Tag Archives: internment

Exploring the History of San Jose’s Pinoytown

I have been going to San Jose Japantown for most of my adult life, but the only thing Filipino there that I noticed was a small Filipino community center building.  Only after taking a Historical Walking Tour of the area … Continue reading

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Japanese American Tanforan Memorial Internment Camp Ribbon Cutting & Statue Unveiling

A few weekends ago on Saturday, August 27th afternoon, I attended in San Bruno, California (just south of San Fransisco), the Tanforan Memorial Ribbon Cutting and Statue Unveiling: “During World War II, the U.S. Army converted what was then the … Continue reading

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USC to Apologize (Finally) for WWII Actions That Derailed the Education of Japanese American Students

Image courtesy of USC. During World War II, over 127,000 Japanese Americans were interned and their lives turned upside down.  This number includes some University of Southern California (USC) students, who were treated shockingly poorly by USC, especially in contrast … Continue reading

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A Remarkable Search: “A Vanished Dream: Wartime Story of My Japanese Grandfather”

Long hidden family secrets, an African American journalist’s deathbed request, and the Japanese American internment – all these seemingly unconnected elements connect to create a moving and timely documentary about a man taken away by the authorities and never again … Continue reading

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The Most Important Video You’ll See Today

This is a video I believe every Asian American–heck, every American–should see. In it, the Honorable Ron Dellums from Oakland gave one of the most stirring speeches about the effects of the taking of Japanese Americans had on people outside … Continue reading

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8Questions: An Interview with Katie Rose Clarke of ‘Allegiance’

I had the opportunity to talk with Katie Rose Clarke before the Allegiance opening night. In the new musical about the experience of a family during the WWII Japanese American internment, Clarke plays Hannah, an Army nurse who falls for … Continue reading

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Japanese American Internees – Then and Now Photographs

Photographer Paul Kitagaki Jr. has been tracking down Japanese American internees who were photographed in pictures like the one above by Dorothea Lange. He has constructed an exhibit called Gambatte! Legacy of an Enduring Spirit, which features pictures from the … Continue reading

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“Born Free and Equal”: Ansel Adams’ Book and Manzanar Photo Series

As a public official openly endorsed interning Syrian refugees just like Japanese Americans and a musical about the internment has opened on Broadway, the Washington Post has recently put up a montage of photos from famed landscape photographer Ansel Adams.  … Continue reading

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The Force Behind American Olympic Judo Medals: Yosh Uchida

When Marti Malloy won a bronze medal in Judo in the 2012 Olympics, she was happy to look up at the stands and see her former coach, 92 year old Yoshishiro Uchida. Yosh Uchida was more than just a coach, … Continue reading

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Is Japan Becoming A Nation of Whiners and Complainers?

Except for Moye*, the Japanese/Japanese-American folks I know aren’t usually people who do much complaining. While that’s a pretty big generalization, we all know the stereotypes– both real and perceived– of the “quiet” Japanese men and women who don’t like … Continue reading

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