SJSU Reflects on History During 2026 Day of Remembrance

For the fourth consecutive year, San José State University observed Day of Remembrance, honoring the experiences of Japanese Americans who were forcibly incarcerated during World War II.

February 19 marks the anniversary of Executive Order 9066, the 1942 directive that set in motion the mass removal and incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans across the United States. In 1942, the building that now houses SJSU's Yoshihiro Uchida Hall served as a registration center for Japanese Americans before they were sent to incarceration camps. In 2024, SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson wrote an opinion piece , which appeared in the San Jose Mercury News, to apologize for the university's role in incarcerating Japanese Americans.

On February 19, for the 2026 Day of Remembrance event, the community gathered at the Student Union Theater to listen to panels and take part in breakout sessions to explore topics of interfaith coalition building, navigating difficult dialogues and using the power of sports to go beyond identity. This year's theme was "Neighbors Not Enemies."

At the beginning of the event, Edwin Tan, director of operations and strategic initiatives at SJSU, spoke of the theme as a call to see one another differently and to recognize how intertwined our lives truly are.

"We cannot change what happened in 1942. But we can decide how that history shapes us," said Tan. "Will we allow it to remain a cautionary tale we revisit once a year? Or will we let it inform how we speak, how we lead, how we stand up for one another?"

Nina Chuang, '23 Nutrition and Food Science, who is the assistant director of community and government relations at SJSU, spoke of the importance of having intergenerational conversations while recognizing the history that has impacted the Japanese community.

"We are gathered today to really talk about what it means to remember. What it means to remember right now, in this current political moment, and what it means to remember what happened to our communities back then," said Chuang.

During the main panel, Yvonne Kwan, associate professor of Asian American Studies, moderated a conversation with Vanessa Hatakeyama, executive director of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, and Gordon Yamate, commissioner for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission (DEIC) of Los Gatos; each of them shared their family's painful experiences of being incarcerated over eight decades ago. They also spoke of art, community and making an impact during these chaotic times.

"There's a place for everybody. Not everybody's going to be a councilmember or lead a nonprofit organization. But everybody has a part. And we need everybody at so many different levels to contribute their gift," said Hatakeyama. "Whatever your gift is, lean into that for the good of community-building in some space."

This year's Day of Remembrance was co-sponsored by Asian American Studies; Associated Students Inc.; Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment (CAPISE); the Division of Student Affairs; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and the Office of Community and Government Relations.