2013 JANM National Conference - "Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity"
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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.
Here, we will share audio and video from keynote speeches and conference sessions.
A number of conference-related articles are also available as part of the Discover Nikkei Journal.
Please click here to read the articles >>
* Additional videos, including from the "Closing General Session" on July 6 will be added to this album, so check back!
Slides in this album |
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Welcome Remarks by The Honorable Tomoko DodoThe Honorable Tomoko Dodo, Acting Consul General, Consulate-General of Japan, spoke as part of the Opening General Session on July 5, 2013. Welcome Remarks (Transcription): Good afternoon. It is with distinct honor that I stand in front of the distinguished participants of the 4th National Conference of the Japanese American National …
2013 JANM National Conference - The Honorable Tomoko Dodo at the Opening General Session with Keynote addresses |
Keynote Speech by Tom IkedaTom Ikeda, Founding Executive Director of Densho, spoke as part of the Opening General Session on July 5, 2013. Video of his speech will be coming soon!
2013 JANM National Conference - Keynote Speaker, Tom Ikeda |
[Audio] Issei Poetry, Issei Voices (Session in Japanese)Haiku , tanka , and senryu from Hawai`i and the mainland United States lend an insight into the views of Issei in their own poetic words. This panel explored these voices through their poetry. Moderator:
Panelists:
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[Audio] Japanese American History Dramatized: Realized or Supersized?Through movie clips and discussions, this session examines how international audiences and our own community were able to visualize and better grasp the Japanese American experience in movies such as Go for Broke (1951), Farewell to Manzanar (1976), and Picture Bride (1994). Moderator:
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[Audio] Japanese American Confinement Sites Q&A: A Town Hall PresentationDuring World War II there were a variety of different confinement facilities run by the U.S. government. In this lively forum, scholars respond to inquiries from the audience about the structure, designation, and purposes of these sites. Moderator:
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Japanese American Redress (For Teens)The passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 provided a presidential apology and monetary redress payments to Americans affected by Executive Order 9066. How this legislation was created, fought for, and ultimately passed is the critical second half of the World War II experience for Japanese Americans. The story …
2013 JANM National Conference - Mitchell T. Maki at Japanese American Redress (For Teens) workshop |
[Audio] Poetic License? Nikkei Writers and the Representation of HistoryFiction—and even nonfiction—can misrepresent Nikkei history; Nikkei writing can also present history in ways that interpret the story for a greater understanding of its subjects. If a piece of writing is fictional, does it matter how it relates to (or ignores) history? This session aims to raise questions about the …
2013 JANM National Conference - Poetic License? Nikkei Writers and the Representation of History [AUDIO] |
[Audio] Tangled Routes to Japanese American RedressWhile the usual narrative of Japanese American redress focuses on the roles played by the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the National Council for Japanese American Redress (NCJAR), and the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations (NCRR), this panel explores the significant role played by less-recognized groups and individuals and illustrates the …
2013 JANM National Conference - Tangled Routes to Japanese American Redress [AUDIO] |
[Audio] Power of Commission Hearings: First Person Voices of Japanese American IncarcerationIn 1981 Japanese Americans spoke out for redress at the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Interment of Civilians (CWRIC) hearings in Los Angeles. Preserved by Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR) and Visual Communications, these testimonies galvanized a grassroots campaign, resulting in the signing of the Civil Liberties Act …
2013 JANM National Conference - Power of Commission Hearings: First Person Voices of Japanese American Incarceration at JANM National Conference [AUDIO] |
[AUDIO] Screening and Discussion of Farewell to Manzanar with special appearance by Jeanne Wakatsuki HoustonThe 1976 made-for-TV film Farewell to Manzanar, written by Jeanne Wakatsuki and James Houston and directed by John Korty, was the first commercial film written, performed, photographed, and scored by Japanese Americans about the World War II camp experience. Based on the book by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, who was just seven …
2013 JANM National Conference - Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston at Screening and Discussion of Farewell to Manzanar |
Keynote Speech - "Legacy of Redress: Stand Up, Speak Out!" by Alan NishioAlan Nishio, Board President of Little Tokyo Service Center, spoke as part of the Opening Plenary on July 6, 2013. Video of his speech will be coming soon.
2013 JANM National Conference - Keynote Speaker, Alan Nishio |
Keynote Speech - "Rising Above Racism After World War II: The Lives of Three Unforgettable Asian-American judges" by The Honorable Mary M. SchroederThe Honorable Mary M. Schroeder, Senior Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, spoke as part of the Opening Plenary on July 6, 2013. Video of her speech will be coming soon.
