Race, Identity, and Incarceration: A Centennial Tribute to Wakako Yamauchi will honor the legendary playwright and author, Wakako Yamauchi (1924-2018). A trail-blazing pioneer of Asian Pacific American theater and literature, Yamauchi penned numerous short stories and plays, including the widely-acclaimed And The Soul Shall Dance.

This intergenerational event gathers poets and writers who will read excerpts of Wakako Yamauchi’s works as well as their original writings reflecting enduring themes explored in her art: familial relationships and tensions; gender roles, identity, and race; and the trauma of the Japanese American wartime incarceration and its lingering effects through generations. Featured readers are Brian Komei Dempster, Lillian Howan, Brynn Saito, Maw Shein Win, and esteemed special guest, Garrett Hongo. RSVP page.