San José State University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson, as part of what has become the university's annual marking of Day of Remembrance on February 19, 2024, submitted an op-ed to the San José Mercury News that included an apology for SJSU's role in the incarceration of local Japanese Americans during World War II. It was the first time that such an apology had been issued by the university. The goal was to provide a public atonement for the role played by the university during that time, to foster healing, and to reinforce the university's commitment to honoring the past and acknowledging harm. The audience was regional for the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes a large Japanese-American community, some of whom had family members who came through SJSU facilities. The op-ed and the story of the university's apology was carried locally, including coverage by local news stations, regionally, and internationally, as the column was picked up by a Japanese media outlet with permission from the Mercury News.
From the Judges
A powerful piece with clear accessible language that conveys a critical idea. Additionally, we enjoyed the strategy of taking the writer's reflections beyond campus and modeling what repair looks like. The article's publication set off ripples of coverage which feels critical in our current political environment.
