Japanese Americans gathered on the evening of Aug. 9 in San Francisco Japantown’s Peace Plaza to convey their solidarity against the continued attacks the Trump administration orchestrates against minorities in the United States. Hundreds of activists, both young and old, withstood the chilly evening to hear first-hand experiences of immigrants and the voices of veteran activists fighting against Islamophobia, anti-immigration rhetoric and U.S. imperialism.
Osaki said the rally was held on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which admitted the United States had wrongfully incarcerated people of Japanese descent, a decision that was driven by wartime hysteria, racism, and a failure of political leadership during World War II.

LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY— Rev. Jeanelle Nicolas Ablola of Pine United Methodist Church spoke about the United State’s support for injustices abroad in the Philippines.
Speaking on the international ramifications of Trump’s policies, the Rev. Jeanelle Nicolas Ablola, pastor at Pine United Methodist Church and representative of Japanese American Religious Federation, addressed the U.S.’s support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Ablola, who identifies as a queer and trans second-generation Filipino American, said the two presidents are using borders and immigration policies as weapons.

RENEWED STRUGGLE — Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, speaks at the Aug. 9 “United For Compassion 2” vigil held in San Francisco’s Japantown to connect the Japanese American community’s wartime incarceration experience with present-day injustices against people of color and the Muslim community in the United States. photo by William Lee
Zahra Billoo, executive director of the the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, returned to the rally to report on the effects of the travel ban, which targets people from the majority Muslim countries of Iran, Syria, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, along with Venezuela and North Korea.
The West County Detention Facility Community Fund
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Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
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