February 19, 2026
Each year, February 19th brings us back to a crucial date in 1942. On that day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, a decision that authorized the forced removal and incarceration of over 125,000 people of Japanese ancestry, most of them U.S. citizens.
This history asks more of us than commemoration. At Densho, it asks us to consider what we are building now to ensure that this history remains visible, durable, and accessible.
On this Day of Remembrance, Densho is launching a new initiative, the Densho Public Index of Japanese American Collections. We are grateful to the Henri & Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation for partnering with us to launch this first-of-its kind project. Over the coming years, we will identify, map, and connect archival materials related to Japanese American history across institutions and communities.
Many collections documenting Japanese American history are dispersed across the world, held in local museums, community organizations, university archives, and family collections. While some are well known, others are difficult to access or are under-described. Still others exist in institutions facing budget constraints and shifting priorities. Japanese American history is rarely the focus of broad archival or collection efforts, and materials can become vulnerable when they are seen as peripheral or expendable.
By creating the Public Index, we are strengthening the connective tissue between repositories and historical materials, so that they are easier to find, use, and preserve. This work intentionally includes collections of every size, from large institutional archives to small, community-rooted organizations, recognizing that safeguarding memory requires honoring stewards at every scale.
Recent events make clear that we cannot assume reliable access to historical materials. With the stories and contributions of immigrants and communities of color increasingly minimized, challenged, or removed from our nation’s history, building a durable infrastructure of Japanese American memory becomes essential. Through this work, Densho ensures that history remains accessible not only for this generation, but for all the ones that follow.
At the outset of this project, we will begin inviting community members to submit nominations of collections that should be included in the Public Index. Through community input and collaboration, we will make the full landscape of Japanese American archival materials more visible, connected, and accessible.
Remembering requires care and long-term commitment. This initiative reflects ours.
— Naomi Ostwald Kawamura, Densho Executive Director
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2026 Day of Remembrance announcement by Naomi Ostwald Kawamura.
Header Photo: Naomi Ostwald Kawamura (left) speaking, sitting on stage with co-speaker Duncan Ryuken Williams (center) and moderator Sharon Ito (right) at the Northern California Time of Remembrance event, February 14, 2026