BIJAC - NEWSLETTER 2003

The proposed national memorial (Nidoto Nai Yoni – Let It Not Happen Again), located at the site of the old Eagledale ferry landing where the first Nikkei in American history were sent to concentration camps in World War II, has taken some big steps closer to becoming a reality.

Partnership with the City

Perhaps the most important step was the unanimous support from the Bainbridge Island City Council and Mayor Darlene Kordonowy when on June 15, 2004 they passed a resolution that allows work on Phase I of the memorial to officially begin.

B.I. Resolution 2004-24 created a partnership between the city, the memorial committee and BIJAC to begin spending the $500,000 state grant awarded last year, funds which must be spent by June, 2005 or they would be lost.

The resolution spells out what the city will do to help make the project a reality, which includes waiving all permit fees, removal and relocation of the pump house, relocation and construction of a new access road and parking, and staff time to coordinate the state grant and construction project. All told, the city’s costs will be around $163,000 – costs that otherwise would have come out of the $500,000 state grant.

I had the pleasure to work with the city to ensure that the interests and concerns of the community were represented in the resolution, and testified before the city council thanking the city for their support to date and urged passage of the resolution.

Grant Covers Costs

Under the resolution, the $500,000 state grant will cover costs including final design work, site clearing and grading, stabilizing the shoreline, protecting the nationally historic cedar tree from falling into Eagle Harbor, an interpretive kiosk and signage.

Architect and Bainbridge Islander Johnpaul Jones and his firm Jones and Jones are tapped a project designers and will be holding workshops to finalize the design, and project management consultant and islander Bob Crowell has volunteered his time–and enlisted the help of several other island engineers and professionals–to see to it that the building permits are done right and in a timely manner.

Volunteer Builders

Speaking of volunteers, one that rises to the top of the list is John Buday, a master timber framer who along with his colleague Kevin Coker approached BIJAC last year and offered the talents and work of the Timber Framers Guild to build the interpretive center.

Since the interpretive center, depending on fund raising, will be part of Phase II or III, they offered to design and build – at their own time and expense – the entry gates. The gate blends classic Pacific Northwest design with inspiration from traditional Japanese elements, and it will be temporarily located in front of the Winslow Post Office, where it will remain as an informational kiosk while the memorial is constructed and moved to the memorial when the site is ready. As currently envisioned, the entire memorial including a pier, interpretive center and contemplative areas is projected to cost $4 million. •••

ENTER THE GATE!

Before summer’s end, the Japanese American community of Bainbridge Island will have a tangible beginning to the Nidoto Nai Yoni memorial. This will be in the form of a hooded (roofed) gate installed near the entry of the Post Office in Winslow. The construction and design will be a mix of Japanese and American traditional timber framing. Members of the Timber Framers Guild will provide the labor.

Port Orford Cedar, a wood species much prized by woodworkers and shipwrights, has been generously donated by a mill in Oregon. The fine cedar shingles are donated by BIJAC member and all-around good guy, James Matsudaira. And the copper sheeting is being fabricated in Seattle and paid for by funds from the memorial project.

What Is Timber Framing?

A few centuries ago it was what was called by people in many parts of the world “carpentry.” Whereas typical light-frame construction today involves many slender sticks of wood, a typical timber frame structure requires a much smaller number of stout posts and beams, shaped at their connections to lock together. Modern timber frame work is generally exposed.

What We Do

The Timber Framers Guild is a non-profit educational membership association. Our goal is to educate members as well as the public in the techniques and theories of contemporary and historic timber framing, the centuries-old construction system of large posts and beams.

We host conferences, provide a wide variety of technical and training materials, and teach an extensive series of hands-on workshops passing on the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain this tradition and to produce beautiful and useful structures.

The Guild looks to be involved in the memorial project through its completion. It is expected that many of the structures will take advantage of the time and skills that will be donated by members over the next few years.

We see this project as an opportunity to make a lasting statement and to help to heal an old wound in the body of our society. This was something that has implications for all Americans and all Americans must be aware, be involved and not forget, ever. And that we all have the skill to build.

—John Buday [More info at www.tfguiId.org] •••

DONATIONS WELCOME!

