Introduction Panel
The Empty Chair: The Forced Removal and Relocation of Juneau's Japanese, 1941-1951

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Collection JDCM Education
Date 2014
Description The Empty Chair: The Forced Removal and Resettlement of Juneau's Japanese Community, 1941-1950

The forced removal of Japanese and Japanese-Americans from the West Coast during World War II is an often overlooked piece of American history. This relocation not only impacted the families removed but also the communities from which they were taken. The Juneau community stood in quiet defiance as their friends and neighbors were taken from their homes. They welcomed the Japanese-American families back into Juneau society after the war, a welcome that was not seen by all returning to their West Coast communities. In an attempt to rebuild, repair and move on, the forced removal was never discussed as a community. This exhibit tells the stories of eight Japanese-American families that were taken from their homes in 1942 and relocated to the Minidoka Internment Camp located in Idaho. All of the families lived in Juneau between 1941 and 1950 either before and/or after the war.

This exhibit, curated by Jodi DeBruyne, is based on first-person narratives and would not have been possible without the willingness of the Akagi, Fukuyama, Kanazawa, Kito, Komatsubara, Kumasaka, Taguchi, and Tanaka families to share their stories, photographs and objects; nor would the exhibit have been possible without the partnership with the Empty Chair Committee.

Thank you to all that participated.

Albert Shaw
Alice (Tanaka) Hikido
Andy Pekovich
Betty Echigo Marriott
Brent Fischer, Director CBJ Parks & Recreation
Connie Lundy
David Gray
Dixie Johnson Belcher
Fumi Matsumoto
Greg Chaney
Haruo "Ham" Kumasaka
Janet Borgen Pekovich
Janie Hollenbach Homan
Jackie Honeywell Triplette
Jim Triplette
Margie Alstead Shackelford
Marie Hanna Darlin
Mark Kanazawa
Marsha Erwin Bennett
Mary (Tanaka) Abo
Nancy (Fukuyama) Albright
Randy Wanamaker
Reiko Sumada
Karleen Alstead Grummett
Roger Grummett
Ron Inouye
Rose (Komatsubara) Wayne
Sam Kito, Jr.
Year Range from 1941
Year range to 1951
Object ID EDU.0496
Object Name Label
People Shaw, Albert
Hikido, Alice (Tanaka)
Pekovich, Andy
Marriott, Betty Echigo
Fischer, Brent
Lundy, Connie
Gray, David
Belcher, Dixie Johnson
Matsumoto, Fumi
Chaney, Greg
Kumasaka, Haruo
Pekovich, Janet Borgen
Homan, Janie Hollenbach
Triplette, Jackie Honeywell
Triplette, Jim
Shackelford, Margie Alstead
Darlin, Marie
Kanazawa, Mark
Bennett, Marsha Erwin
Abo, Mary (Tanaka)
Albright, Nancy (Fukuyama)
Wanamaker, Randy
Sumada, Reiko
Grummett, Karleen Alstead
Grummett, Roger
Inouye, Ron
Wayne, Rose (Komatsubara)
Kito, Sam, Jr.
Search Terms WW2
Japanese
Internment
Title Introduction Panel
Collection JDCM Education
Date 2014
Description The Empty Chair: The Forced Removal and Resettlement of Juneau's Japanese Community, 1941-1950

The forced removal of Japanese and Japanese-Americans from the West Coast during World War II is an often overlooked piece of American history. This relocation not only impacted the families removed but also the communities from which they were taken. The Juneau community stood in quiet defiance as their friends and neighbors were taken from their homes. They welcomed the Japanese-American families back into Juneau society after the war, a welcome that was not seen by all returning to their West Coast communities. In an attempt to rebuild, repair and move on, the forced removal was never discussed as a community. This exhibit tells the stories of eight Japanese-American families that were taken from their homes in 1942 and relocated to the Minidoka Internment Camp located in Idaho. All of the families lived in Juneau between 1941 and 1950 either before and/or after the war.

This exhibit, curated by Jodi DeBruyne, is based on first-person narratives and would not have been possible without the willingness of the Akagi, Fukuyama, Kanazawa, Kito, Komatsubara, Kumasaka, Taguchi, and Tanaka families to share their stories, photographs and objects; nor would the exhibit have been possible without the partnership with the Empty Chair Committee.

Thank you to all that participated.

Albert Shaw
Alice (Tanaka) Hikido
Andy Pekovich
Betty Echigo Marriott
Brent Fischer, Director CBJ Parks & Recreation
Connie Lundy
David Gray
Dixie Johnson Belcher
Fumi Matsumoto
Greg Chaney
Haruo "Ham" Kumasaka
Janet Borgen Pekovich
Janie Hollenbach Homan
Jackie Honeywell Triplette
Jim Triplette
Margie Alstead Shackelford
Marie Hanna Darlin
Mark Kanazawa
Marsha Erwin Bennett
Mary (Tanaka) Abo
Nancy (Fukuyama) Albright
Randy Wanamaker
Reiko Sumada
Karleen Alstead Grummett
Roger Grummett
Ron Inouye
Rose (Komatsubara) Wayne
Sam Kito, Jr.
Year Range from 1941
Year range to 1951
Object ID EDU.0496
Object Name Label
People Shaw, Albert
Hikido, Alice (Tanaka)
Pekovich, Andy
Marriott, Betty Echigo
Fischer, Brent
Lundy, Connie
Gray, David
Belcher, Dixie Johnson
Matsumoto, Fumi
Chaney, Greg
Kumasaka, Haruo
Pekovich, Janet Borgen
Homan, Janie Hollenbach
Triplette, Jackie Honeywell
Triplette, Jim
Shackelford, Margie Alstead
Darlin, Marie
Kanazawa, Mark
Bennett, Marsha Erwin
Abo, Mary (Tanaka)
Albright, Nancy (Fukuyama)
Wanamaker, Randy
Sumada, Reiko
Grummett, Karleen Alstead
Grummett, Roger
Inouye, Ron
Wayne, Rose (Komatsubara)
Kito, Sam, Jr.
Search Terms WW2
Japanese
Internment
Title Introduction Panel
All images are the property of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum. No image may be copied, downloaded or reproduced without the express permission of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum.

Mailing Address: 155 South Seward, Juneau, Alaska 99801 --- General Information: (907) 586-3572 ---- Museum Home: http://www.juneau.org/museum Curator of Collections and Exhibits: Jodi DeBruyne    Jodi.DeBruyne@juneau.org
Last modified on: December 31, 2014