Why Us?

Narrator: George Takei

The internment experience was the most defining moment of my life. I remember my father telling me that both the strength and the weakness of American democracy is that it’s a people’s democracy – it can be as great as a people can be and it can also be as fallible as people are. That’s why it’s so important for all of us to be actively engaged in the democratic process.

We were imprisoned because of fear, misunderstanding, and racial discrimination. Here in Rohwer, these issues were part of life for people living outside the fence too. They were fearful of us and misunderstood the way we lived here. The folks outside the fence also had to deal with economic, social, and racial discrimination.

Your next stop should be the memorial cemetery. From there, continue along the gravel road to learn more about the Rohwer experience—it’s a short, easy walk, less than a quarter mile.