WLS & Humanities Washington presents The Pine and the Cherry: How our state’s Japanese Americans faced the injustice of internment, and how families who lost everything rebuilt their lives

WLS & Humanities Washington present The Pine and the Cherry: How our state’s Japanese Americans faced the injustice of internment, and how families who lost everything rebuilt their lives In the lead up to WWII, Japantown in Seattle featured grocery stores, cafes, and native-language services, as well as labor and music clubs. Trading companies imported Japanese goods, and restaurants served the familiar sukiyaki, tofu, and miso soup. In Eastern WA, Japanese farmers prospered. Then came Executive Order 9066. Throughout the West Coast, 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forced from their hopes. When they returned, most had lost everything and could not find jobs. How did they face this injustice and rebuild their lives? Mayumi Tsutakawa reveals her family’s 100-year history against the backdrop of this dramatic American story.