After the long Covid lockdown, many of us are feeling a yearning to get out of the house. As restrictions loosen, businesses are reopening, including our area museums. This summer is a great opportunity to learn more about our local history. By understanding the history and culture of our city, we will be better equipped to bring God's healing and reconciliation to our neighborhoods and our region. We hope you've had a chance to visit one of the places highlighted in our previous newsletters featuring Seattle and Tacoma. In the newsletter, we'll feature Bainbridge Island and opportunities to learn about Japanese American Exclusion.

Places to Visit on Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge Island Historical Museum

Along with lots of other interesting stories about the history of this small island, the museum features an excellent exhibit on Japanese American Exclusion. After Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated. Bainbridge Island was the first West Coast community impacted as two hundred twenty-seven Japanese American Islanders were rounded up by soldiers and sent to Manzanar Relocation Center. "The Japanese American Exclusion is a story of the suspension of civil liberties and citizen resistance told through personal experience." The museum is currently open Friday – Sunday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Check out their Plan a Visit page for the most up-to-date details as well as suggestions for other activities to enjoy while you're on the island.

Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial

This outdoor exhibit commemorates the incarceration of Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island. The memorial wall is located near the former Eagledale ferry dock where they were forced to assemble. The motto and mission of the memorial is Nidoto Nai Yoni, translated as "Let It Not Happen Again." To visit the Memorial, you'll want to bring your car on the ferry for the four-mile drive from the current ferry terminal to the Memorial. Before you visit, download the Junior Ranger Program activity book from the National Park Service featuring activities for kids ages 6 and up.