Honoring the work of activist Erin Shigaki, Bellevue College will host a ceremony for the permanent installation of her mural. The ceremony will take place on May 14 at 2 p.m. in the Fountain Courtyard near the C and D buildings.
Shigaki is an activist and artist who uses her art to share the experiences of people of color, particularly those of the incarceration of her community during World War 2. According to the Bellevue College website, the mural depicts “two Japanese American children on the day they are being forced into a World War II American incarceration camp.” Titled “Never Again is Now: A Permanent Commitment,” the mural signifies a commitment to understand the injustices in the past and the impact they had on Japanese immigrants.
Back in 2020, Bellevue College got pulled into a controversy over the mural, which was installed around the Day of Remembrance to recognize the history of Japanese American incarceration after Executive Order 9066. Along with the mural, Shigaki included an artist statement explaining how Japanese immigrant families helped build Bellevue through farming and agricultural labor before many of them were forcibly removed and incarcerated during WWII. One sentence specifically mentioned “anti-Japanese agitation” led by Eastside businessman Miller Freeman and others. Soon after the mural went up, a Bellevue College administrator covered that sentence up, which caused backlash from the community.
Eventually, Bellevue College publicly apologized, restored the removed text, and placed the vice president involved on leave. Now, the mural is becoming a permanent fixture at Bellevue College, in an effort to learn from past mistakes.
Artist Erin Shigaki will be present at the ceremony to speak about her work and the significance of the mural. Bellevue College President David May will also speak at the event to publicly acknowledge the mural as a permanent commitment of Bellevue College and the campus community. Stan Shikuma with the Japanese American Citizens League and Tsuru for Solidarity will speak at the event as well. Tsuru for Solidarity is a national project that works to support refugee communities and shut down concentration centers.
As Bellevue College takes the next step towards supporting and honoring the Japanese communities who suffered during World War 2, all students are highly encouraged to attend the ceremony on May 14.
