A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists.
Host Miko Lee introduces Densho and their podcast series Campu, which tells the story of the Japanese American incarceration as you’ve never heard it before. Follow along to the brother and sister team of Noah and Hana as they weave together stories of the Japanese American incarceration. From mother and daughter to brother and sister this show is called rocks. After that Miko speaks with Jeff Matsuoka, chair of the San Francisco bay area day of remembrance organizing committee.
Campu Episode one & Day of Remembrance Transcript
[00:00:00] Miko Lee: tonight on apex express. I’m your host, Miko Lee. Tonight, we highlight our sister organization Densho and their podcast series Campo, which tells the story of the Japanese American incarceration. As you’ve never heard it before. Follow along to the brother and sister team of Noah and Hannah. More Jamo as they weave together stories of the Japanese American incarceration. From mother and daughter to brother and sister this show is called rocks let’s hear camp.
ROCKS Transcript here and study guide
[00:49:40] Miko Lee: This weekend marks the 80th anniversary of the signing of executive order 9 0 6 6. Since 1978, many states have been honoring this occasion with the day of remembrance celebration. I had the opportunity to speak with Jeff Matsuoka the chair of the San Francisco bay area day of remembrance organizing committee. Take a listen. Welcome Jeff. Matsuoka to apex express. Can you tell us what is the meaning behind the day of remembrance?
[00:50:20] Jeff Matsuoka: The day of remembrance takes place around February 19th of every year. Because that day in 1942 that president Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed executive order nine zero six six, that 120,000 people japanese Americans, mainly from the west would be forcibly removed from their homes and brought to concentration camps, in areas of the United States. The irony of course is that two-thirds of them were American citizens. It really was a rather egregious act in in the aftermath that Pearl Harbor. So the day of remembrance is to remember, that this happened and also to celebrate the fact that, we were able to re redress later on as the result of the actions of a lot of the younger generation, as well as actually the Nisa, any say basically after years of silence came out and told their story, in a series hearings that were held in the early 1980s as a result of a congressional commission that was formed in order to study what happened during the war to Japanese Americans. These investigations eventually resulted in the passage of the civil liberties act of 1988, which awarded $20,000 and a presidential pardon to the 80,000 surviving Japanese-American concentration camp survivor. It’s a great story of perseverance. Remembrance means we want to remember what happened with the resolve that, this will never happen again.
[00:51:55] Miko Lee: We know that there are events happening all across the country. Can you please share with us about this bay area day of remembrance, right?
[00:52:04] Jeff Matsuoka: This year we’re having the 43rd annual San Francisco bay area. This year’s theme is “no one is free until we are all free, 80 years after executive order 9066.” We are going to be commemorating the memory of our issei and surviving nissei who had to go through the egregious action that our government in suffered, in the concentration camps. We also of course, want to commemorate All the great justice seekers who helped our community gain redress from the United States government. We also want to honor those activists today who are still fighting for justice and redress for their communities. This year we’re highlighting the struggles that of our African-American brothers and sisters. For over 30 years, there’s been a bill in Congress called HR 40 house resolution 40, which Establishes the commission very similar to the commission that was established by Congress to steady reparations for Japanese Americans. This bill finally, actually last year when for the first time in 30 years has left the house judiciary committee and is on the floor of the house of representatives for votes. So we’re urging that the Congress, the house of representatives for consideration, because this will be the first step for African Americans to gain redress for all the harms, that they have suffered throughout history in our country and have the same reparations or redress opportunities that we had. This is a very important part of our story as well. We want to advocate for other communities have been harmed. By systematic racism, which unfortunately is, the foundation of our country. This is why it’s important to remember, what happened to us and learn lessons so that we can then reach out to other communities and their struggles so that we could all be in solidarity.
[00:53:59] Miko Lee: I hear you talking about the call to action, which is what the day of remembrance ends with. Can you talk about why it’s important to end with a call of action?
[00:54:10] Jeff Matsuoka: The business of reparations is not done. Repair of our society is not done. So that’s where the call of action becomes very important because we need to continue to work together in solidarity to make sure is that the greater freedoms and opportunities essentially that our constitution has offered everybody in the United States is continuing to carry forward so that, those opportunities are available to everyone regardless of socioeconomic religious or racial origin. This is the promise of America, and that’s why it’s so important that the call of action advocates for causes that will further equal justice before the law and before our society.
[00:54:54] Miko Lee: Can you tell us about some of the performances and some of the other elements that the day of remembrance celebration in San Francisco bay area makes up?
[00:55:03] Jeff Matsuoka: We’re very lucky to have some great artists in the San Francisco bay area who be part of our program. Anthony Brown we’ll be performing orchestral piece based on EO 9066 jerry walkie is a spoken word artist and Lauren Ito is a poet this year she is going to be reading a poem in honor of the late Janice Mirikatani who was, great activists in our community as well as in the African-American community. So Lori, compose a poem basically in honor of Janice who read a poem on our first Day of Remebrance 43 years ago, held at Tanforan. It’s going to be really great performances. They’re also very timely given our theme.
[00:55:47] Miko Lee: Thank you so much. How could our listeners be involved usually day of remembrance is in person but of course, with COVID, how can folks get involved?
[00:55:58] Jeff Matsuoka: Yes, you’re right. Because of the, COVID a situation we have not been able to hold a live day of remembrance for our second consecutive year. But nonetheless, we found that now that we’re virtual, we’re actually able to reach audiences around the country. We invite everybody to participate in our virtual event. The San Francisco bay area Day of Remembrance will take place on Saturday, February 19th, 2022 from five to 6:30 PM pacific time. It’s a virtual zoom event. We hope that you can join us. One of the highlights of our program. Is the candle lighting ceremony. This is a ceremony in which we commemorate the survivors at each of the 10 WRA cans, war relocation, authority camps, which Japanese Americans and Japanese issei were held as well as a candle for department for justice camp. Especially set up for mainly Japanese Latin American descent. This is a very solemn, but also a very important part of the day of remembrance ceremony. The call to action is also for Jap based Latin American reparations. The Japanese Latin Americans were unfortunately excluded from the agreement that culminated in the civil liberties act in 1988. So we’re looking for reparations for not only African-Americans, but also for our Japanese American Latin brothers and sisters.
[00:57:31] Miko Lee: Thank you so much.
[00:57:32] Jeff Matsuoka: Thanks very much Mikko.
[00:57:33] Miko Lee: Apex express is a proud member of acre Asian-Americans for civil rights and equality. Find out [email protected]. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing. Keep creating and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important. Apex express is produced by Preti Mangala-Shekar, Tracy Nguyen, Miko Lee Jalena Keane-Lee and jessica Antonio. Tonight’s show was produced by your hosts, Miko Lee, and Jalena Keane-Lee thanks to KPFA staff for their support and have a great night.