Panel: Remembering Japanese American Incarceration and Exploring Resources

Sunday, 5/10/2026
2:00 - 3:00
Koret Auditorium
Main Library

100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

415-557-4400

Explore the history of Japanese American incarceration during World War II through digital archives and storytelling projects. Learn how resources like Forced Assembly Centers and Densho help to document this history and engage with the creators behind these platforms.

Sharon Yamato is the creator of the Forced Assembly Centers website, which documents the temporary detention sites where Japanese Americans were held before incarceration. 

Brian Niya is the content director for Densho and editor of the Densho Encyclopedia. 

Stretching from California’s southern border to northmost tip of Washington state, One Book, One Coast is a brand-new, multi-state community reading initiative that brings readers together around a shared book, sparking conversation, programs and reflection across the West Coast.

Our inaugural selection is They Called Us Enemy (2019), a graphic memoir by George Takei that recounts his childhood experience of incarceration alongside more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were U.S. citizens, following Executive Order 9066 in 1942. 

Read along March–May 2026 and join the programs and discussions it inspires

History

Learn more about local history.

Weaving Stories: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Interest

Programs and workshops, book recommendations and more relating to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage.

Weaving Stories is the Library's celebration of the many diverse histories and cultures from AANHPI communities.

Japanese Interest

Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Japanese community and culture.

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.