Tadaima 2022 Schedule

October 11 - October 18

Tuesday, October 11

Wednesday, October 12

Untold stories of post-camp pasadena

Courtesy of Densho

In September of 1944, Esther Takei Nishio became the first “test case” of a Japanese American to return to the West Coast following her incarceration at the Amache, Colorado concentration camp. She made Pasadena, California her home – and hundreds of others followed after her. Drawing upon recent oral histories, panelists Bryan Takeda, Naomi Hirahara, and Brian Niiya share little known stories of Pasadena’s postwar Japanese American population boom. In addition to Esther’s story, we hear about a hostel that became a mecca for displaced Nikkei families, the turbulent process of desegregating all-white neighborhoods, and a local group of white supporters – Friends of the American Way – that aimed to help Japanese Americans rebuild their lives after camp.

Sponsored by Densho, this activity is funded, in part, by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program.

The third space: japanese american resettlement in greater philadelphia

Courtesy of JACL Philadelphia

What does it mean to be an internally displaced person in your own country, and where do you go when there is no home left to return to? This visual love letter to the JA community’s resilience encourages us to think critically about the stories we tell, the artifacts we preserve, and the histories we repeat. Join Rob Buscher and Bryant Girsch as they walk us through this exhibit dedicated to the little known stories of the JA communities of Philadelphia and Seabrook.

For more information: https://everydayfuturesfest.org/the-third-space

From Camp Closing to Current Times

Courtesy of New Mexico JACL

New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League presents a discussion on past and present historical parallels and today's growing solidarity among diverse groups striving for human rights. Rod Ventura, current Indian Probate Judge and longtime NMJACL member, will facilitate

Featuring Dr. Duncan Ryuken Williams, USC professor, Buddhist priest & author of "American Sutra" Victor Yamada, author of "Confinement in the Land of Enchantment" David Inoue, Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League A short film, "Tsuru For Solidarity" by Claudia Katayanagi will be shown.

Thursday, October 13

Remembering Our Grandfathers' Exile with Author Gail Okawa

Courtesy of New Mexico JACL

Dr. Gail Okawa relates her 18 years of research on the journey of her grandfather and other Issei men from Hawai'i, who were imprisoned with hundreds of others from the west coast and elsewhere in the Santa Fe Internment Camp and how they survived that journey. This event took place at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe

no no girl film panel discussion with director paul daisuke goodman

Facing eviction and incarceration during WWII, one family leaves behind a secret buried in their backyard. 80 years later, their descendants unearth a clue that propels them into a quest to solve a mystery of family history that quickly turns criminal. Their hunt for the truth poses the question:

“Is it really stealing if it’s already yours?”

Please join Rob Buscher as he talks with director Paul Daisuke Goodman and the cast of No No Girl.

Friday, October 14

80 Years of Reckoning: Minidoka Survivors and Descendants Panel Discussion

Courtesy of Idaho Humanities Council and Friends of Minidoka

During WWII, 13,000 men, women, and children from Alaska, Oregon, and Washington were incarcerated at Minidoka. This panel discussion focuses on the impacts, stories, and legacies of Minidoka through the lens of survivors and descendants from the camp.

Please join Robin Achilles (Executive Director of Friends of Minidoka), Paul Tomita (Survivor, Sansei), Mary Abo (Survivor, Nisei), Karen Hirai Olen (Survivor, Sansei), Wendy Tokuda (Descendant, Sansei), and Stephen Kitajo (Descendant, Yonsei) as they discuss their experiences in retrospect, their reactions to Dr. Nagata’s research about multigenerational trauma, and share their hopes for the future.

Namba Film Screening

In the midst of WWII, this coming-of-age story introduces us to May Namba, a Japanese-American woman who was incarcerated at Minidoka. We follow along as May’s granddaughter Miyako chronicles the events that shaped May’s life, the wartime hardships she endured, and the tenacity that demanded she lead a life of service to her community.

Highlighting May Namba’s impact on the world, this documentary film will examine her WWII incarceration, her vital work promoting healing within our community, and her commitment to mentoring the next generation of community leaders. May’s spirit of endurance is a testament to her resilience, and an inspiration to us all.

