San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center



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San Fernando Valley Japanese American Citizens League Newsletter

August, 2008

UPCOMING

EVENTS

COME JOIN US IN THE FUN AND ACTIVITIES

August 23 - Beach Outing with Ventura JACL

September 7 - Family Fun & Culture Day

September 13 - Pacific Southwest District Awards Dinner

October 5 - Community Center Craft Faire

November 1 - Asian American Film Festival

November 2 - Chrysanthemum Festival Descanso Gardens

Questions or Comments?

Please email

kyosh1@

or send comments to:

Nancy Gohata

14229 Carl Street

Arleta, CA 91331

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST DISTRICT TO HONOR             PHIL SHIGEKUNI

The theme of this year’s PSW District

Awards dinner is “PSW Heroes From Redress:

20 Years of a Living Legacy”. SFVJACL Civil

Rights Chair, Phil Shigekuni will be one of the

individuals recognized for his contribution to the redress movement.

The event will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at the Grand Long Beach Event Center, 4101 E. Willow Street in Long Beach.

Tickets are $100 a person. Reception at 5:00 p.m. with dinner at 6:00 p.m.

For reservations please email Nancy gohata at nancygohata@ or call (818) 899-4237.

Thanks to the following professionals/businesses who supported our Pacific Citizen Holiday Issue fundraiser.

RONALD M. HAMAMOTO LANDSCAPE AMALIA’S BLOOMING BOUQUET

Residential and Commercial 17106 1/2 Devonshire St.

(818) 891-0383 Northridge, CA 91325

(818) 891-1011 (FAX) (818) 832-7794

STRATEGY THE SALON ISLAND LEGENDS

18908 Ventura Blvd. 2120 W. Artesia Blvd.

Tarzana, CA 91356 Torrance, CA 90504

(818) 758-9467 (310) 352-6333

HAMER TOYOTA WEST VALLEY NURSERY

Mission Hills 19035 Ventura Blvd.

Tarzana, CA 91356

(818) 342-2623

LUCKY PAWNSHOP OSANA MANUEL’S

361-A Arneill Rd. HEADQUARTERS SALON

Camarillo, CA 93010 (323) 660-8020

(805) 482-3666

TOMOKAZU LEO FONG’S CHI FUNG

9010 Reseda Blvd., Suite 100 Holy Cross Canoga Park

Northridge, CA 91324 P.O. Box 7

(818) 701-1588 Woodland Hills, CA 91365

HUNTINGTON SALDANA & MONJI OPTOMETRY

REPRODUCTIVE CENTER 153 N. San Fernando Blvd.

Robert Boostanfar, MD, Burbank, CA 91502

1220 La Venta Dr., Suite 103 (818) 848-6659

Westlake Village, CA 91361 (818) 848-7911 (FAX)

(805) 374-1737

5525 Etiwanda Ave., Suite 311 DR. RICHARD YOOK

Tarzana, CA 91356 8940 Reseda Blvd.

(818) 996-2188 Northridge, CA

(818) 993-5410

ANDREW THIBODEAUX D.D.S.

1058 N. McClay Ave. WESLEY T. UYEHARA, M.D.

San Fernando, CA 91340 207 S. Santa Anita St., #205

(818) 365-4425 San Gabriel, CA 91776

Please help us lower our postage cost?

You can greatly help our chapter by getting the Chapter newsletter via email.

Please go to kyosh1@ and register your e-mail address.

JAPANESE NATIONAL MUSEUM CONFERENCE

July 3-5, Denver, Colorado

With the conference theme “Whose America, Who’s American”, JANM, staged a fine conference commemorating the 20 year anniversary signing of the Redress Bill by President Reagan. I was aboard one of 6 buses which traveled to Amache, located in the southeastern part of the state. Our host for the trip was Akemi Kikumura Yano, recently appointed CEO and President of the museum, who also happens to be Marion’s youngest sister.(as reported in the last edition of this newsletter.) On the trip down, we sang some oldies, including a song which was popular at the time, “Don’t Fence Me In.” The three or four of us who were interned at Amache were called on to reflect on our experiences there. As an eight year old, and spending only a year there,(after 6 months at Santa Anita.), I did not have much to relate, except the internment, I believe, scarred me psychologically. Redress, for me, felt like becoming a “born again American”. At last, I could feel I truly belong in this country.

The town of Granada is located a few miles from Amache. John Hopper, a teacher at Granada High has done an outstanding job in having a kind of magnet school where students from the area come to the school to become acquainted with the internment story and tell the story to others in other parts of the state. The class is also responsible for helping to maintain the grounds at Amache. After having lunch in the school cafeteria three of the students from this program made an impressive presentation concerning what they have accomplished through the program. Min Tonai, who lives in Woodland Hills, chairs the Amache Historical Society which has paid for such things as a lawnmower which is used to maintain a lawn at the cemetery.

