Remembrance means nothing without the courage to act. This is why we, as Japanese Americans in Tsuru for Solidarity, are inspired by our friends at La Resistencia, and all the immigrants and other targeted people who are standing up to efforts to scapegoat and divide our communities. This courage, more than any ceremony, is what the remembrance of Japanese American incarceration means to us.

We hope that everyone in our region can learn from the courage they demonstrate, because with so many groups being targeted now—immigrants, trans kids, BIPOC communities, medical researchers, nonprofits, and more—we all need each other more than ever. 

We call on our elected leaders to speak up and stand alongside all the people in our community who are feeling under threat. By pledging to defend immigrants from the kinds of mass arrests, denial of due process, and efforts at deportation that Japanese Americans faced during World War II, and by committing to defend all of the people and organizations in our community who are feeling afraid to act, our elected leaders can help us all rediscover the courage we need to offer Resistance in this moment.