An official event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC, the family-friendly Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk is a historical and cultural event to raise awareness about the Japanese American experience during World War II and to highlight the vigilant role that American citizens must continue to play in preserving the Constitutional rights of all Americans. The Memorial was built as a lasting tribute to the more than 33,000 Japanese American soldiers who served with great distinction in the U.S. Military. The Memorial also pays tribute to the more than 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry who were unjustly relocated in the American confinement sites during World War II and is also a testament to our nation’s greatness that it does not fear to acknowledge its mistakes. There is no charge to attend the Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk. Donations, however, are warmly welcomed and will help support the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation’s nationwide educational and outreach efforts, including events such as the Freedom Walk and the Annual Day of Remembrance, a jointly sponsored program with the Smithsonian Institution to observe the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which led to the imprisonment of 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Other sponsors: National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, Japanese American Veterans Association, DC Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, and the Ekoji Buddhist Temple.

Register here: http://njamf.com/Events/FreedomWalk/FreedomWalk.html