Only the concrete foundations for the barracks remain. Walking around my old block, 7k, did bring back memories of carefree days. A few camp artifacts were on display in the old gymnasium. A memorial for the soldiers who served in WWII from the camps was situated inside a cemetery where a woman Buddhist priest, whose name I do not recall, officiated a concluding service.

The total attendance at the Hyatt, Conference Center, was over 1,000. A large part of this number was due to the presence of educators from 5 states whose attendance was made possible by funds from a million dollar grant to JANM from a prominent national museum foundation. In talking with some of them I discovered that the internment experience has been included in the school curricula in many of the states. Also noteworthy was the announcement that the Anthropology Department at Denver University has started to excavate in Amache. We were asked not to disturb any artifacts on the grounds with labels on them.

JANM is to be congratulated for staging a first class conference. For more information on the various meetings and workshops, I refer you to recent issues of the Pacific Citizen.

Article submitted by Phil Shigekuni

THIRD TUESDAY MOVIE OUTING

In June, eight of us saw When Did You Last See Your Father? A true story about Blake Morrison and his love/hate relationship with his father. Although most of us couldn’t enthusiastically recommend this movie, it proved provocative enough for a lively discussion during dinner. Arthur, the charismatic father, is seen by teenage son, Blake, as an over-bearing, obnoxious, know-it-all. Kim, the mother, comes across as the dutiful wife, putting the desires of her husband before hers. The drama centers around Blake coming to terms with a lifetime of hurts as he watches his father struggle with terminal cancer. Chieko Merz, the most vocal critic of the film, expressed a sentiment of one British film critic. She found Blake to be a self-centered whiner, obsessed with finding problems when there really weren’t any. Strong performances by the cast: Colin Firth (Blake), Jim Broadbent (Arthur), Matthew Beard (teenage Blake) and Juliet Stevenson (Kim) left us to think about these complex characters.

On Tuesday, movie-goers enjoyed Mongol, the epic story of Temudgin, the man who would become Genghis Khan, the 12th century warrior who united the tribes of Mongolia to form history's largest contiguous empire. Russian director Sergei Bodrov went to great lengths to humanize this man whose name is synonymous with conquest and invasion.  He showed how governed by culture, tradition, religion, and the landscape, the young Temudgin became the legendary Khan.  We watched Temudgin suffer repeated imprisonments, endure years of separation from his wife, Borte, and fight battles gory and plentiful. 

The film paints a multidimensional portrait of the future conqueror, revealing him not as the evil brute of stereotype, but as an inspiring, fearless, and visionary leader. If you like your movies sweeping, bloody, and real. then you will enjoy the epic Mongol.

August 2008

President’s Message

Back from Convention: The 2008 JACL National Biennial Convention was held July 16 – 20 in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Marriott downtown, directly across from the convention center.

My flight brought me in Wednesday afternoon, just in time to attend the Credentials Committee meeting. I represented the Pacific Southwest District and reported that we had 20 chapters in good standing and were eligible to vote during the business session.

The Welcome Mixer was held that evening in a Park called “This is the Place”. While waiting for the bus to the foothills, I meet Mas and Norma Jean Yamashita in front of the hotel, also heading to the Mixer. Mas and Norma Jean, golf enthusiasts, had arrived on Monday so they could get an early tee time on Tuesday.

Highlights: The keynote speaker for the Sayonara Banquet was NASA Astronaut Daniel Tani. Mr. Tani is a Sansei from the Chicago area. He just returned from his second mission on February 20, 2008, and has taken five spacewalks in this career as an astronaut. Mr. Tani, a 1984 graduate of MIT worked as a design engineer at Hughes Aircraft Corporation in El Segundo before returning to MIT where he received his master’s degree in 1988. He spoke fondly of his family and the months he spent living in the International Space Station. He brought back and shared his amazing photographs he took from the space station.

This year’s workshops included:

▪ Are You the Next ?

▪ Asians & Media: Trends, Public Portrayal and Concerns

▪ Awareness Now! An Introduction to Significant API Youth Issues

▪ Diversity within the Nikkei Community

▪ Getting the Most Out of Your Medicare

▪ Money Matters: Save, Invest & Manage Your Money Better

▪ Origami & Kite Making

▪ Who Said JACL Can’t Be for High Schoolers?

Back To Business: This most controversial topic during the first business session was the discussion of having an annual convention. After hearing every ones, a vote was called. This required a two thirds vote from the councils. The proposal passed.

