Archives for March 2012

NPS announces grants to preserve, interpret confinement sites

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior on March 22 announced that the National Park Service is awarding funding to help preserve and interpret the U.S. confinement sites where more than 120,000 persons of Japanese descent — most of whom were American citizens — were detained during World War II. The 17 grants, totaling […]

Film to highlight need for multiethnic donors

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The award-winning team behind “Mixed Match,” a feature-length documentary about the difficulties multiethnic patients with deadly blood diseases face when searching for bone marrow donors, has launched an online fundraising campaign to raise $25,000 to support its production and post-production work. Jeff Chiba Stearns is the director and executive producer of […]

THE KAERU KID: An island vacation for a song

One does not need to be okanemochi (a rich person) or have lots of vacation days to enjoy an exotic island vacation. Do you remember the song “26 Miles (Santa Catalina)”? The distance is actually shorter and the story behind the song is quite interesting (see: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/15/entertainment/ca-socal15). There are many ferry rides that take an […]

LOOKING BACK IN AWE: Living dangerously in America’s own killing fields

With the 20th anniversary of the April 29, 1992 LA Riots just around the corner, it’s déjá vu again. On sobering reflection, I dare say that our Sa-I-Gu (Korean for 4-2-9) didn’t explode on that date. Long before the greatest urban upheaval in modern America, hardy Korean mom and pop storekeepers, along with their long-suffering […]

LONG OVERDUE: Japanese American veterans of World War II receive Congressional Gold Medals at South Bay ceremony

SAN JOSE — It was moving. It was emotional. It was long overdue and yet so deserving when U.S. Congressional leaders awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to Japanese American World War II veterans of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service. Almost 800 people filled the San Jose Buddhist Church […]

THE HEART OF KANJI: Joy, even if you are in suffering

å›°ã‚‹ (komaru) means “suffering,” and consists of two parts. The outside lines represent a box, and the inside lines represent a tree. The tree can’t get out of the box, so it suffers. 喜べ (yorokobe) means “joy,” and consists of two parts. The top part represents a drum or musical instruments on a stand. Below, […]

LETTERS: Effort under way to honor Nisei veterans with a stamp

Dear Editor: I urge all of your readers to write to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee to support the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA) efforts for a proposed commemorative stamp series honoring the World War II military units that received the Congressional Gold Medal. The Nisei soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat […]

OBITUARY: Grace Hanami Nakai

NAKAI, GRACE HANAMI passed away on March 7 at the age of 82 in Roseville, Calif. She was born in Sacramento, Calif. on March 17, 1929. Grace is survived by her husband, Hirokazu “Clem” Nakai; son, Russell (Jacki) Nakai; grandsons, Clifford and Phillip Nakai; son, Greg (Carol) Nakai. She is also survived by her siblings, […]

Falling birth rates and infantile otaku culture

I’m more of a Western gamer when it comes to my video gaming habits. I guess I just never got into the Moe-blob romance and tsundere masochism my friends have enjoyed (though I did play a few dating sims in my day). If I had to choose, I’m much more an “action games” person. That, […]

LETTERS: CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL: NorCal Regional Tribute on April 22

Dear Friends, On Nov. 2, 2011, the United States Congress presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the Nikkei veterans of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service of World War II. The Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) is the highest civilian award presented by Congress. Some 35 veterans from Northern California were […]

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