In This Issue
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
KOKORO KARA HEART MOUNTAIN WYOMING FOUNDATION Spring 2017 •Day of Remembrance 2017 In •2017 Pilgrimage Preview This •Numbers by Dean Uyeno Issue •Go for Broke! www.HeartMountain.org 75 Years Later: Why We Are Relevant—Chair Shirley Ann Higuchi ith the 75th anniversary of Washington, D.C. As you may know, (see opposite page). I am proud to work WExecutive Order 9066 and the Heart Mountain Interpretive alongside them as the HMWF tells this today’s political climate, how can Center hosted the Consortium’s important story on the national and we best honor more than 120,000 annual conference in June 2014 international stage. Japanese Americans and their families with more than 200 judges, court Speaking of the international stage, who were incarcerated during World personnel, and lawyers in attendance. amidst the on-going discussion of War II in ways that help assure it does This past November we connected building a larger and fortified wall not happen again? again to share current initiatives and between Mexico and the United States, I Recently I published two com- encourage those in our legal system to will have the opportunity to travel across mentaries in USA TODAY and be the voices for protecting the rights of the border with Emmy Award-win- the History News Network on the marginalized groups. We also ning producers David Ono and Jeff relevance of the unjust imprisonment partnered with Densho for a Town MacIntyre (as well as my 80-year-old of my American born parents and Hall at the Japanese American National aunt and Heart Mountain incarcer- 120,000 other innocent persons of Museum in Los Angeles to share ee Emily Higuchi Filling) to share Japanese ancestry to the challenges developments at the Interpretive the lessons of the Japanese American facing America today. In USA Center and how all Americans can tell experience through the screening of TODAY’s “Trump needs to visit a our story. the film,The Legacy of Heart Mountain, Japanese American internment camp” with visitors at the Rancho La Puerta in I addressed comments citing the Mexico. World War II incarceration of Japanese Ethnic, national origin, or reli- Americans as justification for creating gious tests for access to civil rights, a Muslim registry. In “Suddenly What citizenship, or admission to our Happened to Japanese Americans country should have no place in 75 Years Ago Is Newly Relevant” for America’s future. It’s the kind of racism History News Network, I described that ripped families apart 75 years ago. how my uncle, James Higuchi, a U.S. We must resist the temptation to let Army medical doctor stationed in fear and prejudice once again lead us Arkansas, was forced to sell, at pennies to unjust and baseless violations of civil on the dollar, his family’s San Jose farm and human rights. in the months following the signing of These diverse stories of incarceration that order. are memorialized through legislation, Racism, under whatever justification museum exhibits, oral histories, litera- its supporters can find, is still racism. It Shirley Ann Higuchi ture, journalism, and other media, but goes against what makes us all Amer- visiting the original site at Heart Moun- icans. And it is dangerous. We need The sacrifices my family and tain during our July 27-30 Pilgrim- to be alert to that same fear-fueled thousands of others made during their age will hold special significance this rhetoric and hysteria that stereotyped wartime incarceration was not for year. We are pleased to have renowned and then imprisoned thousands of nothing. Their experiences serve as a artist Roger Shimomura, National innocent families in 1942. The time is permanent reminder of what not to do Poetry Slam Champion G Yamaza- now for all of us to come together to when unchecked fear runs rampant. wa, David Ono, and Jeff McIntyre ensure that the unlawful injustice, trau- On this year’s Day of Remembrance join us for this year’s program, which ma, and irrecoverable losses endured —Sunday, February 19, 2017—our includes the premiere of Jeff and David’s by innocent Americans “who looked to Nisei board members Takashi new documentary with Roger and G, some like the enemy” never happens to Hoshizaki, Sam Mihara, and Shig Yabu and a Spoken Word/Video Workshop any group ever again. discussed their unique experiences (pages 7–8). We recently reached out to our with the National Japanese Amer- We hope to see you at our 2017 supporters at the National Consor- ican Memorial Foundation Digital Pilgrimage! tium of Racial and Ethnic Fairness Storytelling students during the in the Courts during a reception in Smithsonian’s program in Washington 1 Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation | Spring 2017 2017 Smithsonian Day of Remembrance Events Highlight Relevance of World War II Japanese American Incarceration By Helen