!"#"$%&%'()*+),"*'"$-'(.//)$0+1'(%$+%,'.2'3.,+4%,$'("*02.,$0" !"#$"% !"#$%&'()*+'',''-./012'3( Journey To Tanforan 75th Anniversary of Executive Order 9066 Commemorative Edition Message from the Executive Director The JCCCNC Community: WHAT'S NEW Journey to Tanforan o commemorate To editorialize some of the words of a JCCCNC Board O!cers the 75th anniver- President, so dedicated to the freedom, Robert Sakai | President saryT of the signing of equality and democracy of this great Myron Okada | Vice President Presidential Execu- nation. Donna Ong-Kimura | Vice President tive Order 9066 and We cannot dedicate—we cannot Marilyn Oshiro | Corporate Secretary the 7,000 persons of consecrate —we cannot hallow— Kyle Tatsumoto | Chief Financial O!icer Japanese ancestry this ground. The men, women and Donna Ong-Kimura | Ex-O!icio that were sent to the children, living and dead, who strug- | Chairman Executive Director Kaz Maniwa Tanforan Assembly gled and persevered here, have PAUL OSAKI Center in San Bruno, consecrated it, far above our poor JCCCNC Board of Directors New Board Member CA, during World War power to add or detract. The world Terry Akiyama Naomi Funahashi II, the JCCCNC remembers and reflects on that will little note, nor long remember Sherilyn Chew In 2016, the JCCCNC celebrated our 30th anniversary historic experience. David Fukuda since opening our doors to the community. what we say here today, but it can It’s great to be back at the Naomi Funahashi In 2007, on the occasion of remembering the never forget what happened here. In commemoration of this important milestone, we would like to pay Chris Hirano JCCCNC, where I was taught 65th anniversary of the Tanforan Assembly It is for us the living, rather, to be special tribute to many of our past board members, most of them Nisei, Ryan Kimura the value of community and Center, the JCCCNC organized an event at dedicated here to the unfinished who have since passed away after serving the organization. Although Rumi Okabe strength of generational the Shops at Tanforan Shopping Center. Over work, which they su!ered. It is rather they are gone, they will always be remembered as an integral part of Allen Okamoto wisdom when I was on sta! a thousand people attended the event and for us to be here dedicated to the turning the dream of a Japantown community center into a reality. Teresa Serata former internees came from as far away as great task remaining before us, that from 2004 to 2006. Since Jon Shindo this should never happen again. those days when I worked New York and Canada. The event was called Kelly Walton Yasuo Abiko Seizo Oka (Edited from President Abraham on the California Nisei High Journey to Tanforan. Peter Weber Hatsuro Aizawa George Okamoto, Sr. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, 1863) School Diploma Project and Below is an excerpt from my opening remarks Ken Chan Takeo Okamoto JCCCNC Sta" the 100th Anniversary of SF that morning: To commemorate Journey to Tanforan, I wrote Wes Doi Guy Ono Paul Osaki | Executive Director and read this poem reflecting on the some- Yo Hironaka Michi Onuma Japantown, I’ve continued Some say they never knew that this place Marjorie Fletcher | Executive Assistant times cold, foggy, windy weather of the former Christopher Hirose Wayne Osaki my career in education at the ever existed, some say it wasn’t that bad, Lori Matoba | Deputy Director Assembly Center site. Stanford Program of Inter- others wish the memories would just go Tad Hirota Tosh Otsubo Aya Ino | Director of Development and national and Cross-Cultural away… It just happened to be freezing that day… Communications Shoji Horikoshi Clem Oyama Education (SPICE) at Stanford Matt Okada | Director of Programs Willie Hoshiyama Katherine Reyes Today, we are gathered at the place called If we listen to the wind Jennifer Hamamoto | Programs and University. My work primarily Tanforan to commemorate, educate, We can hear the voices of those Nitten Ishida Katherine Sakai Facilities Manager focuses on helping teachers remember and pay tribute to the lives who were interned here sixty-five years Isao Kawamoto Kaz Sakai Haruka Roudebush | Programs Manager and students to be more glob- that were impacted 65 years ago at the ago Ken Kiwata Sam Sato Teresa Ono | Cultural Heritage Fund Manager ally-minded through critical Tanforan Assembly Center. Although this Toshi Koba Iwao Shimizu If we listen to the wind Susie Kagami | Development Coordinator thinking and diverse perspec- place looks very di!erent than it did back Seiji Kobara Jozo Sugihara Their voices are not still Mika Shimizu | O!ice Manager/Receptionist then, the sky remains the same, the moun- tives. I’m really excited to Jerry Kika | Volunteer Coordinator Robert Kojimoto Marshall Sumida tains