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As part of PCC’s welcome to the Japanese Americans who will be returning for the June graduation, students, faculty and staff of all different backgrounds and ethnicities have come together to fold 1000 origami cranes.The 1000 cranes will first be taken to the former Manzanar internment camp when the Cross Cultural Center makes their yearly pilgrimage and will later be used at the commencement ceremony on June 18, said Dorothy Potter, library orientation coordinator.

Susie Ling, a history teacher and member of the Asian Association, said that John Harbeson, who was president of the college during World War II, held a convocation to discourage racism and to remind students that what happened in Pearl Harbor was an act of war and shouldn’t affect their relationships with their Japanese American friends. Unfortunately, the Japanese Americans who attended PCC were put in internment camps despite the campus’s efforts to protect its students.

“These are real humans who were sent to camp for no reason. There were 140 students and 140 stories. Some of them served our country, some died, and many of them were forced to rebuild their lives,” Ling said.

Thanks to a law written by Assemblymember Warren Furutani of California’s 55th District, former Japanese Americans whose education was interrupted during the war will be returning to receive their diplomas after over 60 years.

According to Ling, it is traditional to fold origami cranes to celebrate special occasions in the Japanese Culture.

“Many people across campus feel that this is their way of saying ‘Welcome back.’ Graduations are special and we owe them that walk,” Ling said.

“Folding 1000 cranes is supposed to bring peace and good fortune,” said Potter. “We are honoring these former students whose education was interrupted by the order to evacuate their homes and to be placed in internment camps during World War II.”

Mark Sakata, a faculty member whose ancestors were interned during WWII, said: “We as a campus community want to support Japanese Americans. This is a way to honor our ancestors who when through hardship.

Faculty and students helped fold 1,000 origami cranes to welcome Japanese American alumni who are returning for PCC’s graduation in June. (Steven Valdez)

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