Generous donations to the Memorial Fund are rolling in, most notably, $10,000 from David Myers, and $25,000 from the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club. Details at www.bijac.org. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the Bainbridge Island WW II Nikkei Internment and Exclusion Memorial Committee (Japanese American Memorial Committee), PO Box 10355, Bainbridge Island, WA, 98110. For information, please contact Clarence at clarence@bainbridge.net or (206) 855-9038. •••

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NIDOTO NAI YONI — DEDICATION SPEECH

On March 30 this year, BIJAC president Frank Kitamoto delivered the following speech at a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial

It was exactly 62 years ago at this time when military trucks— soldiers with rifles and fixed bayonets—brought us to this site. Of the 276 of us on the Island, 227 were here, ranging in age from 9 months to 72 years. Six men had already been inducted into the U.S. Army. Thirteen men had been previously sent to concentration camps in Missoula, Montana and Santa Fe, New Mexico. A few were in college east of the Cascades. Some were trapped in Japan during the war.

extra! Three families, the Shibayamas, the Haruis and the Sekos had “voluntarily” moved to Moses Lake in a brief window between March 24 and March 30th before the Army abruptly closed the window, ordering that all Islanders of Japanese descent were confined to Bainbridge Island and no person of Japanese descent could come here from off the Island.

Two-thirds of us were American citizens by birth. The other third were not allowed to become naturalized citizens by law, but were Bainbridge Islanders and “Americans” by choice, having lived on the Island for 22 to 52 years.

Some say we were removed for our own protection. If this was true, the sobering thought is that then the rifles and bayonets were to be used against our friends, neighbors and classmates who had come to say goodbye

Some of us felt humiliated, herded like cattle down this long road and dock to the waiting ferry, the Kelohken. Others were in shock, not able to recollect the details of the day.

Children thought it was an adventure. Mothers whose husbands had been taken away in early February by the FBI were occupied with their children and how they were to survive. Soldiers were carrying children, carrying suitcases for mothers. Many soldiers had tears in their eyes.

I don’t remember the day. I was just 2-1/2 years old. A fourth grader once asked me why did you have to go to concentration camp? I told her I think it was because our government thought we were dangerous and could be spies. She gave me a quizzical look and said “How could you be a spy at 2-1/2?”

Years of Toil

What and for whom is the Bainbridge Island WW II Nikkei Exclusion Memorial, Contemplative Garden and Interpretive Center? It’s for our first generation Issei pioneers who first came to the Island in 1883. They cleared most of the land on the Island to grow strawberries. After over 30 years of toiling to build a future for their children they lost it all. Our last Issei, Mrs. Takemoto, passed away last year.

It’s for the second generation, the Nisei, then in their 20s, who had to assume leadership and decision making when the Issei were taken away. It’s for the Nisei who served with the U.S. armed forces during WW II, the 60 men and two women who returned to help their parents start over. Over a third of our Nisei have passed away.

And it is for the Sansei, our third generation who continue the recovery and see the need to promote healing of wounds from the past and champion the future. Our Sansei are now beginning to die. These are the influences from our past. Despite the 3-1/2 years of exile, those influences have instilled in us the love of our country, the United States of America, and the belief that we are fortunate to be Americans.

For All Americans

This memorial is also for Walt and Millie Woodward, for Ken Myers, for Genevive Williams, for the Tarabochias, the Jacobis, the Cumles, the Johnsons, the Champenesses, the Andersons, the Nartes, the Madayags, the Rabers, our classmates, and the many others who supported us.

It’s for those who fear that anything about our forced removal and imprisonment is criticism of our government and is unpatriotic. It is for those who can’t see the yin and yang, the dangers of protectionism from “fear,” such as the Patriot Act. Laws to help us feel safe may take away rights and freedom. Walt Woodward said if we can suspend the Bill of Rights for Japanese Americans it can be suspended for fat Americans or blue-eyed Americans. Can we see that what happens to one of us can set a precedence for what can happen to any of us.

