A free film screening and panel discussion exploring Japanese American history is coming to Bellevue Children's Academy on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The Heritage Program Film Viewing & Reception, organized by the Japan Fair Office, runs from 3 to 5 p.m. at the school, located at 14640 NE 24th St.

Admission and parking are free, according to the North American Post, Seattle's Japanese community newspaper.

Attendees will watch a filmed panel discussion covering Japanese American history, immigration, resilience and lasting community impact. The event also includes refreshments, networking and a question-and-answer session.

The panel features five speakers with ties to the region's Japanese American community:

  • Brad Miyake, former Bellevue city manager
  • State Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos
  • Stephen Sumida, professor emeritus at the University of Washington
  • Tom Ikeda, founding executive director of Densho
  • Joy Misako St. Germain, serving as emcee

Miyake is a familiar name in Bellevue. He served as city manager from 2013 until his retirement in December 2023, capping 33 years with the city, according to a city announcement.

A Seattle-born Sansei, Miyake has spoken publicly about his family's wartime experience. Both sides of his family were incarcerated at Tule Lake during World War II, he told the North American Post in a 2018 interview.

In a March 2021 letter to city staff, Miyake addressed the surge in anti-Asian violence, writing that it "has really hit home for me" as a member of the Asian American community.

Sumida is listed as professor emeritus in the University of Washington's Department of American Ethnic Studies, according to the department's faculty page. Ikeda leads Densho, a nonprofit that preserves Japanese American stories of the World War II incarceration.

The event is open to teachers, families and community members. The North American Post's event calendar notes the event is free but asks attendees to register at japanfairus.org.

Japan Fair, the organizing group, hosts an annual festival in Bellevue celebrating Japanese art and culture, according to its website.