Day of Remembrance 2026

Hanako Konishi is a second-generation Japanese American from the Seattle area. In 1942, at the age of eight, she, her six siblings, and her parents were forced from their Seattle home and incarcerated at the “Puyallup Assembly Center” on the Puyallup Fairgrounds as a result of Executive Order 9066. She will share her vivid memories of life in this temporary American concentration camp.

Konishi worked for thirty years in the Highline School District, retiring as secretary to the deputy superintendent. Since the grand opening of the Remembrance Gallery in September 2024, she has volunteered as a docent, sharing her experiences as a survivor.

Paul Hiroyoshi Tomita was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. In April 1942, when he was just three years old, Tomita and his family were imprisoned at the Puyallup Assembly Center. After four months, they were transferred to Minidoka, where they remained until July 4, 1943 with Paul constantly asking, what did we do wrong, and when are we going home? Tomita will share the story of his family’s wartime experience.

After earning a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Oregon State University, Tomita went on to provide consulting and rehabilitation services to companies and government agencies throughout the West Coast. A civil rights activist since the mid-1960s, he continues to advocate against the detention of immigrants.

Tamiko Nimura is a multi-award-winning Asian American writer, community journalist, and public historian. A descendant of Japanese American World War II incarcerees, she works to preserve this history through her writing and public speaking. She will read from her new book, A Place for What We Lose: A Daughter’s Return to Tule Lake, which explores her late father’s life and her family’s incarceration history, drawing from his unpublished childhood memoir written decades earlier. Nimura also highlights how intergenerational trauma and silence are transmitted and how confronting them can foster healing.

She is the lead curator of the digital exhibit, Tacoma Japantown and is on the Board of Directors for the Tule Lake Committee. To learn more about this talented and accomplished writer please visit, About | Tamiko Nimura

Chris Hopkins is an award-winning artist whose nearly five-decade career spans film, entertainment, sports, publishing, and corporate illustration. His work exploring Japanese American incarceration during World War II is deeply rooted in his own family history. Recognized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, his piece An Uncertain Future won Best of Show in 2018. Paintings from this incarceration series will be on display, with an opportunity to engage in conversation with the artist.

Hopkins continues to produce impactful and heartfelt pieces and is driven to create works which celebrate compelling stories of American perseverance. To read more about this skilled and gifted artist click, Chris Hopkins Art - Chris Hopkins.

Stan Shikuma is a longtime activist, who works to end detention and uplift immigrant justice. Shikuma has been involved with Tsuru for Solidarity from its inception in 2019 and serves on their national council. Shikuma is a sansei, or third-generation Japanese American. His grandparents, parents, and older brother were incarcerated during WW2 under Executive Order 9066. This order set a precedent to allow the military to round up groups of people “without charge.”

Shikuma was a nurse for 30 years and now is retired. During which time he became involved with JACL and Seattle Kokon Taiko. A performer and composer, he creates original works that explore taiko’s history. He currently serves on their Board of Directors as well as volunteers with Hiroshima to Hope, the NVC Foundation, and the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance. Through both art and advocacy, Shikuma has always worked to promote civil rights and cultural resilience.