Namba film Panel discussion with director emily momohara

Please join Namba director Emily Momohara as she discusses her film dedicated to the life and achievements of community leader May Namba. Beginning in the summer of 1941, this film is a testament to resilience and community in the face of prejudice. This livestream will give you the opportunity to ask Emily all about her film, and converse with other audience members through the YouTube comments section. We look forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, October 15

JACL PLAYERS - Act I and intro; Act II

Courtesy of New Mexico JACL

The Department of Justice/War Department's World War II imprisonment of the Issei--Japanese resident aliens outlawed from citizenship-- is an underrepresented chapter in American history. This 20th anniversary commemoration of the dedication of the Santa Fe Internment Camp (SFIC) Historical Marker addresses that void and acknowledges a historical action that affected thousands of Japanese American families whose heads of households were secretively arrested as early as December 7, 1941. In addressing the community confusion and discord that preceded the original dedication of the SFIC Marker in 2002, Dr. Thomas Chávez, director of the New Mexico History Museum, stated: "We are here not to celebrate an event about which none of us is proud; we are here to commemorate an event that happened. It is our history". The NMJACL Players enact stories from inside and outside the barbed wire camps of Lordsburg and Santa Fe--including childhood memories of Santa Fe residents--a former mayor, a retired history teacher, and the son of a camp guard.

Hidden Memories: Seeking the HIstories of Japanese Americans With Disabilities

Until recently, disabled Japanese Americans have been left out of incarceration and military history. In many cases, even their families know little of their experiences. In recent years disability has become much more visible, from Sam Mihara’s presentations about his father who went blind in camp, to Selena Moon’s work on Japanese American disability history, as well as disabled artists, athletes, activists, and others who have shared their stories. In this conversation, we bring together Sam Mihara, Andy Aoki, and Selena Moon to discuss why these histories of disability remain so hidden, and what we can do to change the culture around talking about disability for the better.

Speaking out and Calling in with Bravery and Humility - A Multigenerational Conversation with Dr. Ravi Chandra

In this conversation we explore strategies for discussing multigenerational trauma, building solidarity across generations, and dealing with re-traumatization. Join us as Dr. Ravi Chandra, Mary Abo, Rikio Inouye, and Mike Ishii guide us in understanding how humility can be a valuable tool in unpacking multigenerational trauma.

Sunday, October 16

80 years of reckoning: Multigenerational Trauma of japanese american incarceration

Courtesy of Idaho Humanities Council and Friends of Minidoka

In this conversation, Dr. Donna Nagata (University of Michigan), and Robin Achilles (Executive Director, Friends of Minidoka) discuss multigenerational trauma, the psychosocial consequences of WWII incarceration, and the effects of multigenerational trauma on Japanese Americans today.

Family History Workshop: Introducing the 1950 US Census

Courtesy of Densho

Did you lose track of your family after resettlement? Do you wonder where they lived in the years following their release from incarceration? Are you curious to find yourself in the most recently released census? Researching census records is critical for every family historian, but the 1950 census is particularly powerful for Japanese Americans.

The 1950 U.S. Census was publicly released on April 1, 2022, 72 years after it was enumerated. Genealogist Linda Harms Okazaki will show you how to find the 1950 census, help you to understand the nuances of the data, and share strategies for locating your relatives.

The Fort Richardson Internment Camp and the Internment Experience in Alaska during WWII

Morgan Blanchard Senior Project Archaeologist Northern Land Use Research Alaska LLC - - -In February 1942, the American government began to detain American citizens of Japanese descent living in military zones established in California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. However, more than a year before the start of World War II, the FBI began creating lists of foreign nationals to be arrested in the event of war with Japan. The resulting arrests began in Alaska the day of the Pearl Harbor attack. This presentation examines how a chance discovery during a cultural resources survey led to an archaeological study of the Fort Richardson Internment Camp and the ongoing effort to learn and tell the unique history of World War II internment in Alaska.

Level II Cultural Resources Survey of the Fort Richardson Internment Camp (FRIC), Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska

We would love to hear from anyone that has information on the camp or family of those interned from Alaska. Please contact Morgan Blanchard at: mrb@northernlanduse.com

generational group discussions

During this zoom event, you will have the opportunity to have private discussions in small groups with members of your generation. Participants will be free to discuss their experiences, thoughts, and feelings about belonging to their generation, and find common ground with other members of their group. Each group will then be encouraged to have similar conversations with members of other generations, to build bridges of solidarity through shared experience. If you are interested in becoming more involved in our community, meeting other community members, or deepening your understanding of the diverse experiences our community members hold, please register by clicking your generational group below.

We hope to see you there!

Monday, October 17

Redress in Retrospective: A Historical Look at the Office of Redress Administration

Former Office of Redress Administration (ORA) attorney Emi Kuboyama, working with Todd Holmes, a historian with UC Berkeley’s Oral History Center, undertook a project aimed to capture and preserve the first person recollections of those tasked with carrying out the historic redress program, as well as the community leaders that made it possible. The short film, Redress, arose from recognizing the need to put the history of the ORA into conversation with the experience of the Japanese American community in its forty-six year journey from internment to redress.