still sit in the background and, if we If we listen to the wind Yukio Kumamoto Martha Suzuki contribute as a board member really listen, the wind still echoes with the Their voices say, don’t forget me Kanji Kuramoto Taro Takahashi to the mission of the JCCCNC voices of the seven thousand men, women Mission and the amazing people who Don’t forget what happened here… Kazuaki Kuwada Tomoye Takahashi and children whose lives were forever make up this vibrant commu- The JCCCNC is a non-profit organization William Kyono Yoshinori Takao changed here. From one generation to the next, let us never which strives to meet the evolving needs Wynn Matsumura Edison Uno nity, and am passionate about forget what happened here. of the Japanese American community by As an American, nothing could be worse Jack Matsuoka Cli!ord Uyeda ensuring its future for genera- offering programs, affordable services than to lose your freedom, your civil liber- tions to come. If you see me, Sincerely, and administrative support and facili- Frank Morino Yori Wada ties and your right to pursue happiness. my husband, or my three- ties for other local organizations. The Kenji Murase Yukio Wada But that is what happened here and it was JCCCNC also provides educational, cultural Seiji Nakata Alan Watahara year-old son around town, just the beginning of the journey that has and recreational programs that meet and Don Negi David Yamakawa, Jr. please stop and say hello! brought us back again today. address the interests and concerns of the community. Our goals remain rooted in Katherine Nunotani Carl Yano Paul Osaki preserving the Japanese American cultural Wallace Nunotani Nancy Yokoyama Executive Director and historical heritage as well as fostering Shun Ochi the foundation for future generations of Japanese Americans. 2 JAPANESE CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY CENTER OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA | SPRING 2017 JCCCNC | SPRING 2017 3 The JCCCNC Community: JOURNEY TO TANFORAN The Story of Fred Nicholas Journey The military guard who tore down Tanforan n 1941, Fred Nicholas was drafted into the U.S. I learned all about her Army; he was assigned as an armed guard at the plight, her di!iculties and her family. It to Tanforan ITanforan Assembly Center and later rose to the rank was a sad duty for of Captain, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He me. But it was also would go on to become a lawyer and founded Public i n t e r e s t i n g a n d Counsel, the largest pro-bono law organization in the rewarding, because I did make friends, world helping the poor and needy. He later started a real not of the soldiers estate business building shopping centers throughout but of the people America including the Eastridge Shopping Center in being guarded.” San Jose, the Supermall of the Great Northwest. He also “...I mean, I would developed the Ronald Regan Building in Washington be on duty at three D.C., and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. or four o’clock One of the first shopping malls he built started with in the morning and there would tearing down the former Tanforan Assembly Center. b e p e o p l e o u t (The following is an interview excerpt with Fred Nicholas in 2001) there talking to me... We’d talk about everything – politics, religion, the state of the world. I asked, what about changing the I was assigned to military police up in the San Francisco area, and the situation? Was it possible to change the situation? No, it was not first assignment I had, I was a private, and I remember being part of possible.” the squad that went from house to house in the Japanese community and delivered orders for them to vacate their houses. Later, I was part In 1975, a few years a!er the Tanforan Shopping Center opened Fred of a detail which helped them leave, helped them get their stu! out and put up a plaque, which mentioned the Tanforan Assembly Center. guided them and drove a guard truck to the ... relocation depot.”He spent This was unusually early for an internment commemoration. Most three or four months at Tanforan — the camp only operated for a little of the internment signage and plaques didn’t go up until the redress over five months. During that time he “walked perimeter” in uniform and movement in the 1980’s. But Nicholas never forgot. He knew the helmet — “an assigned post, with a rifle which was loaded” four hours Tanforan story from personal experience. He was there in 1942 as a on, four hours o!. “I had two tours a day, and then was reassigned to reluctant Army dra!ee assigned to military police guard duty at the other duties and then back.” With the other soldiers he camped in tents camp. He took the time to get to know and befriend the enemy when at the racetrack.