Ireicho: Connecting with the Past (by Rev. Kathy Chatterton)

In the spring, I received news that the Ireicho book was coming to Idaho and I signed up for the opportunity to stamp the names of my maternal grandparents and my parents in the book. I was able to participate in this event in July of this year. It was important to me to make this connection to family members who are a part of the causes and conditions that made me who I am today. If you’re not familiar with the Ireicho, here is some information from the Ireicho website: “Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration is a multi-faceted project to address the erasure of the identities of individuals of Japanese ancestry who experienced wartime incarceration and to expand the concept of what monument is through three distinct, interlinking elements: A sacred book of names as a monument ( Ireichō ), A website as a monument ( Ireizō ), Light sculptures as monuments ( Ireihi )." Photo: The Ireicho Book The Ire...