The Puyallup Valley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is building the "Puyallup Assembly Center" Remembrance Gallery. It will encourage an inclusive understanding of the wrongful incarceration of 125,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans in the United States during WWII. The Washington State Fair is providing us with this opportunity to build a permanent historic exhibit inside the grandstand, which is part of the original confinement site. The Gallery will provide comprehensive education using the latest techniques in immersive and interactive media design that will bring to life personal stories and in-depth content. The names of over 7,600 who were wrongfully imprisoned on these fairgrounds will be permanently displayed

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The Gallery will encompass the effects of incarceration throughout the state, including those Nikkei who were not removed and non-Japanese residents.  The "Puyallup Assembly Center” will be used as a reflection of other assembly centers, and the ten permanent camps. The stories shared will reflect the specific but common aspects of incarceration.

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The Gallery will serve as a visual reminder of what happened in our past and will help highlight the social injustices which resulted from xenophobia, prejudice, and wartime hysteria, and allow comparisons to those being denied justice today.

Please join Puyallup Valley in making the Remembrance Gallery a reality!

The fundraising goal is $1.85 M  with a completion date of May 2024.

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