Nichi Bei Weekly

2 JUNE 6 - 19, 2019 • NICHI BEI WEEKLY • Regional/National Symposium examines wartime scars Asian Americans push for By TOMO HIRAI carceration, the conflict and later its national director during Nichi Bei Weekly resistance inmates exhibited the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. representation at Smithsonian Institute More than three quarters of a during the war, and the post-war Tateishi spoke on the back- By KiMi ROBINSON “I can stand here tonight and century since the forced remov- activism that eventually won an ground behind the organiza- Kyodo News proclaim that I am an actor play- al and incarceration of some apology and token compensa- tion’s decision to comply with LOS ANGELES — More than ing roles casting for ‘male actor,’ 120,000 people of Japanese de- tion from the U.S. government the U.S. government’s plans 20 years after its founding as a but that wasn’t always the case,” scent in American concentra- in the 1980s. to forcibly remove people of diversity initiative, the Smithson- said the event’s emcee Harry tion camps, the Japanese Ameri- Chizu Omori, a Japanese Japanese descent from the West ian Asian Pacific American Cen- Shum Jr., an actor known for his can community still has not fully American writer and activist, Coast. ter is working to create a perma- roles in “Glee” and “Crazy Rich recovered from the trauma. served as the symposium direc- Tateishi, who joined the JACL nent Washington exhibit space Asians.” The day-long event entitled tor. Omori, who was 12 years old in 1975, said he spent years where visitors can learn about “There was a time when the “A Community Fractured: when she was incarcerated in questioning why the JACL en- the contributions Americans of script called for an Asian actor Compliance & Resistance” ex- Poston, Ariz., said she is some- dorsed the incarceration while Asia-Pacific descent have made that was portrayed by a non- plored the rifts within the Japa- times overcome with sadness working on the redress cam- to their country. Asian actor. Mickey Rooney, nese American community that or anger when she thinks about paign. Starting with the orga- Hollywood celebrities and pol- Marlon Brando, Yul Brynner formed through the incarcera- the divisions formed within the nization’s Seattle roots as the iticians representing the Asian and Katharine Hepburn all tion and the ensuing years as Japanese American community. “American Loyalty League,” Pacific American community played Asian characters in films. Nikkei sought redress. “I feel that huge damage was founded in 1929, Tateishi ex- came together May 18 in Los But with ‘Better Luck Tomor- Held May 11 at Futures With- inflicted on us,” she said. “We plained how the JACL became Angeles to support a fundraiser row’ and ‘Joy Luck Club,’ we saw out Violence in San Francisco’s still haven’t been able to process the government’s mouthpiece held to help the center expand films that had Asian Americans Presidio, the symposium ex- that damage completely.” for the Nikkei community as from a “migratory museum” that or Asians cast as not just sup- plored the Japanese American The first session focused on an English-speaking American- organizes temporary exhibits to porting actors,” said Shum. Citizens League’s compliance the “Beginnings of Resistance,” citizen-run organization. a permanent Asian Pacific Amer- “The United States Congress with the U.S. government’s with John Tateishi, head of the ican gallery within the Smithson- now has 20 members in the Con- orders during the wartime in- JACL’s redress campaign and (continued on page 10) ian Institute. gressional Asian Pacific Ameri- “So much has been invisible can Caucus, the largest in U.S. for so long and hasn’t been rec- history,” said Rep. Ted Lieu of Suspect in Sunnyvale car attack charged with hate crimes ognized,” Lisa Sasaki, the cen- Los Angeles. “There’s still great ter’s director, told Kyodo News. underrepresentation on the SUNNYVALE, Calif. (Bay that will emerge during a prelim- He had picked up food on his “The APA community is very court system as well as in the pri- City News Service) — A man inary examination. He recalled way to a bible study class when complicated and diverse, this is vate sector — law firm partners, accused of attempted murder racist attacks in Christchurch, the attack occurred. a community that speaks over CEOs – so there’s a ways to go.” after driving into a group of eight New Zealand; Pittsburgh, Penn- His family is mixed-race, a hundred different languages, More than 20 million people people in Sunnyvale last month sylvania; and Poway in San Di- mixed-religion and Muslim cel- migrated to the United States at identify as Asian American in was charged with hate crimes ego County, and addressed the ebrations have