Alcatraz and Angel Island both have their tragic historical back stories, but few ferry passengers probably realize that their boat passing by the Presidio would can also generate painful memories of confinement and isolation.
During
World War II, the Presidio of San Francisco – the Army's Western Defense
Command – played a pivotal role in the unjust incarceration of 120,000 Japanese
Americans, purportedly in the name of national security. This special
exhibition marks 75 years
since Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt issued Civilian Exclusion Orders from
the Presidio, and examines the post's little understood part in these events.
The
exhibition invites visitors to investigate the choices – both personal and
political – that led to this dark chapter in American history. How did leaders
arrive at this decision? How did Japanese Americans respond to the violation of
their civil liberties? And what, as a nation, have we learned that can help us
address the present-day issues of immigration, racism, and mass incarceration?
Exclusion is
the latest special exhibition at the Presidio Officers' Club, a cultural
institution showcasing the Presidio's role in shaping and serving the nation.
Special exhibitions explore the Presidio's heritage and allow for fresh
perspectives and a deeper exploration of the topics and themes presented in the
club's permanent exhibition.
In
developing the Exclusion exhibition and its related public and
school programming, the Presidio Trust staff collaborated with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute and
the National Japanese American Historical
Society (NJAHS).
About
Special Exhibitions at the Presidio Officers' Club
EXCLUSION: The
Presidio's Role in World War II Japanese American Incarceration is
the latest special exhibition at the Presidio Officers' Club, a cultural
institution showcasing the Presidio's role in shaping and serving California
and the nation. Special exhibitions explore the Presidio's heritage and allow
for fresh perspectives and a deeper exploration of the topics and themes
presented in the permanent exhibition.
www.presidio.gov
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