Honoring the Nikkei Farmers of Bellevue
Prior to World War II, Bellevue, Washington was home to a powerful and vibrant Japanese American community. In 1942 the United States government forcibly evacuated and incarcerated sixty Japanese American farming families from Bellevue. They were among 120,000 Japanese Americans who were sent to incarceration camps from along the west coast.
After the war, only a handful of these families returned to Bellevue because many of them lost their land and work here.
Local artist, Michelle Kumata and creative director, Tani Ikeda, honor this community with an art display at Bellevue Arts Museum. It’s titled ‘Emerging Radiance: Honoring the Nikkei Farmers of Bellevue.
Kumata also has a solo exhibit titled Regeneration at Bonfire Gallery in Seattle’s Chinatown International District through April 7th
