producer and playwright for the Grateful Crane Ensemble since its founding in 2001. Both of his parents and their families were incarcerated at the Tule Lake concentration camp during World War II.
-Darrell Kunitomi of Los Angeles, a longtime actor and director with the Grateful Crane Ensemble. His theater credits include a monologue using his uncle Ted Fujioka’s wartime letters from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team; honored in 2009’s L.A. Weekly’s Best Production of the Year, Best Male Lead, for his portrayal of a Cambodian genocide survivor in E. M. Lewis’ Song of Extinction, reprised at Scotland’s 2010 Edinburgh Fringe.
-Namira Islam, a Bangladeshi American lawyer and graphic designer based in Michigan who is co-founder and co-director of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, a faith-based racial justice education organization. Her background includes work in prisoners’ rights litigation, international human rights law and poverty law.
-Mary Kamidoi, who was among those affected by Executive Order 9066, ordering the evacuation of 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast. In 1942, at age 11, she and her family were sent to the fairgrounds in Stockton for seven months, then to camps far inland. Ordered at the end of the war to vacate the camps, they again had to start a new life. Kamidoi settled in Michigan, where she teaches the history of Japanese internment through her personal experiences.
-Community advocate Amy Doukoure, who has spent a decade as an educator in the Detroit area, including stints at local Islamic schools, and was founding president of the Muslim Student Lawyers Association.
Admission to the town hall is free but RSVP is required at bit.ly/911townhall. Light refreshments will be provided.
Following the discussion at 8 p.m. will be a ticketed Global Fridays musical-theater performance of The Camp Dance: The Music & The Memories by the Grateful Crane Ensemble, a non-profit theater company dedicated to honoring its Japanese American elders by telling their stories and singing their favorite songs.
Members of the ensemble will take part in the town hall panel prior to the performance.
Visit arabamericanmuseum.org/GF-Fall-17 to read more about the performance and purchase tickets for $10 for museum members and $15 for nonmembers.