The proposal to change, Chapter in Good Standing: Reduce to 10 Member Minimum, did not passed. Twenty-five will continue to be the minimum.

The Youth Have Passion: This year the youth came out in force to stand behind a resolution Supporting Human Rights in North Korea. This was the most promising sight to see on the floor. At least a dozen students came forward to speak on behalf of the resolution. After hearing the youth speak so passionately about protecting the civil rights of the North Korean people the resolution was passed with a unanimous vote.

Plan Ahead: The 2010 convention will held June 30 – July 4th in Chicago.

Seattle, Washington is bidding to have the 2012 Annual Convention.

Nancy Takayama

President

VENTURA COUNTY JACL PICNIC/BEACH PARTY

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23. 2008

11:00 A.M – 3:00 P.M.

Let’s join the Ventura County JACL for a potluck at the beach.

Please bring a main dish, side dish, salad or dessert.

RSVP to Barbara Okita at bokita@ or (818) 784-5128 ASAP.

Directions to Marina Beach Park: From the 101, take the Seward Ave. exit and turn toward the ocean. Drive until you reach Pierpont Ave. Turn left and drive until you reach the end of the road where you will find the free Marina Park parking lot.

Please bring a sweater, hat, chair, blanket or mat. Drinks and paper goods will be furnished by the Ventura Chapter. Last year, it was a beautiful and fun day at the beach.

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

HONORS KAY NAKAGIRI

On June 15, 2008, former Board member, Kay Nakagiri, received an Honorary Degree from Oregon State University. When Executive Order 9066 was signed, it affected the lives of 42 Japanese American Oregon State University students as they were forced to leave campus, most of whom never returned and were unable to complete their degrees.

Fourteen of the forty-two internees were in attendance at the 139th commencement ceremony. Kay talked about Jack Yoshihara who was a member of the Beaver Football team. When Jack was on the team, the Beavers competed in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in 1942 and Jack wasn’t allowed to travel to the game – the government considered him a security risk and his travel radius was limited to 35 miles.

Kay shared that the current Oregon State University students went to the student body and passed a motion that went to the legislature to honor these former students. Kay was interviewed by PBS (Public Broadcasting Station) in Oregon. The honorees were given their cap and gown and it was obvious how much this recognition meant to Kay. Congratulations Kay – sixty-four years later.

CHAPTER SUPPORTS JACC FAMILY FUN DAY

Board members, Phil and Marion Shigekuni, Chieko Merz, Clara Hashimoto, Doreen Kawamoto, Sumi Yamaguchi and our good friend, Suzanne Iwamura, came out early Saturday morning to boil chicken, fry wontons, cut vegetables, and finally toss and serve Chinese chicken salad to 250 attendees at the JACC  Family Fun Day on July 7th.  Our Chapter donated the total cost of the salad. An array of favorite Asian foods, including chasu pork. spam musubi, kim chee, along with hamburgers and hot dogs, were enjoyed by all. The children worked their energy off in the jumper, while the adults played Bingo.  The Chili Contest winners were declared and the successful event concluded with “make your own” sundaes.  JACL members, along with extended families and friends, spent a truly Family Fun Day with other JA community center members.   

Article submitted by Mitzi Kushida

Scholarship story continued from page 5

Valley’s Nikkei in particular. He spoke positively about embracing the increasingly multiethnic face of the Japanese American community while also highlighting the importance of unearthing, preserving, and passing on the rich histories of the pioneering Issei and their progeny in the Valley and beyond. He cited, for example, Nancy’s path-breaking work with the “Telling Our Stories: Japanese Americans in the San Fernando Valley Oral History Project.”

As I surveyed the room towards the end of the program—watching proud fathers slap each other on the back, the scholarship winners promising to find each other online, grandparents savoring a last morsel of cake, and board members cheerfully chatting with Dr. Hirabayashi— I reflected on how the success of this event was only possible because of the collaboration and contributions of many individuals. In addition to the scholarship committee—whose diligence, warm spirits, good humor, and dedication ceaselessly inspire me—I would like to thank Nancy and Yas Gohata for their logistical assistance, our treasurers Dennis Okita and Kay Yamada, our presidents Nancy Takayama and Paul Jonokuchi, and Mitzi Kushida for calming my neurotic grad student nerves. Al Kushida deserves a particularly special shout out for covertly leaving the ceremony to purchase extra cakes. I am also indebted to Karen Yoshino: without her time and talented eye for design and layout our programs would look quite boring! I am deeply grateful for everyone who attended and assisted either in person or spirit!

