San José, CA – On March 25, 200 people marched from San Jose Japantown to San Jose City Hall to express the solidarity between Japanese Americans and American Muslims. Since the election of Donald Trump, many Japanese Americans have been mobilized to oppose the anti-Muslim government policies such as the travel ban from majority-Muslim countries. The march was sponsored by the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee (NOC) and the South Bay Islamic Association (SBIA).

As people assembled for the march, Susan Hayase – former NOC chair and the vice-chairperson of the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund in the period after the fight for redress and reparations – emceed a short program that included welcomes by Reverend Shinya Goto of the First United Methodist Church and Faisal Yazadi of the Evergreen Islamic Center.

The lead banner expressed the theme of the day: “1942-2017, 75 years of resistance. No to concentration camps. No to Islamophobia.” On the way to city hall, the marchers chanted “Hey hey, ho ho, Islamophobia has got to go!” and “Two, four, six, eight, the fight for justice will not wait!” People joined the march along the way.

Once at city hall, emcee began the rally saying, “Welcome, and thank you so much for being here! My name is Lisa Washio-Collette, and on behalf of the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee, we thank you for attending this grassroots day of solidarity between Japanese Americans and American Muslims! The Nihonmachi Outreach Committee is a progressive organization based in the San Jose Japanese American community that is dedicated to educating the public about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, and as a consequence, is committed to defending all people on issues of civil rights, equality, justice, tolerance and peace. We are grateful to be co-sponsoring this event with the South Bay Islamic Association.”

The rally was co-emceed by Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Other speakers at the rally included Judy Mine, Silicon Valley Japanese American Citizens League (JACL); Faisal Yazadi (EIC); Masao Suzuki (NOC); Susan Hayase; Fumiaki Tosu, Casa de Clara Catholic Worker; Jesus Ruíz, People Acting in Community Together (PACT); Ash Kalra, State Assembly District 27 that includes Japantown; Tom Oshidari, San Jose JACL; and Robert Greenfield, African American Community Service Agency.

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The event was emceed by NOC member Masao Suzuki, who pointed out the forces of “racism, war hysteria, and political misleadership” that led to the World War II concentration camps for Japanese Americans were also at work today in attacks on Arab Americans and American Muslims. Jimi Yamaichi, who was sent to the concentration camp at Tule Lake, California, told the audience about his fight to join the local carpenters union, which excluded Japanese and other Asians before World War II. Jimi Yamaichi was also among 26 young men at Tule Lake who refused to be drafted into the U.S. military along with hundreds of others at other camps.

The special guest speaker for the evening was Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations. Billoo commented on CAIR courage award that had be given to Mr. Yamaichi, and in turn was thanked by the emcee, Masao Suzuki, for her work on his behalf after he had been questioned by the FBI in connection with the Federal Grand Jury targeting Midwest anti-war and international solidarity activists. Yasmine Vanya of the South Bay Islamic Association also spoke and thanked the Japanese American community for their solidarity and support in the days following Sept. 11, 2001.

The middle of the program consisted of a candle lighting ceremony as the names of people of the ten World War II concentration camps were read. Etsuko Kohagura, who was also in the Tule Lake concentration camp, her two daughters, a granddaughter, and two great-grandchildren lit the candles as a shakuhachi (a traditional Japanese wind instrument) played in background. After the ceremony, the audience took candles for a procession around Japantown, the historic center of the Japanese American community in San Jose where the Buddhist Church is located.

After the procession there was a short speech by Karen Korematsu, the daughter of Fred Korematsu. Fred Korematsu was one of three Japanese Americans who fought the concentration camps through the courts, eventually taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. While the 1944 Supreme Court ruled that the camps were legal because national security outweighed individual rights and allowed racial discrimination, this was overturned in 1983 when it was shown that the U.S. government deliberately lied to win the case. The state of California just celebrated its first “Fred Korematsu Day” on his birthday, Jan. 30.

The last speaker was Congressman Mike Honda, who represents the 15th district in San Jose. He spoke about how fear led to Japan bashing in the 1980s and compared this to the rising tensions with China today.

At the end of the program the Suzuki, reminded the audience about the continuing struggle of Japanese Latin Americans. The U.S. government held more than 2000 Japanese civilians from Latin America in Department of Justice prison camps at Crystal City, Texas and other sites to be used as prisoner of war exchanges. Japanese Latin Americans were excluded from the 1986 and 1988 redress (apology) and reparations (monetary compensation) awarded to almost all Japanese Americans held in concentration camps on the grounds that they “entered the country illegally” (true enough, since they were rounded up at the behest of U.S. government and brought to the United States at gunpoint). He urged the audience to support the Campaign For Justice (CFJ) efforts to establish an official commission to report on Japanese Latin Americans.

In addition to the record turnout, the audience had large number of young people from local colleges and a good turnout from the local peace and international solidarity movements and the American Muslim community. Local state assemblyman Paul Fong also came with a proclamation from the California state assembly commending the Day of Remembrance event.

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San José, CA – Speaking from behind a symbol of the World War II concentration camps for Japanese Americans, Steve Nagano of the Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress – Los Angeles introduces the film Stand Up for Justice – The Ralph Lazo Story at the San Jose Day of Remembrance event organized by the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee. Ralph Lazo was a young Chicano who went to a concentration camp during World War II, along with his Japanese American friends. This year’s event drew almost 300 people, the largest audience since the 1980s struggle for redress and reparations for Japanese Americans. The event also featured statements from the local Buddhist temple, Methodist church and Islamic mosque, speakers from other Japanese American organizations and politicians, a candlelight procession and cultural performances.

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Fadi Saba, a member of the Coalition for Civil Liberties, said that the attacks on Arabs and Muslims today echo the Palmer Raids of the 1920's, where the U.S. government rounded up and deported thousands of immigrants suspected of being communists. Mark Schlosberg, of the American Civil Liberties Union, warned the audience about the USA Patriot Act, which expands police powers, labels civil disobedience as terrorism, and targets immigrants. Maha El Genaidi, of the Islamic Network Group, raised the question, “Is Islam taking the place of communism in a new cold war?” She also called on individuals to educate themselves and for the community to speak out as a group.

After the panel presentation, members of the audience shared web sites on civil liberties, the concentration camps for Japanese Americans during World War II, and anti-war information. There was a discussion about the Arab Americans who had been fired by Cadence Designs and Macy's. Towards the end of the discussion, Masao Suzuki, a member of the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee, said there was a need to “build a base in the Japanese American community, build ties with Arab, Muslim, and South Asian Americans, and criticize U.S. foreign policy.”

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