Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity
For the 25th anniversary of the Japanese American Redress legislation, the Japanese American National Museum presented its fourth national conference “Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity” in Seattle, Washington from July 4 to 7, 2013. This conference brought fresh insights, scholarly analysis, and community perspectives to bear on the issues of democracy, justice, and dignity.
These articles stem from the conference and detail the Japanese American experiences from different perspectives.
Visit the conference website for program details >>
Stories from this series
The Living Legacy of Japanese American Redress - Part 2 of 2
Oct. 10, 2013 • Eric K. Yamamoto
Read Part 1 >> The Queries. These queries are haunting. Hearing echoes of internment redress, listen closely: “Why them [Japanese Americans] and not me?”—the African American, highlighting the unredressed legacy of slavery and continuing discrimination. “Why the Japanese Americans before the Native Hawaiians?”—the Hawaiian sovereignty advocate, highlighting redress not as a civil right but as a human rights response to American colonialism. And why not Japanese Latin Americans or Filipino War Vets, still waiting after all these years. “Is it …
The Living Legacy of Japanese American Redress - Part 1 of 2
Oct. 7, 2013 • Eric K. Yamamoto
This was the keynote speech from the Luncheon Banquet at the Japanese American National Museum’s National Conference “Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity” in Seattle, WA on July 6, 2013. (Spoken presentation. Not to be cited as authority.) Aloha to all, especially the veterans (my dad was one of you). JANM has organized a wonderful expansive “speaking up” convening. Touching everyone here, and crossing traditional borders to embrace artists, teens, Canadians, Aleuts and even Mindcraft and more. It’s special to be …
A Much Debated Question
Sept. 30, 2013 • Juliet S. Kono
“Poetic license?…” appears to be the hot topic of the day, and is a much debated question. What liberties, and how much can a writer of something historical take in his or her representations? This is the question that was posed to our panel at the recent JANM conference in Seattle that Professor Steven Sumida of the University of Washington convened and moderated. I can neither speak for Joy Kogawa nor Naomi Hirahara, my fellow panelists, concerning the dynamics of …
Taiko as Folklore
Sept. 19, 2013 • Stanley N. Shikuma
Since ancient times, taiko has played an important role in the folklore of Japan. Taiko appear in many Japanese myths and legends, and it is the principal instrument for the folk music of that island nation. In recent times, taiko has taken root in North America, largely among the third and fourth generation descendants of Japanese immigrants (Sansei and Yonsei). Can folklore survive and is it still useful to modern day Americans? Is taiko being used to develop or create a …
My Opposition to the Registration
Sept. 17, 2013 • Hiroshi Kashiwagi
Background I will begin with a brief background of my life before camp as I feel it has some bearing on my reaction to the loyalty questionnaire or the so-called “Registration” order. My parents being aliens, foreigners, and outsiders, I remember that our life was quite marginalized. For example, my father’s store at the far end of town was always referred to as the “Jap store” by the people in town. Growing up, I constantly heard my father use the term …
Of No-No Boy and No-No Boys: At the Seattle 2013 JANM Conference
Sept. 12, 2013 • Tamiko Nimura
“How do you as a storyteller account for traces of the erased, the denied or that flat out vanished?”—Junot Díaz From Twitter: July 15, 2013, 12:35PM: @Tulelakenps: Today, 70 years ago in 1943, Tule Lake was declared a Segregation Center, incarcerating all Japanese Americans deemed “disloyal”. “Your name?” I’m picking up my registration packet for the Japanese American National Museum conference, held in Seattle a few weeks ago. “Nimura, N-I-M…” I begin, and start to spell out my last name for …