If YOU would like to serve on the scholarship committee next year, or have a youth in your life that will be graduating from high school in 2009 and is interested in a scholarship please contact me at

jp4141@ or (818) 720-7250 and we’ll see you soon!

Article submitted by Jean-Paul R. deGuzman, Scholarship Co-Chair

Back (left to right): Paul Jonokuchi,

Courtney Mun, Eric Inamine, Robert

Morita, Irene Mizuki, Clay Thibodeaux,

and Stephanie Cohen.

Front (left to right): Geri Shiraki,

Sumi Yamaguchi, Clara Hashimoto,

Linda Tanaka, Kay Inaba, Lane

Hirabayashi, Doreen Kawamoto, and

Nancy Takayama.

The awardees “having some fun”.

Back (left to right): Eric Inamine, Robert Morita, Clay Thibodeaux

Front (left to right): Courtney Mun, Stephanie Cohen, Irene Mizuki

FAMILY CULTURAL FUN DAY

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2008 - 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

SFVJACC IN THE PIONEER BUILDING

Momo Yashima will open this year’s Family Cultural Fun Day event reading Crow Boy and Umbrella. Momo Yashima is the daughter of Caldecott-winning children’s book author, Taro Yashima, who is best known for his classic picture books, Crow Boy, Umbrella, and Momo’s Kitten. Momo Yashima, as a young child, was the main character in a number of his books. Ms. Yashima has appeared in many films and television shows.

After the reading, children will have the opportunity to participate in various hands-on activities that deal with the Japanese-American culture. Some of these include: ikebana,

origami, taiko, haiku, calligraphy, making nigiri, and

rice krispie sushi, hana, girls & boys’ day activities,

the internment experience, Japanese songs and odori.

To help in our planning, please email

Nancy Gohata at nancygohata@ or

call (818) 899-4237 for reservations.

Momo Yashima

LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES

The decision to put a relative with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia in a nursing home is often difficult. Caring for someone with one of these conditions at home requires significant social, financial, and personal sacrifices. Yet, the decision to send a loved one to a nursing home may become necessary. But what kinds of long-term care facilities are available? Nursing home is commonly used when referring to any long-term care facility, but there are several kinds of long-term care facilities. Each provides different levels of medical care, personal assistance, and programs and support services. The quality and costs of care and services at long-term care facilities vary widely, and options vary from community to community. Assisted-living facilities usually provide private, apartment-style housing and offer a range of services. These services may include meals, cleaning, laundry services, and help with personal needs, such as bathing, grooming, and dressing. Assisted-living facilities do not provide medical care. An assisted-living facility may be appropriate for people with early mild Alzheimer's disease or another dementia who can’t live alone but who can still function fairly well on their own. Residential care facilities, which include board-and-care homes, retirement homes, and foster care homes, typically provide a greater level of supervision than assisted-living facilities. They offer community-style housing, meals, laundry and cleaning services, and help with other personal needs. They do not provide daily medical care. A residential care facility may be appropriate for a person with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease or other dementia who needs daily assistance and supervision but does not require daily nursing care. Residential care facilities are less expensive than nursing homes. Nursing homes provide skilled nursing care up to 24 hours a day. All aspects of care are provided, including medical attention, medication, housing, meals, laundry, help with personal needs (such as dressing, bathing, and using the toilet), and other support services. A nursing home is the most expensive type of long-term care facility, but it also may be the most appropriate choice for many people with advanced dementia. Special care units (SCUs) for people with dementia are a feature of some residential care facilities and nursing homes. These units are designed to meet the needs of people with dementia, and include staffs experienced in dealing with people with the disease. Studies of these special care units, however, have been unable to confirm that they offer any clear benefits over regular care facilities. Also, they often are more expensive than regular long-term care facilities. Continuing-care communities offer different levels of care, from assisted living to full nursing care, within the same facility. These facilities are an expensive but appealing option for caregivers looking at long-term care because they are well equipped to meet the person's changing needs as the disease progresses. Some people find that part-time help allows them to keep their relative at home for a longer time. Part-time care may take place either at home or in an adult day care facility. As in long-term care facilities, home care can provide different levels of assistance. A home health aide, for instance, can help with tasks such as bathing, cleaning, and washing clothes and linens, while a nurse may provide medical care and help with behavior issues. Adult day care and respite services assume temporary responsibility for the person and allow the regular caregiver to take a break. This may relieve some of the stress of caregiving and allow time for other responsibilities and activities. Hiring health professionals or other caregivers to provide around-the-clock care in the home is another option. This option is more expensive than a nursing home and also requires time to hire, supervise, and coordinate the team of caregivers.