2013 JANM National Conference - Keynote Speaker, The Honorable Mary M. Schroeder |
[Audio] Intro to the WWII Japanese American experience (Session in Japanese)This panel provides an introductory historical overview of the Japanese American experience in World War II. The discussion includes some comparison with the experience of Nikkei in Canada, including concepts and issues surrounding race, ethnicity, and citizenship in the United States and Canada; terminology; prewar anti-Japanese exclusion movements; civil liberty …
2013 JANM National Conference - Intro to the WWII Japanese American Experience (Session in Japanese) [AUDIO] |
[Audio] Nikkei Activism and the Civil Rights MovementThe experiences of Nikkei involved in the Civil Rights Movement show why it has been important to reach out to other ethnic communities. In their diverse voices, activists and scholars discuss what it means to be a Nikkei activist in a broader sense as well as what it means in …
2013 JANM National Conference - Nikkei Activism and the Civil Rights Movement [AUDIO] |
[Audio] Looking Like the Enemy: A Childhood ViewWith the passing of the first-generation Issei, the second-generation Nisei—now in their seventies and eighties—and the third-generation Sansei remain the last surviving first-person voices from the Nikkei World War II experience. This interactive presentation shares first-person recollections about childhood in a concentration camp, in a free-zone inland community, or in …
[Audio] JANM National Conference - Looking Like the Enemy: A Childhood View [AUDIO] |
"Your Story Matters" workshopThe history of the community is really a compilation of unique family and individual stories that we all carry. This workshop will explore our communities' history and contextualize our own individual histories within a larger narrative. In other words, your story matters! Intended for high school students, this workshop will …
2013 JANM National Conference - Craig Ishii at Your Story Matters workshop |
[Audio] Border Crossings: A Comparative Assessment of Japanese American and Japanese Canadian RedressThis panel compares the Japanese Canadian and Japanese American postwar redress experiences through the voices of those who were involved in the movements. Moderator:
Panelists:
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[Audio] Pilgrimages' Progress: Manzanar, Tule Lake, MinidokaFor many years, five War Relocation Authority concentration camp sites have incorporated pilgrimages into their commemorative process. This panel brings together multigenerational representatives from Manzanar, Tule Lake, and Minidoka pilgrimage groups to discuss the origins of the organizations, their achievements, and their plans for the future. Moderator: |
[Audio] Nikkei Veterans and the Transformation of AmericaThe veterans from the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence Service played a lesser-known but major role in the redress movement. Their efforts in war and peace remind our nation to live up to its ideals of democracy, justice, and dignity. Moderator:
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[Audio] East of the Exclusion ZoneToo little is known about Japanese Americans living in the Pacific Northwest interior of Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Panelists share what life was like for the Issei and Nisei in this region of scattered and less-populated Nikkei sites. Moderator:
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[Audio] Taiko: The Powerful Expression of Nikkei IdentitySince the late 1960s, hundreds of taiko ensembles have been organized throughout North America. Today, the art form continues to connect people of different generations, regions, and cultural backgrounds. This multigenerational panel shares thoughts on the role of taiko in Nikkei activism and how it has shaped individual identities. Moderator: |
[Audio] We Didn't Marry the War: Stories of War Brides in Nikkei History (Session in Japanese)A performance of scenes (in English) from Velina Hasu Houston’s drama Tea , followed by an open conversation (in Japanese and English) about the work’s five fictional Japanese women who, with their American soldier husbands, settled in Junction City, Kansas, in the 1950s. Their experiences with their husbands and children, …
2013 JANM National Conference - We Didn't Marry the War: Stories of War Brides in Nikkei History (Session in Japanese) [AUDIO] |
"Issei Poetry from Santa Fe" workshopVenture into the thoughts and emotions of the Issei who were interned in the Santa Fe Department of Justice camp. This hands-on workshop includes an opportunity for youth to write and present their own poetry. Moderator:
* No audio is available for this session.
2013 JANM National Conference - Ella-Kari Loftfield |
[Audio] The Tule Lake Segregation Center: Its History and SignificanceIn fall 1943, more than 10 percent of the unjustly confined Nikkei population was imprisoned in the maximum security Tule Lake Segregation Center, a consequence of their refusal to give unqualified affirmation to two so-called loyalty questions. This nonviolent protest, defined as disloyalty by the U.S. government, has been virtually …
2013 JANM National Conference - The Tule Lake Segregation Center: Its History and Significance [AUDIO] |
[Audio] Pilgrimages' Progress: Amache and Heart MountainFor many years, five War Relocation Authority concentration camp sites have incorporated pilgrimages into their commemorative process. This panel brings together multigenerational representatives from Amache and Heart Mountain pilgrimage groups to discuss the origins of the organizations, their achievements, and their plans for the future. Moderator:
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[Audio] World War II and Redress Experiences of Japanese Alaskans and AleutsThe history of Japanese Alaskans and the Aleuts of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands remains a relatively unknown story. This panel reveals how their divergent histories converged on the road to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Moderators:
Panelists:
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Keynote Speech - "The Living Legacy of Japanese American Redress" by Eric K. YamamotoEric K. Yamamoto, Fred T. Korematsu Professor of Law and Social Justice, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai'i, gave the keynote address at the Luncheon Banquet on July 6, 2013. Video of his speech will be coming soon.