There was never an instance when a person of Japanese ancestry from America was convicted of being a spy for Japan. But the point is, even if there was one or a hundred that is not justification for imprisoning 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry. If this was so, mass arrests and imprisonment of Caucasian men should have occurred after Oklahoma City. This memorial is, then for all Japanese Americans, all Japanese Canadians, all Japanese South Americans, all Middle Eastern Americans—all Americans regardless of color, race or ethnicity.

And For the Children

Most of all this memorial is for our children. In 2050, people of color will outnumber our current majority population in the U.S. Does the majority now try to hold onto power through manipulation and coercion, or learn to lead by reaching outward, listening and caring and being responsible to all seeing differences as a plus, powerful, and desirable?

Can we break the cycle of fear—protecting ourselves by creating more fear in others, who in turn strike back at us creating more fear, etc.? Will we learn to be less self-centered—to choose to act in love instead of fear to take that risk—to make a difference? No one likes to be bullied or told what’s best for them. You know what little dogs do to big wheels especially if they’re standing in their street. As the saying goes, “those who think they know it all upset those of us who do...”

Can we get beyond General Dewitt’s statement that “a Jap is a Jap”? Can we get beyond “an American needs to act and look like an American”? Charles Tesconi said the American Nationality is still forming and is not yet in its final form—if there ever is to be a final form. Can we see America as a beautiful colorful “salad bowl” instead of a “melting pot”? The money for the land for the memorial has been obtained and we are well on our way to raise the $8 million needed to purchase Pritchard Park in its entirety. But, the $3.5 million to build the memorial still needs to be raised to make it a reality for not only America but for all people of the world. Can we get beyond “Can we all get along”?

To put things in perspective, Walt, then in his early 30s, had owned The Bainbridge Review for only about a year. His stance lost both advertisers and subscribers to the paper, and yet he continued to hold his position. Paul Ohtaki, Sada Omoto, Tony Koura, and finally Sa Koura-Nakata, as each of her predecessors left to serve in the U.S. Army, were asked by Walt to write weekly articles that he published in The Review. Walt said, “I know you’ll be coming back some day and I don’t want people to forget you.’’

I cherish the times, long after my return to the Island, when Walt accompanied me on long drives to schools around the Puget Sound area to talk to students. I loved hearing about his life, his views and his philosophy. He said to me, “Frank, I don’t know why I’m getting these awards and all this attention. You guys are the real heroes. You’re the ones who went through all the hardships, made the best of it, showed your loyalty to our country, and returned to be an integral part of our community. I just said and did what I had to.” I thought wow, here’s a man who really is a hero, a very special person. He doesn’t see himself as the main character in the “movie,” the white person who rides in to rescue everyone and is the “star.”

I remember at a high school honors class where one of the students said, “If the majority of the people at that time felt it was best for the country to remove the Japanese Americans, doesn’t that make it all right?” Walt immediately jumped in and said, “You’re saying that Mob Rule is all right! That constitutional rights don’t count!” He then launched into a lecture about the sanctity of the Bill of Rights!

Mary Woodward, who accepted the Kansha Award posthumously for her dad in San Francisco, reminded us that he would say, “if it could happen to Japanese Americans, it can happen to blue-eyed Americans or Rotary Americans or School Teacher Americans.” If it happens to one of us, it can happen to all of us. I can argue that because of our experiences in the past, it is our legacy as Japanese Americans to stand up and be advocates for those whose rights under the Bill of Rights are violated, especially on the basis of their ethnicity, color of skin, nationality, race, or religious or sexual preference. Seeking safety through silence, in the past, now, and in the future, has not, is not, and will not be the answer. We must remember that anyone that violates our constitutional rights or for that matter the principles of human decency and dignity toward anyone is no friend of any of us. •••

PUBLIC EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS

Since the beginning of the year, Gerald Nakata and I have gone to many classrooms and civic and service groups to present a slide presentation on the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community experience, “American History from a Different Perspective.” The venues have been on Bainbridge, in Redmond, West Seattle, Bethel, Beacon Hill, Marysville, Queen Anne Hill, Bellvue, Poulsbo, Seattle Center, the submarine base at Bangor and elsewhere.

