Why have a Gathering of Friends?

On June 12, 2011, former Japanese American internees and their families joined with Holocaust survivors to share their life stories at the third Gathering of Friends event held at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose. Harvey Gotliffe, one of the program organizers, talks about what inspired him to create this unique and special event. 

Why have a Gathering of Friends?

By Harvey Gotliffe

In 1972, while teaching at Fresno State, I listened to the internment story of my graduate assistant and friend Sam Masumoto and his family, who gave me a copy of Boswell’s book America’s Concentration Camps. I continued to learn about the internment and in 2000, as a San Jose State University journalism professor, I introduced a class entitled “How the American Media Covered the Japanese American Internment and the Holocaust during World War Two.” Holocaust survivors came in and told their stories to the class as did former Japanese American internees including Jimi and Eiko Yamaichi, Katsumi and Alice Hikido, and author Jeanne Houston. Each semester, several former internees volunteered to be interviewed in their homes by only two to three students at a time, allowing living history to be told and passed on.I became friends with many former internees and Holocaust survivors, saw the serendipitous relationship between members of both groups and noted that they had much in common. The commonality includes strong family ties, high moral values, contributions to the community, and working in their own way to help ensure that the wrongs that befell them do not happen again. Many from each group regularly speak to students in classrooms to provide living history experiences, to educate the young about the past, and to instill in them what they can do to make the world a better place to live in.Both groups suffered gross injustices during World War Two, and I thought that it would be an exceptionally stimulating experience for members of each group to get together at a Gathering of Friends. In 2005 they shared lunch and sat together and talked about their experiences before, during and since the war ended. It was a time to share and not to compare, and it had a most successful beginning at the Japanese American Museum, followed by a 2008 Gathering at the Chai House in San Jose, and now the Third Gathering of Friends at JAMsj has added to the understanding and the friendships.Harvey Gotliffe’s writings can be found on his blog at http://theho-ho-kuscogitator.blogspot.com/ and on the Huffington Post at  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harvey-gotliffe-phd/

We Will Never Forget You

Former Japanese American internees and Holocaust survivors exchanged personal stories related to their incarceration at the Gathering of Friends event that took place on June 12. As part of the program, JAMsj board member, Will Kaku, spoke about the responsibility that the next generation has in continuing the legacy of the former internees and of the Holocaust survivors. The following is an excerpt from his speech.As a museum docent, I see local students come to this museum to simply check off their requirement for their history class. To some of them, this really is just "history.”To them, your history is a grainy black and white image on our wall that depicts a distant event from some seventy or eighty years ago. For some, that may even be before their own grandmothers or grandfathers were born. Many of them simply do not see the relevance of this history and they cannot see how your story relates to their lives. And I have fears.I fear that with each passing generation, with each passing day, another first-person account is gone, another courageous voice is silenced, and the connections to your legacy are much more distant.Thus, it is imperative for my generation to pass down your history and importantly, to show people how your stories are relevant to their lives today.The story of Japanese Americans is an American story. It is ultimately a story about identity and it is a story about all of us. It is a story that challenges us with the whole concept of what it means to be an American; what it means to be questioned about your loyalty; and what it means to have your rights taken away during wartime. It is an issue that is pertinent to us today as we fight two wars and debate whether we should limit the civil liberties of fellow Americans and whether we should put them under special scrutiny and suspicion based on their religious and ethnic background.The story of the Holocaust is a story that challenges us about our own humanity. When we speak about the Holocaust, we boldly proclaim "Never Again.” Yet, some say that those words ring hollow, as it in fact happens again and again. Cambodia, Darfur, Rwanda, Srebrenica.  We also have the audacity to label which act of genocide is more abhorrent than the other based on the color of their skin or how close the victims are to American and European sentiments or interests.It is only through your courageous stories that we can truly learn about the commonality of human experience and human suffering.The job of the next generation is to preserve and tell your stories about the human condition, and importantly, to contextual your stories so that people can see that your stories are just as relevant today. This is the role of my generation and I cherish that responsibility. I look forward to the day when we can truly say "Never Again" and those words will finally have meaning.I would like to thank all of you for your courage in sharing your stories with us today. I pledge that we will honor your legacy, uphold your courage, and carry your convictions in our hearts. We will never forget you.Contact: will@jamsj.org