For the full text of this article, please visit Blue Shield of California’s web site at .

Sumi’s Cheer Corner

Congratulations to Marion and Phil Shigekuni for their 50th wedding anniversary on June 15th. The Shigekuni family celebrated this most auspicious occasion on the island of Maui.

Congratulations to Barbara and George Nakatsu, proud grandparents for the second time. Their son David and daughter-in-law, Grace, are proud parents of Joseph Jinsu born on July 11th, 2008.

Adeline and Butch Shoji also became grandparents for the second time. Their daughter, Leslie and son-in-law Steve Johnson welcomed their second son Nicholas Kenji on July 8th, 2008 Congratulations to all.

Paul and Aiko Tsuneishi became great-grandparents. Their grandson Jeremy and his wife Nicole are proud first-time parents of Emiko Yoko Tsuneishi born on June 3rd.

Get well wishes were sent to Mas Yamashita and Alice Morita.

Condolences were sent to Tak Yamamoto whose sister, Yasuko Kumagai passed away on June 12th, 2008.

A sympathy message was sent to Aiko Tsuneishi whose brother-in-law, George Yusa passesd away on July 3rd, 2008.

We send our condolences to Emi Shimoyama-Hino, whose mother, Chiyoko Sano passed away on July 9th, 2008.

SFVJACL WEBSITE

Program Co-Chair Karl Nobuyuki has designed a website for our Chapter. Go to JACL.htm to view the names of our 2008 Board members, 2008 schedule of activities, and a photo gallery of our events.

SFV-JACL & SFV-JACC Honors New Batch of Scholars

On June 1, 2008, JACLers, JACC members, family, friends and other well-wishers convened at the Nikkei Village dining hall to laud this year’s joint SFV-JACL & SFV-JACC scholarship awardees.

Balancing a bag of ice, a mango cake, certificates of merit, and a taro/coconut roll in my arms, I ventured to the dining hall to see that the phenomenal scholarship selection committee – consisting of Clara Hashimoto, Kay Inaba, Doreen Kawamoto, Barbara Okita, Geri Shiraki, co-chair Linda Tanaka, and Sumi Yamaguchi – had beautifully set up the room and were busy preparing the refreshments. The dining hall buzzed as the awardees and their families mingled with each other and members of the community. Meanwhile, Sumi served as our intrepid paparazzi, snapping photos here and there. Once our “dignitaries,” JACL president Nancy Takayama, JACC president Paul Jonokuchi, and keynote speaker Dr. Lane Ryo Hirabayashi arrived, we began the program.

After some opening remarks from yours truly, one of our scholarship winners, Stephanie Mieko Cohen graced the stage and sang an original, witty song about the potential for finding love…at Starbucks. Her fine performance set the tenor for the presentations when we got to know more about our winners.

In addition to her countless performances in Viewpoint High School’s dramatic and musical productions, Stephanie served on the advanced choir and vocal jazz ensemble. Eric Inamine is a member of the National Honor Society and an AP Scholar. He’s also volunteered at the Special Olympics and the Holiness Church, founding a youth worship team where, in his words, “teenagers can feel comfortable praising God without any inhibitions.” Irene Mizuki has long volunteered at the San Fernando Valley Obon and has sung with the San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus. An aspiring anchorwoman, Irene interned with Channel 36 and has been a staff writer for her school’s newspaper.

Robert Morita has earned several academic awards for his talents in fields ranging from chemistry, history, to French (for which he holds a Certificate de Mérit-Français. Contributing to the community, he has helped with the hot meal program and the food distribution program at the JACC. Courtney Nicole-Kanani Mun, a professional actress since the age of four, has been tap dancing for 15 years and was a hula dancer for 10 years. She has provided pro bono tutoring services for many years and aspires to become a District Attorney who specializes in sexual abuse cases. During his time at Taft High School, Clay Thibodeaux worked as a peer counselor, was on the swim team, and was a member of the Knights and Ladies Organization and the California Scholarship Federation. A former Eagle Scout, he attended the San Fernando Japanese Language Institute for 10 years.

In just a few months our awardees will disperse throughout the nation: to Indiana University, Brown, the University of Southern California, Emory, and even good old Cal State Northridge. We wish all of them well…and hope they’ll return one day!

Later, Nancy introduced and presented Dr. Hirabayashi with an orchid lei. Dr. Hirabayashi, the “George and Sakaye Aratani Professor of Japanese American Internment, Redress and Community,” and Chair of the Asian American Studies Department at the University of California, Los Angeles, delivered a thoughtful and engaging talk about the contours of the Japanese American community in general and the

Scholarship story continued on page 6

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