SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — People came together in San Francisco’s Japantown on Tuesday night to hold a vigil against hate.
It comes after divisive rhetoric that was used during the presidential campaign and after multiple reports of hate crimes across the country.
People gathered at Japantown’s Peace Plaza in solidarity, saying that asking Muslims to sign a registry is just the beginning of institutionalized segregation.
A sea of people gathered in support of communities being targeted nationwide by incidents of hate.
A number of speakers addressed the rhetoric that they consider hateful from President-elect Donald Trump, including the threat to have Muslims register.
These people believe that will be the first step to mass incarceration, or segregation camps.
Many from the Japanese community experienced unjust incarceration during World War II when President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the military to imprison Japanese-Americans.
Hiroshi Kashiragi was one of the 120,000 prisoners in the Tule Lake Segregation Center.
“A flagrant violation of our civil rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution,” Kashiragi said. “We are determined that this shameful act would not be repeated on any person or any group of people again.”
He was held prisoner for over three years.
Descendants from other survivors were also there in support.
It has been 75 years since the Japanese internment camp was placed right here in California.
The community here is hoping they will never see those days again.