Japanese History: In Salinas Chinatown

By Mae SakasegawaIt has been a privilege and pleasure for Fran Schwann and me to be guest curators of this special exhibition. We also worked closely with Deborah Silguero, curator of the National Steinbeck Center.Through this exhibition, Salinas' Chinatown history continues to be told from the perspective of the Japanese community, as related in the accounts of its members. The exhibition covers the period starting from the late 19th century, when the first Japanese immigrants came to work in the local sugar beet fields, and follows their progress in building a cohesive community through their hard work and perseverance. As you walk through the exhibition, you will get a genuine feel for the vibrant community that once was.From the artifacts and photographs, we have woven a story where you can see the Japanese community grow and start to prosper. You will get a sense that the families were starting to enjoy the fruits of their hard work. And you will learn of the Isseis' determination to make a better life for their children.Their journey took an abrupt turn with the signing of Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, when all Japanese citizens and legal aliens were ordered to evacuate California, Oregon, Washington, and southern Arizona, and sent to concentration camps located in remote areas of the United States. Everything that was carefully built up was suddenly taken away.In a few days Salinas' Japantown simply disappeared. Initially, all were incarcerated in the barracks at the Salinas Assembly Center (rodeo grounds). Then in July, they were moved to Poston, Arizona. To leave the mild climate of Salinas for the Arizona desert, where temperatures exceeded 100 degrees, was unbearable. Salt pills and wet towels were passed out to some of the bewildered internees. Many fainted from the extreme heat. Everyone wondered what would become of them in the middle of this desert.The exhibition takes you on an emotional journey through Camp 2 in Poston, Arizona. It also depicts the ordeals of the 442^nd Combat Regiment, the 100^th Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), whose members served their country valiantly while their families were incarcerated. We have also incorporated video interviews of internees, presented by students at CSU Monterey Bay.We are pleased that visitors are giving good reviews to this exhibit. Many have said that it gives them an understanding of how the Issei and the Nisei overcame their hardship through their determination and grit.The exhibit also offers a glimpse of Salinas' Nihonmachi and the community that disappeared.--------------------------------------------------------------------The National Steinbeck Center is located at One Main Street, Salinas, CA 93901. The exhibition, Japanese History: In Salinas Chinatown runs until July 17, 2011.

Kodomo No Hi: JAMsj Celebrates the Beauty of Childhood

By Sarah GabotBrightly dyed carp streamers  will soon be fluttering above houses in Japan and many Japanese American homes.Kodomo No Hi, otherwise known as Children's Day, is a nationally observed holiday in Japan, traditionally celebrated on May 5.JAMsj will be celebrating Kodomo No Hi on Sunday, May 1, with kabuto (samurai helmets), koinobori (carp streamers), and origami making in the museum parking lot for the annual Nikkei Matsuri Festival.May 5 was previously recognized as Boys' Day in honor of male children but was changed to Children's Day after World War II. However, the celebration of Children's Day still maintains some of the traditions of Boys' Day.On this day, many families honor youthfulness. Children in Japan frequently do arts and craft projects in school, creating kabuto and koinobori, representing strength and determination. Children also eat rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves, symbolizing strength.Koinobori are cloth fish wind streamers that are flown outside of the home, wishing good luck to the family’s children. Carp are revered for their energy and resilience for swimming upstream and overcoming  obstacles.Often times, there will be a “family” of fish hung together. The wind blowing through the streamers makes the fish look as if they were swimming. The largest koinobori is black, representing the father. The pink or red fish represents the mother. Green or blue koinobori represent the boys in the family.Koinobori making in school for a child in Japan is as common as American children decorating a tree during Christmas.“I remember making the fish from scratch. Coloring them was a lot of fun,” said Mika Frost, a local Japanese American, who spent most of her childhood in Japan. “When I see people hanging  them on their houses, there’s an instant nostalgic feeling. It’s a warm fuzzy feeling.”Mika, also a former English teacher in Japan, reflects on the values she learned from her memories about Children’s Day, “Be strong, be honest, and be good. The big message is that being a child is a beautiful thing.”-------------------------------------------------------------For information about the Children's Day Celebration at JAMsj, click here.For information about the San Jose Nikkei Matsuri Festival, click here.