In addition, with the “Breaking the Silence” theatrical group, I gave slide presentations in Seattle, Centralia, the Yakima Valley, the Columbia Basin, Pasco and Spokane.

Any organization or teacher interested in a 45-minute slide presentation followed by a question and answer period can contact me at (206) 842-4772 or 842-5094.

WHY THE SCRAPBOOK NOW?

On my trip to the Island in March 1999, some who saw my scrapbook suggested I print it—the story of Walt and Mildred Woodward (and The Review) for their fair-minded stand during WW II. I wasn’t quite ready for that, but did look into it and found printing the book was quite expensive. However, I did prepare for such a project by seeking permission from all the publishers and authors of the articles to reproduce in a book form. As I pondered on a decision, five years have quickly gone by (thank the Lord I made it).

But time does go by fast, so I took Joan Piper’s suggestion, She said “temporarily, why don’t you have the book made by the new copy machine process—at least the book would be documented.” Thus, I had fifty copies made. I promptly distributed some books to historical societies, libraries, historians, known interested parties, etc. Surprisingly, I have been having good responses. At the rate it is going, I don’t know how many of the books I will have left.

There are two reason for my making the book now. First, I want the Woodward story and their daring stand documented for the sake of history. Second, I wish that this book might prompt many of the old-timers (the numbers are getting fewer fast) to open up and tell their experiences of the evacuation. They have many, many vivid stories to tell—they have suppressed them. They should tell the stories to some young person might want to write and documentary on the whole Bainbridge Island evacuation from a Nikkei point of view.

—Paul Ohtaki

NOTE: Paul has a few copies of his scrapbook left. He says donations can be given to the Woodward Fund. It cost him about $30 per book to print and mail. Contact him at (415) 661-6311 or email: kpohtaki@aol.com. •••

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A Study at Sakai Intermediate School

"LEAVING OUR ISLAND"

by Marie Marrs, Teacher and Project Director

"After Silence," a 30-minute video by Lois Shelton, is one of a growing collection of new, multimedia tools we are developing to reach out to the general community (please see Lois’ tale of the video’s origins elsewhere in this issue). The video has been sent out to all high schools in Washington State, accompanied by a study guide. It has been shown locally at three film festivals, "Celluloid Bainbridge," "The Conscientious Projector," and the "Port Townsend Film Festival," on Bainbridge Island Broadcasting, and on KCTS Broadcasting.

The students, who appeared with me in the footage, were reluctant at first to have their names associated with the video. But after they saw a preview, they said, "Lois, it’s ok to put our names in the credits." Two other new videos, both 12 minutes long, and produced by Lucy Ostrander and Don Sellers for IslandWood, also are related to BIJAC. The first, entitled "Port Blakely: Memories of a Mill Town," features Sam Nakao who was born at Port Blakely. The second, called "The Red Pines," features Junkoh Harui, along with Fumiko Hayashida, Hisa Hayashida Matsudaira and Lilly Kitamoto Kodama.

Some three hundred Bainbridge Island 6th graders learned last winter what life was like during World War II for the Japanese islanders who were exiled from their homes in the name of national security.

Last February, Bainbridge Island’s Sonoji Sakai Intermediate School (grades 5 and 6) commemorated the forced exclusion and incarceration of Japanese Americans with a special unit of study entitled “Leaving Our Island.” The unit had the broader goal of helping 6th-grade students understand the possible dangers of overzealous homeland security measures when our nation is in crisis.

video I had taken a University of Washington class the previous spring on East Asian history, sponsored by the Freeman Foundation. To fulfill its requirements, I wrote a curriculum I thought was suitable for the 6th graders I was teaching in U.S. history. Our textbook had only one paragraph about the WW II incarceration, yet I knew Bainbridge was the first place from which Japanese residents were forcibly excluded. Not only did Japanese make many significant contributions to our island, our own school was named to honor Sonoji Sakai. It seemed more than appropriate to use the WW II incarceration to teach students a wider lesson on constitutional rights, especially in light of developments after 9/11.

