Her parents met at an incarceration camp. She’s making a Puyallup memorial to explain why

Eileen Yamada Lamphere’s father inspired her in many ways.

“He always said that you had to give back in any way that you can,” Yamada Lamphere said. “What he had was not a whole lot of money — what he had was time.”

Growing up, her father used his time to volunteer at Kent-Meridian High School and the local Lions Club, she said. He also helped reactivate the local Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) chapter in the 1960s.

Yamada Lamphere still carries the torch, serving as the president of the Puyallup Valley JACL. The organization’s mission is to protect the civil and human rights of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and others.

The organization is in the process of establishing a remembrance gallery under the grandstands of the Washington State Fair, The News Tribune reported in February. The memorial will honor all who were incarcerated there.

The fair used to be the “Puyallup Assembly Center” or “Camp Harmony.” This is where thousands of people of Japanese descent were incarcerated during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in 1942, which called for the removal of Japanese Americans from their homes.

“We can’t forget what happened during the war,” Yamada Lamphere said.

Yamada Lamphere, 73, was born and raised in Kent. She grew up with her parents, sister and two brothers. She and her husband have a daughter, son and four grandchildren. Her parents met at Minidoka, an incarceration camp in Jerome, Idaho.

She attended schools in Kent throughout her K-12 education. She was involved in Girl Scouts and played the clarinet in band. She said she never tried becoming a cheerleader because she has two left feet.

She earned her associate’s degree from Highline College in Des Moines. She studied social studies, elementary education and U.S. History at Western Washington University in Bellingham and got her bachelor’s degree there. She later earned her master’s degree in school administration at the same university.

Yamada Lamphere spent over 35 years working in the Kent School District as a cultural equity specialist, among other roles. She’s been an active JACL member since the 1960s and became the Puyallup Valley JACL president in 2017.

The Puyallup Valley JACL has over 60 members as of 2023. The group is one of the four chapters in Washington state — the other chapters are in Seattle, Olympia and Spokane. There are over 100 chapters in the nation.

There used to be JACL chapters in Tacoma, Fife and other cities, Yamada Lamphere said. Those chapters disappeared because the membership started “aging out,” she said.

It’s important to Yamada Lamphere to keep the Puyallup Valley JACL active as long as possible or else the history will get lost, she said. There’s still a number of people who have no idea the fair used to be an incarceration camp, she said.

“We have a huge educational effort that needs to go on,” she said. “That’s why the remembrance gallery is so important.”

Seattle JACL member Sheldon Arakaki, 61, has known Yamada Lamphere for about 15 years. He met her for the first time when they did volunteer work, and they got closer after they took leadership roles in their chapters.

Yamada Lamphere follows through with her goals and plans, Arakaki said. She says what she means. She is also good at giving directions and assembling volunteers, which takes skill and patience, he said.

Seattle JACL member Bill Tashima, 72, said Yamada Lamphere is “a really good friend” and is always dependable. She is completely devoted to her family. She is also a great leader who can keep a vision going, such as the planned memorial at the fair.

Arakaki said the memorial is an example of her following through with plans. She has a team helping her execute a fundraising strategy, and she’s been open to suggestions, he said.

“She has a passion … to educate people,” Arakaki said.

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This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 5:00 AM.

Angelica Relente

The News Tribune

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Angelica Relente covers topics that affect communities in East Pierce County. She started as a news intern in June 2021 after graduating from Washington State University. She is also a member of Seattle’s Asian American Journalists Association. She was born in the Philippines and spent the rest of her childhood in Hawaii.