Yoshimi Kawashima

ylkawashima

Yoshimi Kawashima is currently a sophomore at University of California, Los Angeles, majoring in East Asian Studies, with a concentration in Japan. She is also the current secretary for UCLA's Nikkei Student Union and wants to familiarize herself with the Japanese American culture and community.

Updated August 2009

culture en

GIDRA: The Voice of the Asian American Movement

By Yoshimi Kawashima
12 Jan 2012

Barefoot Journalism. A three-headed Japanese monster. Youth struggling to define themselves in a society still healing itself yet turning its judgmental eyes upon victims. What relationship could these three entities possibly share? In April 1969 a group of students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) founded a newspaper dubbed Gidra, a monthly publication that took a radically progressive political position. These five students—Mike Murase, Dinora Gil, Laura Ho, Colin Watanabe, and Tracy Okida—desired a visual media that would bring to light issues not featured i…

community en

Japanese American Activism: Where Does It Stand Today?

By Yoshimi Kawashima, Nikkei Student Union at UCLA
5 Jan 2012

When we think about Japanese American activism we may immediately think of the iconic 1980s Redress Movement. But what about JA activism today? Glenn Omatsu defines JA Activism as “not simply a set of beliefs or a series of actions; more accurately, it is a way of living. It is practicing militant humility in transforming society while transforming ourselves.” Rather than defining JA Activism as what it is today, delineating this entity by a set time period, we should address it as how has its legacy been passed down and expanded over the years. On November 5, 2011, a major confe…

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Celebrating the 30 Year Legacy of the Nikkei Student Union at UCLA

By Yoshimi Kawashima, Nikkei Student Union at UCLA
29 Dec 2011

A room erupts in a roar of laughter, a well-prepared yet spontaneous meeting of the Nikkei Student Union. This joyous gathering is a typical event every Tuesday at 6PM on the UCLA campus, bringing together students who share a common interest—the Japanese American culture. Whether it is the rich history, delicious food, ikemen idols, nostalgic J-league basketball, or just a place to make new friends, NSU becomes a home away from home for students searching for their niche in college. As this year marks our 30th Anniversary NSU will be hosting a banquet on Saturday, January 21, 2012. Ove…

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42nd Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage: The Passage of Time

By Yoshimi Kawashima
7 Sep 2011

The dust stirred gently in the opaque light of the rising sun, drifting along the near empty road. Eyes still drowsy from the four-hour trip, mind still struggling to awake from rising with the dawn light, we finally reached the parking lot which would lead to the Manzanar National Historic Site—my second time at the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage since my freshman year at UCLA. When I went to my first Manzanar Pilgrimage in April 2009, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I was only newly exposed to the history of Japanese American Internment, and now, physically stepping into the for…

community en

Intertwining a People's History and a People's Identity: An Intern's Reflections

By Yoshimi Kawashima
30 Nov 2009

When I first applied for the George and Sakaye Community Internship through the UCLA Asian American Studies Center I felt it important to expand my horizons and further delve into the history and current conditions of the Japanese American community. However, the Japanese American National Museum was a daunting choice. Though many aspects of it caught my interest—housing the Japanese American legacy, making accessible artifacts and works of contemporary artists, passing on the personal accounts of knowledgeable docents—I was apprehensive because I knew so little about Japanese Ame…

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Discover Nikkei

Japanese migrants and their descendants

Yoshimi Kawashima

Nikkei Chronicles #5—Nikkei-go: The Language of Family, Community, and Culture

The Chuo Gakuen School: The Seeds of Prestige for the Japanese Community in Mexico

Tad Nakamura’s Art and Activism

Postwar Japanese Emigration to the Dominican Republic — Part 1: A Tragic Tale

Nikkei Chronicles #3—Nikkei Names: Taro, John, Juan, João?

The Child of a Thousand Generations

ハワイの日系弁護士— クリスティーン・A・久保田さん

Tokita Tales

Losing a True and Trusted Friend

Dr. Jiro Takai's Journey of Becoming From the Soo to Nagoya University — Part 2

My Name is Neal

Journal Entry #Around 80,000 Words: "Novel Novels..."

