“Hold These Truths” written by Jeanne Sakata

A Solo Play by Jomar Tagatac Inspired by the Life of Gordon Hirabayashi who defied 1942 executive order.

In the midst of escalating racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic attacks in the US, a new play “Hold These Truths” by writer Jeanne Sakata is being performed at the San Francisco Playhouse.
Starring Jomar Tagatac and directed by Jeffrey Lo, this play portrays the life and struggle of Gordon Hirabayashi of Seattle who refused to obey President Franklin Roosevelt’s 1942 Executive Order 9066 forcing over 120,000 Japanese Americans, Japanese Peruvians and Japanese into concentration camps or “relocation camps”. The Peruvian Japanese who had been kidnapped by the FBI in Peru were to be used as exchange prisoners with the Japanese government. They were also never compensated.
This travesty of justice, the violation of human rights, and the lessons of it are even more relevant today. While not jailing Muslims in mass, Trump is the most virulent racist and xenophobic president of the United States in modern history. He and his supporters also whipped up a racist hysteria and threw thousands of children and family members into ICE jails.
This propaganda and hysteria continues today, and this play shows how it effected Gordon Hirabayashi and many others. As a result of this hysteria and growing attacks on China as well, Asian Americans are under a growing racist assault in this country.
The lessons of history are very relevant today for working people and the every person in the United States. The play will be at the San Francisco Play house from June 17 to July 3 either live or by video.

Tickets: $15 to $100
July 1 (Thursday) 7:00 PM
July 2 (Friday) 8:00 PM
July 3 (Saturday) 3:00 PM (This is the last day)
At: San Francisco Playhouse
450 Post St., SF
Sfplayhouse.org 415-677-9596

For more information
San Francisco Playhouse
https://www.sfplayhouse.org/sfph/2020-2021-season/hold-these-truths/