The Roar of Silence: Poems on the Legacy of the Japanese American Internment Experience

 By Patricia J. MachmillerOpen PassagePoems by Ann MutoJapanese American Museum of San Jose

Our parents hidTheir history from usThey swallowedTheir painThey didn't want us to lose our wayIn bitterness or anger-from "Questions"

 Ann Muto was born in the internment camp of Poston, Arizona in 1944. In her book of poems, Open Passage, she explores the experience of being a child of internees—the legacy of the sad and shameful time when the United States interned thousands of Japanese Americans throughout the American West. In her poems Muto tries to come to terms with the effects that traumatized her parents, an experience about which they never spoke, but which forever changed them, and in the process, was handed down to their children in vague, yet tangible, forms.

My sorrow is that we never talked:How it was for her,How it was for me.- from "Regret"

As an adult coming to the knowledge of the internment camps, Muto tries to reach through the wall of silence by imagining her mother’s experience:

Repetitive rows of barracks engulfedMy mother’s view.Swirling sand stifled her breath.

Pride spiraled into shameShe hated who she was, what she was—Hers, the face of the enemy.- from “Lost in the Desert”

Her poems expand to incorporate Muto’s own passions, a love of the outdoors and the natural world.

Torrents of waterThundering thousands of feetRumble into the day,The roar a room around me.- from “Yosemite Falls”

In her writing her exploration of the natural world parallels her exploration of the interior life—that of her parents and her own, and in a startling way the one becomes a metaphor for the other. One can imagine being immersed in the roar of the Yosemite Falls in contrast to the feeling of being surrounded by the silence of her parents. Or could it be a similar experience? In “Yosemite Aberration” she examines the past practices of tourists and park officials in their dealings with bears. She addresses the bear with this admission of human fallibility:

Our myopic ignoranceSeduced you to seekTasty tidbits in cars and cabinsForced us to relocate you . . .

Muto’s parents succeeded in their efforts to keep her free of “bitterness or anger.” In these poems Muto shows us her struggle to comprehend her parents’ history and her own, shares with us her confusion and sense of bewilderment, and offers some of the insights she has gained on this journey into the past.

We learn to releaseWorn-out wishesAnd listen forThe rhythm of our souls.- from “Dance of Life”

------------------------------------------------------------Patricia Machmiller received the “Best Memoir” for 2010 by the Bay Area Independent Publishers’ Association for her book  Autumn Loneliness: The Letters of Kiyoshi & Kiyoko Tokutomi in 2010.