An Archaeologist, an Anthropologist, a Historian, and a Literary Scholar walk into a bar...

Come have a drink with our favorite academics as they discuss their approaches to historical storytelling in this exciting happy hour event. Erin Aoyama will be joined by Koji Lau-Ozawa (Archaeologist), Lisa Doi (Anthropologist), Nicole Sintetos (Historian), and Mika Kennedy (Literary Scholar), to talk about the similarities and differences of their fields, their approaches to research and interpretation of history, and the significance of memory in their work.

Tuesday, October 18

Native Hawaiians Fight US Navy for Polluting Island’s Water

youtube link

Courtesy of Sierra Club of Hawai'i

Under the cover of pre-dawn darkness, Native Hawaiians surprised the gates of the US Navy Command with a civil disobedience action over the #RedHill fuel leak. Empire Files producer Mike Prysner was on the ground.

Support the efforts to #ShutDownRedHill!

Learn how to join the campaign, donate and get the latest updates on the story:

twitter.com/oahuwp
twitter.com/kaohewai
twitter.com/sierraclubhi
twitter.com/hawaiipandj
instagram.com/oahuwaterprotectors

How Military Jet Fuel Leaked Into Hawaii's Drinking Water

youtube link

Courtesy of Sierra Club of Hawai'i

After a leak at a Navy fuel facility poisoned the water in November, thousands got sick. Now families are dealing with unexplainable health problems. VICE News investigates how the Navy let this happen, and the Department of Defense’s toxic legacy in Hawaii and other communities near military installations.

Water Protectors Rising | Lessons from the Fight for Water Justice: From Camp Lejeune to Red Hill

youtube link

Courtesy of Sierra Club of Hawai'i

Water contamination issues have been largely rooted in government failures across the globe. Tune in to listen to community leaders from Hawaiʻi, Alaska, Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and the city of Flint as they share the grassroots-driven fight their communities have organized to protect their water.

Watering the Buds of Solidarity

youtube link

Courtesy of Sierra Club of Hawai'i

Throughout history, many island communities have stood on the frontlines of environmental pollution and water contamination. Join us as we bring together organizers from Hawaiʻi, Puerto Rico, and Guåhan to discuss these toxic legacies and the importance of building solidarity across islands. Together, we will rise up against these systems that treat us as expendable.

Finding Memory & Belonging through Art: A Conversation with Lois Harada and Jeffrey Yoo Warren

A conversation between two Providence, RI-based artists, Lois Harada and Jeffrey Yoo Warren, who explore the relationship between memory, place, and belonging in Asian American history using research and distinct artist methodologies. How can art help us imagine the past better? How can art help give shape to our memories?

Remembering Pu'uloa

Once a place of Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) abundance, Ke Awalau o Puʻuloa is now home to the largest US Naval base in the Pacific, has been designated a superfund site by the EPA, and hosts the current water contamination crisis due to the Navy’s leaking Red Hill fuel tanks. Ke Awalau o Puʻuloa has been a contentious place for many years, today we will be joined live by community members Abreen Padeken, Dani Espiritu, Kepoʻo Keliʻipaʻakaua, Dr. Kyle Kajihiro, Sandy Ward, and Wayne Chung Tanaka to discuss the issues facing Ke Awalau o Puʻuloa today, and the historical context that brought us here.

Links to the panelist’s presentations:

Kyle Kajihiro
Sandy Ward
Dani Espiritu
Kepoʻo Keliʻipaʻakaua
Wayne Chung Tanaka

To learn more about Ke Awalau o Puʻuloa and the Red Hill Water Crisis

please click the links below:

Sierra Club Hawaii: Take Action
Oahu Water Protectors #SHUTDOWNREDHILL
Puʻuloa ʻAina Based Research Guide
ʻEwa ʻĀina Inventory: Halau o Puʻuloa
Hoʻōla Hou iā Kalauao @hoolahou.ia.kalauao
Ulu Aʻe Learning Center @uluae
Mālama Puʻuloa (Hui o Hoʻohonua) @malamapuuloa Mālama Puʻuloa Donation Page
Loko Iʻa Paʻaiau @ealapaaiau
Kuhiawaho @kuhiawaho
Kuhialoko
Koʻihonua (Hana Kēhau Learning Farm) @hanakehau
ʻEwa Limu Project

To learn more on Red Hill and Hawai’i environmental justice and indigenous rights issues, visit us on Instagram:

@sierraclubhi
@oahuwaterprotectors
@kaohewai
@shutdownredhillmutualaid
@kanaeokana
@ainamomona

To learn about Guåhan’s water struggles:

@prutehilitekyan
@protectguamwater