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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE February 28, 2006

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE February 28, 2006 February 28, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 2179 Japanese community had the oppor- IN MEMORIAM TO DAVE TATSUNO remained engaged and interested in tunity to grow. More Japanese busi- ∑ Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I take film. His compassion and thoughtful- nesses, shops, churches, schools, res- this opportunity to honor the life of ness inspired many others and he will taurants, and hotels moved to the area Dave Tatsuno, whose courageous docu- be deeply missed. and supported community develop- mentation of life in a Japanese-Amer- Mr. Tatsuno is survived by three ment. Before long, the area became ican internment camp contributed im- daughters, Arlene Damron, Valerie known as Nihonmachi, or Japantown. mensely to our knowledge of this dark Sermon, and Melanie Cochran; two At the height of its growth in 1940, time in U.S. history. Mr. Tatsuno sons, Rod Tatsuno and Sheridan more than 5,000 Japanese lived in passed away on January 26, 2006. He Tatsuno; his sister, Chiye Watanabe; Japantown, and there were more than was 92. four grandchildren; and two great- 200 Japanese-owned businesses. Mr. Tatsuno, born in 1913 to a family grandchildren. I extend my deepest who had come to the United States in sympathies to his family. We are not proud of what happened the late 19th century, was raised in San Dave Tatsuno played down the im- to the Japanese-American community Francisco, in my home State of Cali- portance of his role in chronicling the during World War II in the early 1940s. fornia. Mr. Tatsuno changed his first history of the Japanese-American in- In 1942, President Franklin D. Roo- name from Masaharu to Dave when he ternment camps, always giving credit sevelt signed Executive Order 9066, successfully ran for student body presi- to Walter Honderick. But Dave which forced ‘‘all persons of Japanese dent of his junior high school; Tatsuno will long be remembered for ancestry, including aliens and non- Masaharu was too long to fit on his his courage and perseverance in dif- aliens’’ into internment camps until campaign posters. In 1936, Mr. Tatsuno ficult times. His film will have a last- the end of World War II. The intern- graduated from UC Berkeley with a de- ing effect on many generations to ment was fueled by racism and war gree in business and went to work at come.∑ hysteria and will forever tarnish our Nichi Bei Bussan, a department store f country’s history. As time has proved, in San Francisco that his father found- RECOGNIZING WESTSIDE CENTER there was no excuse for our Govern- ed. ment’s decision to intern American After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING citizens. Since those dark days, our Na- 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ∑ Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am tion has made great strides toward tol- signed Executive Order 9066, which very pleased to take a few moments to erance and inclusion. forced ‘‘all persons of Japanese ances- recognize the tremendous accomplish- ments of the Westside Center for Inde- In 1983, as part of Fred Korematsu’s try, including aliens and non-aliens’’ into internment camps until the end of pendent Living, WCIL, based in Santa successful petition to the Federal Dis- World War II. Mr. Tatsuno and his fam- Monica and Los Angeles, as this unique trict Court in San Francisco to over- ily were forced to move to the Topaz organization celebrates its 30th year of turn his conviction for violating evacu- Relocation Center, an internment service. ation orders, the court also ruled that camp in Topaz, AZ. Over the next 3 WCIL has devoted innumerable hours the internment of American citizens of years, Mr. Tatsuno secretly filmed life and incredible effort toward giving sen- Japanese descent during World War II in the camp with an 8-millimeter Bell ior citizens and members of our com- was legally unsupportable. In 1989, Con- & Howell camera that Walter munity with disabilities the gift of gress passed legislation formally apolo- Honderick, his supervisor at the in- independence. The WCIL was founded gizing for the internment of Japanese- ternment camp’s co-op store, helped in 1976 during the height of the ‘‘inde- American citizens during World War II smuggle in. Because the camera was pendent living movement.’’ Originating and authorized a reparations fund for forbidden, Mr. Tatsuno kept it hidden in Berkeley in 1970, the independent internment survivors. Though we still in a shoe box, taking it out only when living movement has strived to provide have further to go to assure equality guards were not looking. These images disabled persons with the opportunity for all, most Americans now realize of daily life in Topaz—of church serv- to manage their own lives. Today, cen- that diversity is one of our country’s ices, of people gardening, of birthday ters such as the WCIL have become a greatest strengths. celebrations—have left viewers with a vital staple of urban life across the Na- When the Japanese community re- stark image of what life was like dur- tion. turned to San Francisco after World ing those hard years. Through an array of innovative War II, it was difficult to rebuild the After the Tatsuno family was re- methods, the center allows seniors and extensive community that existed be- leased from the internment camp, Mr. disabled persons to become more fully fore the war. However, despite the Tatsuno’s footage of life in Topaz was integrated into our community. One many barriers, the Japanese commu- turned into a 48-minute silent film, such technique is the peer training sys- nity did rebuild Japantown. And al- ‘‘Topaz.’’ In 1996, the Library of Con- tem, whereby veterans of the independ- though San Francisco’s Japantown is gress placed ‘‘Topaz’’ on its National ence training program share their test- smaller today than it was in the past, Film Registry, which was established ed knowledge with people who are new it still plays a large and important role in 1989 by Congress to preserve cul- to the program. Such pairing instills a in our community. Not only does it turally, historically, or aesthetically sense of confidence in new participants, serve as a reminder of our past, it pro- significant films. Mr. Tatsuno’s film is as it lets them know that they are not alone and that others like them have vides us with an opportunity to cele- one of only two home movies on the succeeded in leading a more inde- brate the history, challenges, tri- registry’s 425-film list; the other film is pendent life. umphs, and contributions of the Japa- Abraham Zapruder’s footage of the WCIL’s Advocacy Action Group nese-American community in San John F. Kennedy assassination. The original footage for ‘‘Topaz’’ is now a works with the disabled community Francisco. part of the permanent collection at the and elected officials to modernize ex- For 100 years, San Francisco’s Japanese American National Museum isting disability legislation. The group Japantown has served as a cultural re- in Los Angeles. collects the ideas and complaints of source for the San Francisco Bay area After the war, Mr. Tatsuno helped his disabled people and transforms them and California. I thank the San Fran- father reopen Nichi Bei Bussan and into substantive legislation. Through cisco Japantown community for its took over the business when his father true grassroots campaigning and issue many efforts to educate the commu- retired. Through this work, Mr. advocacy, the group ensures that elect- nity about Japanese culture and tradi- Tatsuno became a prominent and re- ed officials stay abreast of current ac- tions. I congratulate them on their spected businessman and civic leader cessibility issues in their community. centennial anniversary and wish them in San Francisco and San Jose, where Recognizing the necessity for infor- another 100 years of success.∑ he eventually made his home. He also mation regarding accessibility VerDate Sep 11 2014 09:08 Mar 13, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\FDSYS\BOUNDRECORD\BR28FE06.DAT BR28FE06 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE.
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