“THEN THEY CAME FOR ME” is a compelling exhibit of photography, documents, and artifacts that chronicles the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. For no other reason than their heritage, over 100,000 people (including whole families) were forced to leave their homes and abandon all property to be incarcerated in “relocation camps”. The majority of incarcerees were US Citizens and in a sad irony many young Japanese American men served in the US Military and fought and died in Europe while their families were unjustly incarcerated back home. The exhibit is an important lesson in America’s history.

Through the summer and fall of 2017 the exhibit ran at The Alphawood Gallery drawing thousands of visitors. The curator asked Ho Etsu to perform at the exhibit’s closing reception in November 2017. We were honored by the request, particularly since several Ho Etsu members have grandparents who endured internment during WWII. As a special tribute Ho Etsu member Emily Harada composed a new piece, POSTON, about the camp in which her grandparents were incarcerated. 

Credits:
Christine Humbach, photography

(click any photo to view the gallery as a slideshow)