Drew Yamamura
@drewyamamuraDrew Yamamura is a rising junior studying political science at California State University Fullerton. He is originally from Fresno, California and is currently serving as the Japanese American National Museum and Japanese American Bar Association Intern as part of the Nikkei Community Internship program. He enjoys learning and writing about his own personal Asian-American experience as well as other community members. Drew hopes to continue in his passion and gain new perspectives within the Nikkei Community.
Updated July 2023
Stories from This Author
The JABA Legacy Project: Don Tamaki—A Bridge Between Communities—Part 2
Oct. 6, 2023 • Drew Yamamura
Read Part 1 >> Vindicating Camp Survivors Tamaki felt that he and the rest of the legal team were on a mission to vindicate their families, that their suffering would be recognized. The legal team, including Tamaki, also wanted to weaken the precedent of the Korematsu decision as much as possible. In the original 6–3 decision, the precedent was set that the military could deem any group potentially dangerous and round them all up. Men, women, children, the elderly, and …
The JABA Legacy Project: Don Tamaki—A Bridge Between Communities—Part 1
Oct. 5, 2023 • Drew Yamamura
Donald K. Tamaki is intersectionality personified. As Senior Counsel at Minami Tamaki LLP, his lived experience and familial background give Tamaki unparalleled insight into civil rights issues. During a period in which there were hardly any Japanese American lawyers, he pursued the unpaved path and made his voice heard. He not only stands in solidarity with Japanese Americans, but with all disenfranchised groups. Following the end of Japanese American incarceration in 1946, Tamaki was born in Oakland, California on May …
Death of Affirmative Action
Aug. 6, 2023 • Drew Yamamura
Affirmative action is a set of policies and practices aimed at promoting diversity and equal opportunities for individuals from historically disadvantaged or underrepresented groups in areas such as education, employment, and business. The primary goal of affirmative action is to address past and present discrimination and to create a level playing field for marginalized groups by actively seeking to increase their representation in certain fields or institutions. In the context of education, this means evaluating race as part of the …
Finding My Community
July 14, 2023 • Drew Yamamura
Growing up in the Central Valley of California, more specifically Fresno, my experience with the Nikkei community felt separate from the rest of my identity. I was often one of very few Japanese Americans at my elementary, middle, and high schools. Everyday at school, it felt like I was subconsciously and discretely ostracized. I didn’t struggle with making friends or fitting in at school; I just felt that I had to work harder than the rest of my peers. There …