always been em- various different points of time, the United States according to a enhancements in Santa Clara Indian and Muslim communities braced in their household, family that participated in American 2017 census estimate. Five years County Superior Court on May in the Bay Area. members said. Thomas Miller, history for close to 200 years,” ago, the center became a migra- 30. “When you are attacked be- who described himself as Peo- said Sasaki, a fourth-generation tory exhibit in order to allow Isaiah Peoples, 34, allegedly cause of your race, your religion, ples’ cousin, said the hate crime Japanese American. visitors to access its programs targeted three people at an El national origin ... whatever the charges were being used to stir The center, which is seeking beyond Washington, said Sasaki. Camino Real crosswalk on April reason for the attack on you -- it’s up public frenzy in the case. to raise more than $20 million in “We started to recognize the 23 because he perceived them an attack on me, and my family, Another cousin, Michelle, said its first round of fundraising, has fact that in order to be able to tell to be Muslim or Indian, accord- and on all of us as Americans,” she’s been speaking with Peo- already acquired a recent piece diverse stories, we needed to be ing to the Santa Clara County Rosen said. ples at the jail. He was always a of Asian American history to dis- able to leave Washington, D.C. District Attorney’s Office. A Rosen said he spoke with the quiet, gentle man who “wouldn’t play in the Smithsonian: a blue and to go where the majority 13-year-old girl was hospitalized 13-year-old girl’s father on the hurt a fly,” she said, and has Marchesa gown worn by Con- of Asian Pacific American com- with major injuries after the at- morning of May 30, and though been speaking even less after be- stance Wu’s character Rachel munities exist, which is primar- tack and remains in the hospital the family is traumatized, he ing jailed. Chu during a pivotal wedding ily the West Coast and Hawai’i in critical condition. thanked the public for their The FBI was called to assist in scene in the 2018 summer block- and the Pacific,” said Sasaki. Peoples was charged with prayers. The girl’s medical con- the investigation on the day of the buster “Crazy Rich Asians,” “We want to be able to share eight counts of attempted mur- dition and that of other victims attack and is assisting the Sunny- which was hailed as the first ma- the Asian Pacific American ex- der in April, and prosecutors are currently being kept private. vale Department of Public Safety jor film in 25 years to feature an perience throughout the United on May 30 added hate crime Two of Peoples’ cousins with their investigation. Though all-Asian cast. States, which is why we think enhancements to the attempted were at the courtroom before hate crimes violate federal law, Hiroshima, a Grammy-nomi- of ourselves as a migratory mu- murder of the 13-year-old girl the hearing, and said prosecu- the case will be prosecuted lo- nated Asian American R&B jazz seum.” and her father, who are both In- tors’ depiction of the attack was cally, according to Rosen. band, was among other Asian Sasaki pointed to the 2016 dian. shocking, and at odds with ev- The details of the case are still Americans in sports and culi- opening of the National Mu- District Attorney Jeff Rosen erything they knew about their under investigation, and pros- nary arts who were honored seum of African American His- outside of court did not elabo- cousin. Peoples was a war vet- ecutors and public safety officers during the event. Various speak- tory and Culture — the Smith- rate on the details that led to eran in the U.S. Army who suf- are working to determine if a ers lauded the community’s in- sonian’s 19th museum that is hate crime charges, but said his fered from post-traumatic stress mental illness or disorder played creased visibility in media and office is confident in evidence disorder, according to the family. a role in the attack. American culture. (continued on page 10) Little Tokyo organization to redevelop mixed-use a publication of the development project LOS ANGELES — Little a mixed-use, 100 percent afford- Sustaining Sponsor: The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation Tokyo Service Center has pur- able transit-oriented develop- MAILING ADDRESS: OFFICE ADDRESS: GENERAL INQUIRIES: [email protected] chased the former Umeya Rice ment project. The multi-story MEMBERSHIP: Cake Company site, located at residential building will consist P.O. BOX 15693 1832 BUCHANAN STREET, SUITE 207 [email protected] SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115 ADVERTISING: [email protected] 414 Crocker Street.

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