Fumi Hayashida honored

I’m quoted in today’s Seattle P-I story by Brad Wong on this now-iconic photograph of Fumi Hayashida carrying her daughter while being evicted from Bainbridge Island in 1942. Fumi’s being recognized tonight by Seattle JACL for her work speaking about her experiences in wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans.

What won’t be mentioned is that she is perhaps the last surviving person who carries personal memories of a young James Omura, then known as Utaka Matsumoto, walking to school on Bainbridge while the other kids rode the bus, just for the exercise. Fumi and Jimmie corresponded later in life, and that’s how I got to know her. She’s a wonderful person and a good friend and I was glad to write the news release to help garner some attention for her.

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