Jimi Yamaichi speaks at the San Jose Day of Remembrance

By Sarah GabotJAMsj director and curator, Jimi Yamaichi, a pioneer against Asian American discrimination and a hero to several local communities, will be the remembrance speaker at the 31st Annual San Jose Day of Remembrance event. The 2011 Day of Remembrance event, titled “Fighting Against Fear,” commemorates the signing of Executive Order 9066 which led to the incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese descent during WWII.Yamaichi will address his experiences of struggle and protest during a time when America was less tolerant of Asians, especially Japanese, in America. His speech will touch upon his experience in the Heart Mountain and Tule Lake internment camps as well as America’s "historical fear of people who look like the enemy.”In his camp days, Yamaichi protested against the injustice that was felt by many Japanese Americans. Yamaichi insists that sharing his experience during these times is for everyone to learn from. Yamaichi said, “This is an American story, not just a Japanese American story.”“When I became 21, I tried to register to vote,” Yamaichi recalled, “but they refused and wouldn’t let me.” Yamaichi also saw the humiliation that his older brother, Shigeru, endured while Shigeru was serving in the armed forces. “They took away his rifle, “ Yamaichi said, “ and when Franklin Roosevelt visited Fort Riley, they separated all of the Japanese American soldiers and held them under armed guard so that they were not to be seen.”Yamaichi was angry that he and others were deprived of their constitutional rights and that his brother suffered great indignities while serving his country. These strong emotions compelled him to become a draft resister.Unlike what happened at the other camps, the Tule Lake resisters were the only ones who were not fined or jailed. Judge Louis E. Goodman dismissed the charges against the resisters, saying “It is shocking to the conscience that an American citizen be confined on the ground of disloyalty and then, while under duress and restraint, be compelled to serve in the Armed Forces or prosecuted for not yielding to such compulsion.”"The judge was worried about the community's reaction to his decision," Yamaichi recalled. "He kept the car running and took off as soon as he issued his ruling."Yamaichi also recalled the resettlement period after internment, a time of prejudice and animosity towards Japanese Americans. Yamaichi walked into the union office near Japantown San Jose and asked for a union card.The man behind the front desk scoffed at the thought of giving an Asian a chance to join the union, and even worse, a “Jap.” He turned Yamaichi away without hesitance.Unwilling to give in, Yamaichi made himself a familiar, relentless face to the union office.  He was turned away every time. “I went every week,” he said, “he told me to get out.” Eventually Yamaichi's persistence paid off and he became the first Asian American to join the local union.Yamaichi was the first Asian American to break down the union’s barriers, carving a path for Asian Americans everywhere to receive equal opportunities in the workforce.Yamaichi, now 88 years old, is still on the forefront of fighting prejudice and discrimination for all minorities. Soon after the September 11 attacks, Yamaichi was one of the first in his community to reach out to Muslim Americans. Yamaichi felt compelled to build bridges between the communities. He showed compassion and strength for the Muslim community in a time when people lived in fear and failed to support them.

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The Day of Remembrance is an annual event by the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee, a progressive organization in the Japanese American community dedicated to educating the public about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, and is committed to defending all people on issues of civil rights, equality, justice, tolerance and peace.The Day of Remembrance 2011 will be held on February 20, 2011 at San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, 640 North 5th Street, San Jose, CA 95112 starting at 5:30pm.

San Jose Day of Remembrance: Fighting Against Fear

By Will KakuThe 31st Annual San Jose Day of Remembrance will take place on February 20, 2011 in the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin.The annual event commemorates the signing of Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942 which eventually led to the  incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were American citizens.The theme for the 2011 San Jose Day of Remembrance is "Fighting Against Fear," reflecting the feeling that over the past year, many highly controversial events stirred up strong emotions, hysteria and fear that prevented serious discussions, intellectual debate and sensible policy.The "mosque near ground zero," the California Proposition 8 courtbattles, calls for racial profiling at airports, threats of Koran burning events and the rising tension between the Department of Justice and Muslim American civil rights organizations created a highly-charged atmosphere that some would say had parallels with the experience of Japanese Americans.For example, the "mosque near ground zero" debate made some  people in the Japanese American community recall the events  surrounding the establishment of a Japanese American hostel in New York City.  In April 1944, the American Baptist Home  Mission Society and the Church of the Brethren announced that a hostel would be opened that would house Japanese American internees who were granted permission to leave the internment camps if they met a particular criteria.The establishment of the hostel met opposition from the local  community and a strong protest from Mayor La Guardia. La  Guardia argued, "If it was necessary to evacuate them from their homes originally and put them in a concentration camp, what justification is there for turning them loose in Eastern cities at this  time?"The Japanese American hostel was supported by several  organizations, religous groups, the faculty of Columbia's School of  Social Work, and Secretary of the Interior,  Harold Ickes. Ickes  stated that La Guaria's position would "seem ominously out of tune in a nation that is fighting for the principles of democracy and freedom."In May of 1944, the hostel was opened and eventually tensions  subsided. It has been estimated that approximately 2000  Japanese American internees had settled around the New York City area by the end of the war.For information about the 2011 San Jose Day of Remembrance, visit www.sjnoc.org.