Glover introduced a series of short videos about the honorees, beginning with “the brave men and women who stood up during one of the darkest times in our nation’s history, the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans … Here are the four individuals who challenged the incarceration all the way to the Supreme Court, as well as three groups, the no-nos, the draft resisters and the renunciants, who all in their own way stood up for justice.” Korematsu Institute Director Ling Woo Liu recognizes Asa Hanamoto, representing Nisei veterans. And to see him there in the middle of the community as the community grappled with the dynamics of redevelopment was a testimony to his building bridges and bringing people together.” “The impact that he had on so many of us, primarily African American young boys, was extraordinary … If you could take a survey of those young boys who are now men, some in their 60s like me, they would testify to the impact that Yori Wada had on their lives as well. The actor also paid tribute to Yori Wada (1916-1997), who led such organizations as the Buchanan YMCA and the Western Addition Community Organization (WACO). I had the opportunity to be part of that, and part of that experience is being born and raised and still living in San Francisco.” Glover remembered starring in Bay Area playwright Philip Kan Gotanda’s “Yohen,” “which we did in Los Angeles and had groups from the Asian American community, the African American community, and all communities come to that play. And I sat on the bench.” Actor Danny Glover with Audee Kochiyama Holman, daughter of Yuri Kochiyama. “I remember my football team, the quarterback of my team at George Washington High School was Japanese American. “When I grew up … a great deal of my life was in close proximity to the Japanese community,” Glover recalled. He has been a social justice activist since he was a student at San Francisco State University, where he helped establish the nation’s first ethnic studies department as a member of the Third World Liberation Front. We have to inspire our own kids to follow our example.”Īctor Danny Glover (“Lethal Weapon,” “The Color Purple,” “2012”) served as emcee. 27 as “Fred Korematsu Heroes Celebration Day in San Francisco,” Lee quoted President Obama as saying that equality is “self-evident” but not “self-executing” and said, “We have to join together and get that done. Speaking as the city’s first Asian American mayor, Lee added, “If they weren’t in front of us years ago … if they didn’t speak up for what’s right in the face of so many things that were wrong, we would not be here.”īefore presenting a proclamation declaring Jan. Their stories have to be told because they’re part of our rich history, not only in California, not only in the United States, but they’re international heroes as well.” San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said that the honorees “may not ever be mentioned in many of our books or in our conversations, yet they have to be known. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee gave opening remarks. The honorees, most of them recognized posthumously, included not only Japanese Americans who challenged their internment during World War II but those who distinguished themselves in other struggles, from the labor movement to the military. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education held its third annual Korematsu Day event at San Francisco’s historic Herbst Theatre. 27, with more than 500 people attending a tribute to Asian Pacific American civil rights heroes spanning over a century. SAN FRANCISCO - Fred Korematsu Day was celebrated in a big way on Jan. From left: Hiroshi Kashiwagi, representing no-no boys, renunciants and resisters Wendy Weiner and Wayne Tsutsumi, children of Mitsuye Endo Chani Hawkins-Walker and Serena Hawkins, granddaughters of Minoru Yasui Jay Hirabayashi, son of Gordon Hirabayashi Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |