GARDENA — The Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute will present its 2023 Day of Remembrance via Zoom on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m.
This year’s theme is “Campaign For Justice: The Japanese Latin American Story,” highlighting the hidden history and stories of Japanese Latin Americans who were abducted from their home countries and wrongfully incarcerated in the U.S. during World War II. They were also excluded from the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, the legislation that provided redress to Japanese American incarcerees.
The virtual live program will feature the 2004 short film “Hidden Internment: The Art Shibayama Story” followed by a discussion with a panel of experts: Grace Shimizu, director of the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project and coordinator of Campaign for Justice: Redress Now for Japanese Latin Americans; Phil Tajitsu Nash, University of Maryland professor and co-president of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; and Chieko Kamisato, former Crystal City (Texas) incarceree.
“We hope the community will come away with a stronger understanding of the meaning of justice, the repercussions of ongoing discriminatory action by the government, and what people can do to support the cause and fight for redress,” event organizers said.
Admission is free but donations are appreciated. To register, go to: https://gvjci.wufoo.com/forms/mpab6381pia5jb/
This program is co-sponsored by The George and Sakaye Aratani CARE Award, UCLA Asian American Studies Center, and Valerie J. Matsumoto, George and Sakaye Aratani Chair on the Japanese American Incarceration, Redress, and Community, UCLA.
GVJCI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community center dedicated to serving the needs of the Nikkei and broader community of the South Bay through educational, cultural, social, and recreational programs. For more information, call (310) 324-6611 or visit www.jci-gardena.org.