Tacoma History & Intergenerational Resilience with Tacoma Author Tamiko Nimura

Move to Tacoma Podcast

Tamiko Nimura’s book, “A Place for What We Lose: A Daughter’s Return to Tule Lake” centers on her father’s unpublished memoir about his family’s incarceration during WWII. The book contains a history she revisited during a difficult period in her life. Growing up in California, Nimura moved to Tacoma in 2004 and later learned about the city’s lost Japanese American community, which was forcibly removed in 1942. She emphasizes how racism and policies like Executive Order 9066 led to the displacement of over 700 Tacoma residents, most of whom lost their homes and businesses permanently.

Resistance and Relevance Today
Tamiko Nimura discusses Japanese American resistance to incarceration, including legal challenges, protests, and acts of cultural resilience, such as kite-flying contests in the camps. She draws parallels to current immigration detention policies, particularly the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, and stresses the need for collective action. Organizations like Tsuru for Solidarity and La Resistencia work to oppose these systems, and she encourages listeners to support them through education, donations, and political advocacy.

Tamiko Nimura urges listeners to bear witness to suffering and engage in resistance, whether through protests, supporting marginalized communities, or preserving accurate histories. She highlights the importance of intergenerational storytelling and grassroots organizing, framing her book as both a personal tribute and a warning against repeating past injustices.

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