'Within the Silence'

COEUR d'ALENE - The story of a Japanese-American family living in the Northwest, and forced to relocate during World War II will come to life at area libraries and schools this week.

The Human Rights Education Institute is a sponsoring free performance of "Within the Silence" Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. Another free performance is scheduled Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Post Falls Library, 821 N. Spokane Ave. Both presentations are open to the public.

"All our eyes are on Japan right now, and their selflessness in time of disaster," said Mary Lou Reed, one of the Human Rights Education Institute's founders. "Being a Japanese-American after Pearl Harbor took courage too."

"Within the Silence" is a multi-media, dramatic, educational program presented by the Seattle-based Living Voices performance company.

It "opens a great window into the life of a Japanese-American on the West Coast in 1942, and fits right into the theme of 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,'" Reed said.

"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet," a novel by Jamie Ford, is the featured book in Our Region Reads, a cooperative project by area libraries. The novel, like "Within the Silence," addresses the anti-Japanese sentiments that arose in Seattle following Pearl Harbor.

Performances for students will also be offered Tuesday through Thursday at Prairie View, Borah, Hayden Meadows, Dalton, Sorensen, and Twin Lakes elementary schools, and at Lake City High School.

Information about Our Region Reads is available at local libraries and at www.ourregionreads.blogspot.com.

The Human Rights Education Institute was created in 1998 to promote tolerance, reduce prejudice, and encourage appreciation of diversity in the region. The institute presents school programs, community workshops, and sponsors events that celebrate diversity.

Information: (208) 819-7770 or hkeen@hrei.org