Event

Like every American, Sumiko Kobayashi was shocked on the morning of December 7, 1941, as news streamed in of Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. This national tragedy became personal two months later.

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, giving the military broad powers to ban any citizen from a coastal area stretching from Washington state to California and extending inland into southern Arizona.

For the next four years, more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry—77,000 of them American citizens—were removed from this area and incarcerated indefinitely without criminal charges or trial. The Kobayashis were among them.

This Tuesday, HSP will explore the struggle of Japanese Americans during and after internment. The event will kick off with a sneak peak of the play, Hold These Truths, performed by local actor Makoto Hirano.

Following the performance, Dr. Franklin Odo, visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Sumiko Kobayashi will discuss the historical context of the letters, artwork, and newspaper clippings on display from HSP's collection. 

This program is $15 for non-members, FREE for members and all students with valid I.D. Act48 credit is available for educators. Cosponsored by Plays and Players Theatre.