As we were organizing for the new school year in 2003, I received information about the Washington Civil Liberties Public Education Program set up by the legislature to fund teaching units such as the one I had written. It was an amazing coincidence. Our principal, Jo VanderStoep, urged me to apply. The rest is history. We were fortunate to receive $17,000 to implement the curriculum with teaching and reference materials and planning time for our teachers. The first year was wonderfully successful, assuring that this curriculum will become a permanent part of 6th graders’ academic experiences at Sakai.

Class Projects

To begin the study, students were organized into literature groups; each one read a novel that portrayed on a personal level what life was like during this period for Japanese residents. Groups of six or seven students were then designated as families, and each group undertook research to discover what had happened to their family, before, during, and after WW II. We soon discovered it was too difficult to research all the actual families; instead, groups chose a family name and created a fictitious story based on events as they might have happened. Each group created a nine-panel storyboard, depicting their family’s saga for display in Sakai hallways. To help students with their research, a number of activities were planned: a Forum Day, a Field Trip Day, assemblies with Seattle’s Living Voices Theater and Dr. Frank Kitamoto, numerous historically accurate videos, and the use of the Densho archives.

Forum Day was a major event. Using the BIJAC membership list, we invited people who either had been incarcerated, had had family incarcerated, or were friends of people who were incarcerated. We served a light luncheon to about forty wonderful, willing participants, who then were escorted to classrooms where they served in panels to answer student questions. Students loved hearing firsthand accounts of what actually happened.
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Field Trip Day was conducted on the National Day of Rememberance of the incarceration, February 19. Our 300 6th graders were bused to the public library to learn the history of the beautiful garden dedicated to Issei settlers and to study the nature of haiku. They had lunch at the Filipino Hall, to learn its historic significance and the ties between these two ethnic communities. Back at Sakai, students visited sites set up around the building, learning about Sakai’s art installations, events connected to the incarceration, and the proposed memorial dock site in Bainbridge.

Our grant funded the construction of a full-scale barrack shack, similar to those at Manzanar, which we outfitted with authentic cots, straw mattresses, and even a coal-burning stove. Many students commented that they were particularly affected by seeing what the barracks were really like. We’ve now donated the barrack and artifacts to the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum. In future years, students will also visit the museum, newly relocated to the downtown core, and the proposed memorial site at the Eagledale departure dock.

In Times of Peril

When our students started synthesizing all the information they learned into storyboards, we teachers realized how successful our curriculum had been. Not only had students learned about this period in our nation’s history, they had also transferred those lessons to the broader goal of understanding the importance of protecting the civil liberties of all citizens in times of national peril. Many thanks need to go to the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community for helping us succeed. Without BIJAC’s unfailing willingness to answer questions, share personal and family experiences, and to serve as docents, we would not have been so successful. With out grant funding, we commissioned Scott Schmidt at B.I. Broadcasting to create a video of our efforts. BIB-Channel 12 aired it this summer. I’ve also given a copy to Frank Kitamoto for the BIJAC library. You will see many smiling BIJAC faces on that film! Thank you again for all your help. •••

Bainbridge Island Teachers Describe

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

by Faith Chapel, Assistant Superintendent, Bainbridge Island School District

The Bainbridge Island School District’s Multicultural Advisory Council and Multicultural Lead Teachers are committed to involving all students in a meaningful and varied multicultural education program. These two groups have forged a strong partnership during the past two years through a series of joint meetings and the development of a common definition and set of goals for multicultural education. The new definition, stated below, has served as a catalyst for staff discussions and development of district goals. During this past year, all of our Bainbridge Island schools agreed to focus on helping students develop a strong sense of self-identity and self-worth, and develop an understanding of and appreciation for persons of diverse backgrounds and circumstances. During the course of the year, our Multicultural Lead Teachers asked their colleagues to share examples of the lessons and activities that were conducted to meet these goals. The following is a sampling of the responses provided by classroom teachers at all levels.

High School

• English: Writing opportunities are provided in English classes that allow students to examine ethical and sometimes moral questions; they write personal narratives about themselves and their experiences. Personal narratives also encourage students to reflect on and celebrate their own histories. Cross-cultural understanding is emphasized in many English classes through comparison of varying belief systems as illustrated in Latin American, Asian, and African literature.

