SONOMA COUNTY GRAPEVINE Volume XXXII ~ No. 3~ May 2011 JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE CALENDAR OF EVENTS KRCB ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH KRCB Public Television 22 celebrates Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month May in May with stories of Sebastopol’s historic Enmanji Temple, the latest 7…Enman No Tomo Mtg 10 am transformation of World War II concentration camp Manzanar, and pioneering 7…Human Race 8 am Asian American entertainer, Jack Soo. 14…Koi Nobori Kai 10:30 am 15…Pancake Breakfast 8 am Tuesday, May 17 at 9:00pm - Two Films by Tadashi Nakamura With a hip music track and never-before-seen archival footage, Pilgrimage June tells how an abandoned WWII concentration camp (Manzanar) for Japanese 2… JACL Board Mtg. 7 pm Americans was transformed into a symbol of retrospection and solidarity 4… Enman No Tomo Mtg. 10 am for people of all ages, races, and nationalities in our post 9/11 world. 12…NCWNP District Council Mtg. During the 1970s when Asians in America were invisible to the country - 26…Community Picnic 11 am and more importantly even to themselves - the late Chris Iijima's music provided a voice and identity that an entire generation had sought. July Through animated photographs, intimate home movies, archival footage, and No…JACL meeting Chris' own songs, A Song for Ourselves shows how Chris' music unleashed No…Enman no tomo the contagious energy of the Asian American Movement with an unrelenting 7…Nat’l Convention passion for social justice and a life well lived. 10…Teriyaki Bazaar http://caamedia.org/buy-caam-films/film/?i=280 16…Obon Festival Tuesday, May 24 at 9:00pm - You Don't Know Jack Soo 18…T&JCC Summer camp #1 This program tells the story of a pioneering American entertainer, Jack 25…T&JCC Summer camp #2 Soo, an Oakland native who became the first Asian American to be cast in the lead role in a regular television series, Valentine's Day (1963). The film also explores why Soo, a former internee who was actually born Goro SONOMA COUNTY JACL Suzuki, was forced to change his name in the post WWII era in order to PANCAKE BREAKFAST BENEFIT perform in clubs in the Midwest. Because of his experiences, throughout MAY 15, Sunday his career in films and television, Soo refused to play roles that were 8 – 11:30 am demeaning to Asian Americans and often spoke out against negative ethnic portrayals. The film shows how Soo's work laid the groundwork for a new Memorial hall at Enmanji Church generation of Asian American actors and comedians. 1200 Gravenstein Hwy South http://www.jacksoo.com/ ]http://www.jacksoo.com/ Sebastopol, CA Thursday, May 24 at 9:30pm - Leap of Faith & Hideko The historic Enmanji Temple in the rural town of Sebastopol is a place of worship as well as the center of Japanese community in Sonoma County. During WWII, all of the Japanese Americans in the community were forcibly ASIAN ART MUSEUM incarcerated. Anti-Japanese sentiment ran high. While the Japanese Celebrating APA Heritage Month families were away, some people engaged in hate-motivated arson and Saturday, May 21, 11:00-4:00 pm vandalism. This inspiring story tells a little-known story of young people FREE, courtesy of Target who put their bodies on the line to protect the Enmanji Temple from being www.asianart.org burned down. http://www.enmanjitemple.com/index.html Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration continues with KRCB Public Television broadcasts from studios in Rohnert Park, California site-specific artwork on our front on digital channels 22.1, 22.2 & 22.3 and is seen over-the-air throughout steps, docent tours, storytelling, art much of the San Francisco Bay Area. KRCB is also seen on Channel 22 via activities, Balinese music, a Game- Comcast Cable and Dish and DirecTV satellite services across the entire lan Performance, films, and even an San Francisco Bay Area. If you enjoy this quality programming, please appearance by the Bay Area Flash support KRCB at [ http://www.krcb.org/ ]http://www.krcb.org/ Mob - a group who brings spontaneous performances of KOI NOBORI KAI choreographed dances. And don't Next class will be held on May 14th at 10:30 am. We will be exploring forget the Asian Heritage Street "Satsuki" which refers to rice planting, as well as, tea leaf harvesting. Celebration will be right outside our Warashibe Choja will be our folktale and craft will be origami Kabuto for Boy's doors. For more APA Heritage Day and Ayame for purifacation. Month events in San Francisco, Class held at JACL Office bldg. 515 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. Donation is http://apiaheritagesf.org/calendar.s $3 per child or $5 per family. RSVP to [email protected]. html . NEWSLETTER VOLUME XXXII ASIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL SONOMA STATE UNIV. MUSIC st May 21 , 11-3pm, Miwok Park in Jazz Orchestra with Doug Leibinger, conductor