“Letters to Home” book team and contributors at the book launch.
By CODY UYEDA
The afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 2, Okaeri, in partnership with the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), hosted the official launch of their book, “Letters to Home: Art and Writing by LGBTQ+ Nikkei and Allies.”
The book is an anthology of poetry, essays, photography, and art by 45 Japanese and Japanese American (Nikkei) parents, allies, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The launch, which filled out JANM’s Aratani Central Hall, featured a welcome by Elizabeth Morikawa from JANM, an introduction from the book’s editors, a panel discussion with three of its contributors, and a reception and signing featuring over a dozen more of the book’s contributors who came from across LA, OC, the Bay Area, and Chicago to attend.
“Letters to Home,” first conceptualized two years ago, grew out of a long-standing need in the Japanese American LGBTQ+ community to uplift the often overlooked experiences of this group. LGBTQ+ Nikkei have been present since the earliest days of the Japanese American community, yet their stories and experiences were often marginalized or erased, perpetuating the notion that these individuals did not exist, or that their stories didn’t matter.
However, as “Letters to Home” demonstrates, these stories are just as powerful, important, and deserving of being told.
The book’s contributors, representing a wide range of identities, professional backgrounds, and geographic locations including California, Hawaii, Chicago, New York, and Japan, were selected from a call for submissions that asked individuals to reflect on the Japanese word okaeri (お帰り), meaning “Welcome home” or “Welcome back,” as it relates to their lived experiences, both positive and negative, as queer Nikkei and allies.
Contributors explored diverse topics ranging from personal reflections and self portraits to family acceptance (or lack thereof), to the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality. Some pieces exude warmth from those who have found acceptance and understanding, while others bring up anger, uncertainty, and resolutions still unfinished.
Each piece thus expresses a different and complex interpretation of what it means to look for home, build community, and come to terms with one’s identity, providing a full and honest glimpse into what it means to be Nikkei and LGBTQ+ today.
Nonetheless, the underlying message of the book is one of positivity, and the comfort of having something — whether a person, place, or community — to return to. Indeed, the word okaeri implies the physical space of a household, as the utterance of tadaima (ただいま) upon returning home and okaeri, the response from those waiting inside, remain a staple in many Japanese households today.
In the words of Okaeri’s founder, Marsha Aizumi, okaeri reflects the hope that “no matter how long or how far you have traveled from the JA community, you can always return home and be welcomed.”
Through “Letters to Home,” Okaeri recognized that such an environment can only be created when individuals find the courage to share their stories, and foster love, empathy, and understanding. These aims thus informed the desire to curate a volume that not only reflects all Nikkei voices — LGBTQ+, parent, and ally — but stands as a resource of hope and resilience for all who read it.
Especially at a time when turbulent political environments and divisive rhetoric threaten to silence the voices of those who are seen as different, the stories in “Letters to Home” have never been more timely and important.
As “Letters to Home’s” designer, Daniel Tomita, noted, “One thing that’s become undeniably apparent is the need for more shared stories and more community. In a political climate where books and knowledge are considered threats to the American way of life and isolation and ignorance are tools of the oppressor, our greatest asset is our community.”
Indeed, both the book launch and “Letters to Home” itself embody Okaeri’s hope that the voices of all LGBTQ+ Nikkei and allies are visible, heard, and able to help others find a community to call home, even in the most challenging of times.
“Letters to Home” is available in the JANM Store or online through Amazon. Please contact Okaeri at info@okaeri.org for more information.
Cody Uyeda (he/him) is Okaeri’s program and administrative coordinator.