Alcatraz and Angel Island both have their tragic historical back stories, but few ferry passengers probably realize that their boat passing by the Presidio would can also generate painful memories of confinement and isolation.
During World War II, the Presidio of San Francisco – the Army’s Western Defense Command – played a pivotal role in the unjust incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans, purportedly in the name of national security. This special exhibition marks 75 years since Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt issued Civilian Exclusion Orders from the Presidio, and examines the post’s little understood part in these events.
The exhibition invites visitors to investigate the choices – both personal and political – that led to this dark chapter in American history. How did leaders arrive at this decision? How did Japanese Americans respond to the violation of their civil liberties? And what, as a nation, have we learned that can help us address the present-day issues of immigration, racism, and mass incarceration?
Exclusion is the latest special exhibition at the Presidio Officers’ Club, a cultural institution showcasing the Presidio’s role in shaping and serving the nation. Special exhibitions explore the Presidio’s heritage and allow for fresh perspectives and a deeper exploration of the topics and themes presented in the club’s permanent exhibition.
In developing the Exclusion exhibition and its related public and school programming, the Presidio Trust staff collaborated with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute and the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS).
About Special Exhibitions at the Presidio Officers’ Club
EXCLUSION: The Presidio’s Role in World War II Japanese American Incarceration is the latest special exhibition at the Presidio Officers’ Club, a cultural institution showcasing the Presidio’s role in shaping and serving California and the nation. Special exhibitions explore the Presidio’s heritage and allow for fresh perspectives and a deeper exploration of the topics and themes presented in the permanent exhibition.