Novato. The festival will celebrate Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 pm at the Warren Auditorium the music and arts of Asian Big band music from Glenn Miller to the 21st century. FREE Americans. The Asian American Percussion Improvisation Ensemble with Jennifer Wilsey Marsh, director Alliance of Marin (AAAM) and Sunday, May 15 at 4:00 pm at Green Music Center, Room 1028 Marin Chinese Cultural Association Percussion rhythm and the meditative exercise known as deep listening for a one- (MCCA) are organizing this fun of-a-kind performance. FREE event. Performances and demonstrations Student Composers with Jesus Contreras and Will Johnson, directors are scheduled for 1-3 pm. People Sunday, May 15 at 7:30 pm at Green Music Center, Room 1028 should bring blankets, water, and Music composition majors liberate their works from the page to the stage, with a picnic chairs. Sonoma County little help from their friends. FREE JACL will host an information table with Henry Kaku teaching origami. ENMAN NO TOMO NEWS Sachi Shimizu/Nancy Yoshioka U.S. SBA OFFICE OF ADVOCACY All of our ENT ‘Irish’ family showed up for March’s meeting! Thanks to Yvonne Lee is the new regional Margarette, Fumi and Alyce for decorated the tables with vases of bright yellow advocate for the U.S. Small daffodils, accented with camellias and vines. For April’s meeting, Alice and Business Administration’s inde- George Kashiwagi brought lilacs, apple blossoms and specially designed Easter pendent Office of Advocacy. Her eggs (and candies) to add a festive touch to our tables. region covers the states of AZ, Both events were beautiful spring visions. CA, HI, NV and Guam. Welcome back to Diane, who started our March meeting morning with Established in 1976, the Office Jazzercise. WOW, we sure moved our feet, arms, head, etc – whatever we could! of Advocacy is an independent Under the leadership of Kinu, many participated in April’s exercise program – voice for small business within the we really have been paying attention and came up with many different versions federal government with several to keep ourselves fit! important responsibilities. Under Julie Bennett from HICAP discussed the 2011 Health Care Reform and the leadership of Chief Counsel Medicare and gave us much information on these two important topics at our Dr. Winslow Sargeant, the office March meeting. April’s Guest speaker, Andrea Skrypka, a dietician from serves as the watchdog for the Satellite Dialysis, was ably introduced by Anne Ohki. Her presentation focused federal Regulatory Flexibility on diabetes and especially as it affected Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Act(RFA), which requires federal Diabetes affects most everyone and valuable information was gained from her. agencies to examine the effects of Alyce, Margarette and Fumi served a spectacular St. Patrick’s Day lunch of their proposed regulations on corned beef, cabbage, carrots with all the trimmings! Thanks to our members small businesses and to consider and guests who contributed their delicious dishes. For dessert, we all enjoyed a ways to ease undue regulatory luscious birthday cake donated by Phyllis Otani’s family in honor of her 90th burdens. Advocacy‘s team of birthday. Ham and all the delicious trimmings from members and guests were economists and researchers also the featured April offerings for lunch. A cake in honor of Meiko Endo’s birthday produces key research and data was a special treat from her family. on small business’ role in the Jodi Hottel was caller for our March game of Bingo. Nancy Davlin was bingo American economy. caller for April. A fine selection of prizes were donated from our members and As Japanese American growers guests each month! Special donations for bingo and raffle prizes were orchid are relevant in California’s plants from Jim and Hiromi Wakayama; calla lilies from Michi Shimizu and agricultural business , I would Kinu Iwamoto; grapefruit from Kinu Iwamoto and orchid blooms from welcome the opportunity to meet Margarette Murakami. Thanks for sharing! with you and other members to Monetary donations were received from the Matoba Family in memory of introduce the work of Advocacy Yuka Matoba; Rose Fujii (special); Frances Ikegami (special); Mitsy Sanders and learn their perspectives on (special); Michi Shimizu (in honor of her mother Meiko Endo’s birthday) and federal regulations that may Clara and Sachi Shimizu (in memory of John Rodgers). We are grateful for impact their businesses. everyone’s thoughtfulness. Yvonne Y. Lee Norma Sugiyama processed 2011 memberships. Welcome to new members Regional Advocate(IX) Michi Shimizu, Sharon Noguchi, Marcille Tabata, Hiromi and Jim Wakayama, Office of Advocacy Michiyo Miyake and Kimie Gutzman. U.S. Small Business Administration Our condolences to member Michi Rodgers and her family on the passing of 455 Market Street, #600 her husband.