Yoshida s Americans today, we need Mihara, Mary Murakami, and Shig ital and inspire people to experience “A to keep telling these stories Yabu for a panel discussion with Dr. the original sites themselves. to make our country better,” said Karen Ishizuka, author and former NJAMF anticipates recruiting five Reed Leventis, one of the National senior staff of the Japanese American more high school students this year Japanese American Memorial Foun- National Museum. to tell the stories of the remaining dation (NJAMF) digital storytelling “The hardest part was trying to camps—Gila River, Jerome, Minido- students that spoke alongside Heart maintain the honesty and accuracy of ka, Rohwer, and Tule Lake—and up- Mountain and Topaz incarcerees to a the experience,” said Carolyn Hoover, load all 10 stories to a mobile appli- full house during the Day of Remem- on the challenges of the digital story- cation. Their efforts will help preserve brance program on Sunday, Febru- telling project. the stories of incarcerees like Hoshi- ary 19 at the Smithsonian National NJAMF, who partnered with the zaki, Mihara, Murakami, and Yabu Museum of American History. Heart Mountain Wyoming Founda- for future generations. On the 75th anniversary of tion (HMWF) on this project, spon- “I was at a movie theater three Executive Order 9066, which forci- sored five students to participate in blocks away from my house [in San bly removed nearly 120,000 people a Digital Storytelling Workshop led Francisco] and when I came out, of Japanese ancestry from the West by Emmy Award-winning producer the newspaper headlines said ‘Japa- Coast into 10 camps across sev- Jeff MacIntyre and teaching assis- nese Bombed Pearl Harbor,’” recalled en states, five NJAMF student films tants Hana Maruyama and Vanessa Mihara when asked how he found featuring Amache, Heart Moun- Saito Yuille at the 2016 Heart Moun- out about the December 7, 1941 tain, Manzanar, Poston, and Topaz tain Pilgrimage. Their stories, which attack. Murakami and Yabu gave their debuted at the museum to an were aired at the Pilgrimage banquet own perspectives on life at Topaz and audience of over 420 people. Four dinner, not only strengthen the con- Heart Mountain respectively. of the students—Carolyn Hoover, nection between visitors to the D.C. “I knew that whatever happened Leventis, Halle Sousa, and Connor Memorial and the camps but also to us, I wanted to further my ed- Yu—joined Takashi Hoshizaki, Sam connect the camps to the nation’s cap- ucation,” said Murakami, who felt it was challenging to attend high school in Topaz. In 1945, she was part of 50 Japanese Americans who attended UC Berkeley, paving the way for others to enroll in the UC system too. Yabu regaled everyone with humorous and positive memories of Heart Mountain, including how he and his friends found an abandoned baby bird outside of the barbed wire. He took it home and named it Mag- gie. Over time, the bird became a fix- ture in the community by mimicking Photo courtesy of Shirley Ann Higuchi sounds and words heard in camp. (L-R): Shig Yabu, Halle Sousa, Connor Yu, Takashi Hoshizaki, Shirley Ann Higuchi, Reed Leventis, Carolyn Hoover, and Beth Kelley. www.HeartMountain.org 2 Save the Date! July 28–29 Photo courtesy of Shirley Ann Higuchi Heart Mountain incarceree and HMWF Board member Sam Mihara recalls the shock of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. “Her favorite was the wolf call,” he largest mass trial in Wyoming history. said. “You captured this story very well,” Hoshizaki brought an older Hoshizaki said to Yu, who featured perspective into the conversation. the resister in his digital story on At 17 years old, he was one of the Heart Mountain. 85 Heart Mountain resisters who The event was held in conjunction HEART MOUNTAIN refused to fight for the U.S. military with the opening of the new yearlong WYOMING FOUNDATION until his civil rights and liberties exhibit “Righting a Wrong: Japanese Honorary Advisors were restored. When he answered Americans and World War II” at Norman Y. Mineta “No. When my citizenship rights are the National Museum of American Former U.S. Secretary of restored and land-owning rights must History, which features Executive Commerce and Transportation be cleared” to Question 27 on the War Order 9066 along with various camp Alan K. Simpson U.S. Senator (ret.) Relocation Authority’s “Statement of artifacts. Given today’s political United States Citizen of Japanese An- climate, the exhibit, the students’ Board of Directors Shirley Ann Higuchi, Chair cestry” questionnaire—which asked digital stories and the first-hand Douglas W. Nelson, Vice-Chair if he was willing to fight in the U.S. experiences from the Nisei resonated Claudia Wade, Treasurer armed forces—and “Yes” to Ques- with everyone. Aura Newlin, Secretary tion 28—which asked if he swore “No one will remember history Damany Fisher Peter K.