Anti-eviction protests by Japantown activists and residents to be commemorated In 1975 and 1976 in San Francisco, members of the Committee Against Nihonmachi Eviction (CANE) — tired of seeing residents and small businesses being ignored and disrespected by the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) — staged sit-ins at the Mayor’s office and at the RDA office in […]
Opinion
‘Celebrating activism and community’ is theme of 50-year CANE anniversary on Aug. 19
Ninth Circuit affirms dismissal of Tule Lake Committee v. FAA, et al.
Earlier this month, the Tule Lake Committee lost its appeal in Tule Lake Committee v. FAA, et al. The U.S. Ninth Circuit in San Francisco affirmed the lower court’s dismissal of the Committee’s lawsuit that sought to assert a Japanese American voice to preserve a site sacred to our community. The dismissal was a setback […]
Activism in reporting
In 2016, I penned an op-ed describing the fear many in the transgender community felt following the election of President Donald Trump. We rushed to process paperwork for gender change requests and name changes, stocked up on medications and braced for the worst. A little over six years on, we continue to survive, but each […]
Your historical immigration records are being held hostage. Again.
The USCIS Genealogy Program has proposed an outrageous new fee hike, which will also change how some documents are provided. The fee for initiating an Index Search for an individual will rise from $65 to $100. If the person searched has digitized records, they will be provided. If there are no digitized records, which is […]
David and Goliath battle over Tule Lake
Nearly a decade has gone by in the Tule Lake Committee’s fight to stop the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) and the Tulelake community’s plan to fence off and expand the Tulelake airfield that covers two-thirds of the concentration camp’s barracks area. Tule Lake was unique as the only one of the 10 War Relocation Authority […]
Remembering Roger
The first book I read about Japanese American history was Roger Daniels’ book, “The Politics of Prejudice.” It was 1966, and in my research as a college freshman, it was the rare book on Japanese American history, one that began Roger’s long and illustrious career as a historian documenting the story of Japanese Americans and […]
Praise for Topaz Museum’s Jane Beckwith
Dear Editor, The letter writer who wrote that Jane Beckwith should be replaced is way out of line. I maintain that if it wasn’t for Jane B. there probably wouldn’t even be a Topaz Museum! Instead of calling for her resignation, we should be thinking about holding a huge banquet in her honor. Fred M. Shinoda […]
Sixth annual Nichi Bei Day of Giving fundraiser Sept. 5
Livestream Web-a-thon to feature the best of the ‘Nichi Bei Café,’ staff and board, and more The public is invited to join in on the sixth annual Nichi Bei Day of Giving Web-a-thon on Monday, Sept. 5, from 3 to 6 p.m., to benefit the Nichi Bei Foundation and its cultural programs. The first $50,000 […]
On memorializing James Wakasa
Mr. Wakasa was shot by a guard while walking his dog along the perimeter of the fence at the Topaz, Utah concentration camp. Other prisoners created a half-ton, five-foot high, concrete monument to honor Mr. Wakasa and commemorate his death. I assume they created the monument by making a mould in the ground and filling […]
Japanese American Citizens League joins Save Our Seniors Network to support Rep. Judy Chu’s call for an investigation of Kei-Ai Los Angeles
The Japanese American Citizens League joins the call for a complete and thorough investigation and oversight of Kei-Ai Los Angeles due to the disproportionate mortality rate resulting in 115 deaths largely occurring between November 2020 and May 2021. Rep. Judy Chu initiated the calls for an investigation with a letter sent to the Centers for […]