As time goes by, I am struck by the enduring interest in the WWII Japanese American concentration camp experience. I am still writing an occasional book review for an Asian American newspaper in Seattle, the International Examiner, and the books usually have some connection to the camps. For instance, the last two books I’ve been […]
RABBIT RAMBLINGS: Interest in wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans continues
October 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Cherry Blossom Alumnae’s conference considers incarceration and its legacy
October 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment
On Oct. 3, the Cherry Blossom Alumnae (CBA) held its third annual CBA Conference at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco’s Japantown. Panelists representing four generations of Japanese Americans came together to discuss the theme, “Internment’s Impact on Generations of Japanese Americans.†Nikkei actor Tamlyn Tomita and filmmaker, actor and performance artist Lane Nishikawa served […]
Untold stories of Tule Lake Segregation Center unveiled at pilgrimage
July 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The 2010 Tule Lake Pilgrimage had the apt theme of “Sharing the Untold Stories of Tule Lake,†as more former Tuleans participated in the four-day pilgrimage, many for the first time. Close to 330 people participated in this year’s pilgrimage on the Fourth of July weekend, with more than 60 of them over the age […]
Roundtable highlights JA preservation projects
July 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Nichi Bei Weekly Report As part of the National Asian Pacific Islander American Historic Preservation Forum, held June 24-26 in San Francisco, a Japantown Heritage Roundtable was held at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California on June 24. According to Alan Nishio, a member of the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council, […]
Multicultural group brainstorms memorial idea for tribal history, WWII DOJ camp
June 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment
BISMARCK, N.D.— The United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) hosted more than 50 people from 15 states to discuss an appropriate memorial commemorating the various World War II Department of Justice (DOJ) camps interwoven with the history of tribal America. The UTTC, the nation’s leading tribal college, was the former site of Fort Lincoln, a World […]
Former San Jose State University students return for honorary degrees
June 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Chitoshi Akizuki was a San Jose State University freshman and a member of the basketball team when his studies and those of other Japanese American students were interrupted by World War II. “I was just beginning,†said Akizuki, 87, a San Jose resident. Akizuki was one of 24 former Nisei students recognized with honorary degrees […]
For UCLA Nisei, ‘a dream deferred has now been achieved’
May 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment
LOS ANGELES — For 48 Japanese American students whose dream of acquiring an education at UCLA was cut short in February 1942, more than two months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, their dream was finally achieved when they received honorary degrees in a traditional graduation ceremony May 15 on the UCLA campus. Nineteen of […]
SF State honors Nikkei with honorary degrees
May 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Nineteen students of Japanese descent were among those honored at San Francisco State University’s (SFSU) 109th commencement held on May 22 at Cox Stadium. More than 8,000 students — including 115 veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces — received their degrees before an audience of more than 20,000 guests. SFSU President Robert A. Corrigan said, […]
Wartime Sacramento Jr. College students return for commencement
May 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment
SACRAMENTO — After almost 70 years of waiting, former Sacramento Junior College students and their next of kin completed some unfinished business at Sacramento City College. Representing the 224 Nisei that once attended, 12 of the former students and 35 of their next of kin were present to receive their honorary diplomas in accordance with AB […]
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Planning a memorial in North Dakota
We gathered over the Memorial Day weekend as special guests of United Tribes Technical College, located on the grounds of Fort Lincoln, Bismarck, N.D. This was one of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) internment sites that operated between 1941 to 1946, holding approximately 1,800 Japanese and 1,500 Germans. Overall, about 6,000 Germans and Japanese from […]