2013 JANM National Conference - Keynote Speaker, Prof. Eric K. Yamamoto |
[Audio] The World War II Nikkei Experiences in the Pacific Rim (Hawai`i, Latin America, Japan)The issue of citizenship rights of persons of Japanese ancestry who resided in the Pacific Rim at the onset of World War II remains an important one. The panel focuses on the experience of living under martial law, forcible removal, limited incarceration, and being stranded in a foreign country, among …
2013 JANM National Conference - The World War II Nikkei Experiences in the Pacific Rim (Hawai`i, Latin America, Japan) [AUDIO] |
[Audio] 99 Years of Love/Hate (Session in Japanese)In 2010 the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) broadcast a dramatic miniseries, 99 Years of Love: Japanese Americans, the story of the Hiramatsu family and its enduring family love in the face of bitter struggles with anti-Japanese exclusion and World War II within the United States and Japan. This panel discusses …
2013 JANM National Conference - 99 Years of Love/Hate (Session in Japanese) [AUDIO] |
Stan Sakai's Usagi YojimboFor more than 25 years, fans around the world have been enjoying Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo . Usagi Yojimbo is inspired by the historical figure Miyamoto Musashi from seventeenth-century feudal Japan. Through Usagi, people of all ages have engaged with and become passionate about Japanese history and their own cultural heritage. …
2013 JANM National Conference - Stan Sakai signing a fan's T-shirt |
[Audio] Hirabayashi, Korematsu, and Yasui: Family PerspectivesIn 1983 coram nobis petitions were filed in federal district courts in Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland on behalf of Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui; these petitions contended that the 1943 and 1944 Supreme Court decisions in their cases had fundamental errors and demonstrated manifest injustice on the part …
2013 JANM National Conference - Hirabayashi, Korematsu, and Yasui: Family Perspectives [AUDIO] |
[Audio] Standing on PrincipleProtest and dissent have historically constituted a robust strain within American history. This panel discusses the principled resistance by Issei, Nisei, and non-Japanese Americans during World War II. Moderators:
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[Audio] In My Parents' Words: Voices from Department of Justice CampsProhibited by law from becoming naturalized U.S. citizens, select Issei were the first to be confined in Department of Justice camps following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. In addition, Nisei and Kibei who later renounced their American citizenship were removed to Department of Justice camps. Deemed enemy aliens, they were …
2013 JANM National Conference - In My Parents' Words: Voices from Department of Justice Camps [AUDIO] |
Moderator Irene Hirano Inouye at the Closing General SessionAll conference registrants are encouraged to attend this closing session entitled, Looking Forward. Five presenters will share their diverse thoughts on how we can and must continue to weave the Japanese American experience into evolving national and international narratives. The five presentations will be followed by a moderated Q&A session. …
2013 JANM National Conference - Moderator Irene Hirano Inouye at the Closing General Session |
Presentation at the Closing General Session by Lane MakiLane Maki, student, spoke as part of the Closing General Session on July 6, 2013. Video of her presentation will be added online soon!
2013 JANM National Conference - Presenter Lane Maki |
Presentation at the Closing General Session by Craig IshiiCraig Ishii, Executive Director of Kizuna, spoke as part of the Closing General Session on July 6, 2013. Video of his presentation will be added online soon!
2013 JANM National Conference - Presenter Craig Ishii |
Presentation at the Closing General Session by Masako IinoMasako Iino, Past President and Professor at the Tsuda College, spoke as part of the Closing General Session on July 6, 2013. Video of her presentation will be added online soon!
2013 JANM National Conference - Presenter Masako Iino |
Presentation at the Closing General Session by Dr. Greg RobinsonDr. Greg Robinson, Ph.D., Professor of History at the Université du Québec À Montréal, spoke as part of the Closing General Session on July 6, 2013. Video of his presentation will be added online soon!
2013 JANM National Conference - Presenter Greg Robinson |
Presentation at the Closing General Session by Dr. Sybil Jordan HamptonDr. Sybil Jordan Hampton, Retired President of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, spoke at the Closing General Session on July 6, 2013. Video of her presentation will be added online soon!
2013 JANM National Conference - Presenter Dr. Sybil Jordan Hampton |
Q&A; at the Closing General SessionA moderated Q&A session at the Closing General session. Moderator:
Presenters:
* Video of the …
2013 JANM National Conference - Q&A; at the Closing General Session |
[VIDEO] The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta - Keynote Address at Dinner BanquetThe Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, delivers a keynote address at the Japanese American National Museum's "Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity" National Conference on July 6, 2013 in Seattle, Washington.
2013 JANM National Conference - Keynote Address by the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta [VIDEO] |
Bainbridge Island Bus TourJourney through history as you discover the Japanese American experience on Bainbridge Island. The tour bus will take the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island where local Islanders will lead the tour to five key Island landmarks—Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, Bainbridge Gardens, Suyematsu Farm, Woodward Middle School, and …
2013 JANM National Conference - Bainbridge Island Bus Tour |
2013 JANM National ConferenceThe Japanese American National Museum organized the National Conference "Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity" from July 4 to 7, 2013 in Seattle, Washington. |