日系（ニッケイ）—をめぐって

第36回 和歌山市・移民資料室を訪ねる—日本の海岸線の旅の途中で⑤

書評：和泉真澄『日系カナダ人の移動と運動―知られざる日本人の越境生活史』

1992年渡米、目標は「アカデミー賞」— 俳優の井上英治さん

Kizuna 2020: Nikkei Kindness and Solidarity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tiempos pandémicos: teletrabajo y koden digital

Kizuna 2020: Nikkei Kindness and Solidarity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 e os heróis anônimos

香川県海外移民の父：今雪真一の情熱と功績

第３部：金子正則知事の南米訪問とその主な見解

Nikkei Chronicles #12

Growing Up Nikkei: Connecting with Our Heritage

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Losing a True and Trusted Friend

Dr. Jiro Takai's Journey of Becoming From the Soo to Nagoya University — Part 2

Journal Entry #Around 80,000 Words: "Novel Novels..."

David Mura’s Work Continues to Push Readers to Question the World

Tribute to Amy Uyemastu: After — Part 3

Stephen Nelson Makes History as New Dodgers Announcer

An Unsent Letter to My Nisei Grandpa–Part 1 of 3

In Their Own Voices: Understanding Heart Mountain through Oral Histories

Dr. Jiro Takai's Journey of Becoming From the Soo to Nagoya University — Part 1

Journal Entry #24 Hours: "Some Days are Too Long..."

Rediscovering Poston

Frozen Hair, Work Stoppages, and Other Lesser-Known Stories from Heart Mountain - Part 1

Hajichi Stories — Tree Local Women Tell Why Day Got Their Okinawan Hand Tattoos

Wisdom Grown Wild: A Conversation with Filmmaker Rea Tajiri — Part 2

Identity in the Music Industry with Musician & Two-Time Grammy Nominee Nick Lee

Journal Entry #Combining 26 Characters: "Cliché in Vain..."

The Heart of Naomi Hirahara’s Evergreen

For Kyra Karatsu—Writing is a Foregone Conclusion

Exposing America’s “Secret Weapon” — Part 2

Layle Lane: Black Woman Educator and Defender of Japanese Americans

Death of Affirmative Action

Bruce Miyahara — “OG-San” Marries Food Passion with Service — Part 1

The Readmission: Toyohiko Kagawa’s 1950 US Tour

Wisdom Grown Wild: A Conversation with Filmmaker Rea Tajiri — Part 3

Chapter 15 (Part 2) — Nisei’s Political Involvement in the Japanese American Citizens League

Journal Entry #5 Hail Marys and Isopropyl: "Bad Juju..."

Japanese Family Protocols

Chapter 5—Japan as Number One

Susan Miyagi McCormac Leads JapanCulture•NYC: Sharing Her Passion for Japanese Culture and Japanese Life in New York City

Tribute to Amy Uyemastu: After — Part 2

Exposing America’s “Secret Weapon” — Part 1

No More Euphemisms: My Mother Was a Hostage

Journal Entry #6 Great Barbies: "You Can Be Anything..."

An Inquiry into the Kibei-Nisei ‘Diasporic Experiences’

A Dream Deferred, A Dream Fulfilled

Journal Entry #4 Body Types: "Poor, Poor Pitiful Ken..."

Chapter 15 (Part 1 ) — Nisei’s Political Involvement in the Japanese American Citizens League

Preserving Legacy and Artistry: A Behind-the-Scenes Look into the Henry Sugimoto Collection

Artist and Documentarian: The Life of Kango Takamura

Bridging the Past and Present: Preserving History Through the Tanaka Photo Studio Collection

Nikkei Incarceration

EO9066’s ‘Coerced Prison Work(ers)’

Journal Entry #6 More Noises: "Onomatopoeia Mania..."

An In-Depth Examination of the WRA’s Legal System

Shelter Lodge

Frozen Hair, Work Stoppages, and Other Lesser-Known Stories from Heart Mountain - Part 2

A New Take on Madama Butterfly Updates Puccini’s Opera for Modern Times

WTF — Not the What, Why, or When, It’s the How

Darcy Tamayose on Exploring Hauntings by Ghosts, Grief, and Guilt

第36回和歌山市・移民資料室を訪ねる—日本の海岸線の旅の途中で⑤