The Suitcase Project

January 27 to September 8, 2024

Travelling exhibition from the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre.

In 1942, over 23,000 Japanese Canadians living on the west coast were uprooted from their homes and placed in internment camps. In this impactful exhibition, over 80 fourth- and fifth-generation Japanese Canadians and Americans share what they would pack if forcibly removed from their homes today. They were given one day to assemble their things, similar to what many Japanese Canadians faced in 1942. “The idea wasn’t just about what people would pack, but also what they are forced to leave behind.”

“In today’s landscape, Japanese Canadians and Americans remain affected by this history. Struggling to understand and see ourselves, as well as recognizing the ongoing displacement and discrimination other minority groups and people of colour face today.” - Suitcase project photographer Kayla Isomura on why the history of internment camps in Canada is relevant today.