Koji's Column

My Mother, My Anchor

Koji Steven Sakai

My father died in my early twenties. His death devastated me in ways that I am still dealing with today—more than 13 years later. At his funeral, I read his eulogy and told him how much I loved/admired him but the hardest part of it all was that he would …

Interview with Jamie Ford, Author of "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"

Koji Steven Sakai

As public programs manager at the Japanese American National Museum, I receive a lot of books about the Japanese American experience. But my favorite book that I have received so far was Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

APA Spotlight

Gina Hiraizumi, Actress/Singer

Koji Steven Sakai

Gina Hiraizumi is one of the hardest working people in Hollywood. I’ve been a big fan of her from afar but recently we were both invited to Japan for a conference and I found out that not only is she a super talented actor/singer, but also one of the most …

APA Spotlight

Bill Watanabe, Executive Director of the Little Tokyo Service Center

Koji Steven Sakai

Bill Watanabe, for the past 30 years, has been the Executive Director of the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), a multipurpose social welfare agency in the Little Tokyo district in downtown Los Angeles. Starting as a one-person office, Bill, together with the Board of Directors, has developed a comprehensive program …

APA Spotlight

Tom Ikeda, Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project

Koji Steven Sakai

Tom Ikeda is the founding Executive Director of Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project. Using web technology, Densho provides access to over 400 video testimonies, 10,000 historical photos and documents, and in-depth teacher resources to explore principles of democracy by examining the World War II experiences of Japanese Americans.

APA Spotlight

Akira Uchimura of the Nikkei Youth Network

Koji Steven Sakai

One of the people I met on my recent trip to Japan was Akira Uchimura, the Executive Director of the Nikkei Youth Network. He brought together a whole bunch of Nikkei (people of Japanese descent) from all over the world for a conference about Nikkei issues. Being one of the …

APA Spotlight

Athena Mari Asklipiadis, Mixed Marrow

Koji Steven Sakai

Athena Mari Asklipiadis, who is of Japanese, Greek, Armenian, Italian, and Egyptian descent, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is a graduate of Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting. In 2002, Athena first stepped onto the multiracial/multiethnic scene by writing for Eurasian Nation and in 2004 she was …

APA Spotlight

Rick Shiomi, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts

Koji Steven Sakai

Rick Shiomi has been one of the leaders of the Asian American theater movement for over twenty-five years. He is a co-founder of Mu Performing Arts (based in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and has been the Artistic Director since 1993.

APA Spotlight

Ken Tanabe, Loving Day

Koji Steven Sakai

Ken Tanabe is the founder and president of Loving Day. Loving Day is an educational community project that fights racial prejudice through education and builds multicultural community. Loving Day Celebrations commemorate the legalization of interracial couples in America. In 2009, there were Loving Day Celebrations in 31 cities in 3 …

APA Spotlight

Chris Aihara, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center

Koji Steven Sakai

Chris Aihara is the Executive Director of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC), one of the largest ethnic cultural centers of its kind in the U.S. She was the former Chair of the Little Tokyo Community Council, a member of the Mayor’s Little Tokyo Community Advisory Committee, and …