• Leadership: In the Youth Lead and Serve Club, I train students in cultural competency and diversity education before they go out into the community to do service learning projects. We are just completing a year-long project on privilege and how it affects our daily lives. Finally, we are beginning a unit on oppression and ageism.

• Social Studies: In my history class, among other topics, we examined the issues surrounding the Middle East. We studied the foundation of belief systems that have emerged from this region (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). We discussed the history of the region, focusing on the impact of different religious groups and countries and their respective interests in the future of Iraq—Shia, Sunni, Kurds, Iran, Kuwait, Turkey, etc. In addition, we spent time exploring the modern history of the Palestinian region and modern Israel. Similar cultural explorations were conducted as we studied the modern histories of post-WW II Asia, Africa, and Latin America this past semester.

• World Languages: World Language classes place emphasis on not only the linguistic elements of languages but also emphasize the importance of developing a deeper understanding of the various different groups who speak these languages throughout the world. In addition to classroom experiences, a direct means to develop a deeper multicultural understanding is offered through annual programs that take students to diverse regions of the world such as France, Nicaragua, and Russia. All of these experiences help to develop a more well-rounded, global citizen.

• Photography: This semester, many students spent an evening at the Seattle Art Museum to see the photography exhibit “ Only Skin Deep.” This exhibit shows how powerful photography is when depicting persons of color. This exhibit had a strong impact on my students and many were somewhat disturbed by the images they saw. There was a good discussion on the ferry on the way home.

Intermediate and Middle School

• Visitors to Sakai can view some of the storyboards constructed by the 6th graders as a culminating project of the “Leaving Our Island” simulation (please see article on facing page). Beginning in late January, 6th graders studied the Japanese American Internment during World War II. Students read several novels including “Journey to Topaz,” “Farewell to Manzanar,” “Under the Blood Red Sun,” and “The Journal of Ben Uchida.” Dr. Frank Kitamoto shared a wonderful family history. Students also met with several members of the Japanese American community in panel interview sessions. Our guests ranged in age, from 85 year-olds who experienced the events, to their grandchildren who learned of the events after so many years. Sixth graders celebrated the National Day of Remembrance on February 19th with a daylong immersion into the history of Bainbridge Island’s Japanese American and Filipino communities. • Grade 8 students planned and presented classroom reports on their own personal ethnic heritage. They held an ethnic potluck lunch for all eighth graders. • The annual Cultural Fair at Woodward Middle School was a wonderful and heartfelt success. Maria Rivera, the district’s Multicultural Coordinator, and the Eighth Grade Social Studies teachers guided students through the process of discovering more about themselves by conducting research, writing a report, creating a display, and conducting a presentation regarding one ancestor or family member. The MAC Council sold books and provided support for this evening event. The Indian Education Parent Council sold fried bread and beverages, and the island’s Filipino Dancers provided entertainment.

• Students participated in the collection of sports equipment and school materials for the Bainbridge Ometepe Sister Island Organization. BHS students transferred and distributed the donated items to young people on the island of Ometepe, Nicaragua, during their delegation’s visit in April.

Elementary Schools

A Blakely first grade teacher reported: “In first grade, we learn a lot about our families and community. We made ‘family trees’ (trees that have a family photo on them) that hang above our desks.” Another teacher stated, “We read lots of books that deal with issues of identify. Examples include: ‘I Like Me!,’ ‘It’s OK to be Different,’ ‘Families,’ ‘Sam Is My Half-Brother,’ ‘Who’s in a Family,’ ‘All Families are Different,’ etc. I like to pick books that represent each of the kids in my class, whether they are from a divorced family or from a family with a member who has a disability or come from a different culture. These books always spark outbursts of ‘I have two moms!’ and then we often have very interesting class discussions.”

This semester was highlighted by a singing venture between Ordway and T.T. Minor Elementary School in Seattle. Our two choruses learned some of the same songs, and then we came together at the end of February to offer an assembly/concert where we shared those songs. The experience for our 3rd graders was memorable. We not only sang with our friends from Seattle; they came for the whole afternoon, so we had a chance to play on the playground together and to sit and have a lunch together. Before the concert, we had an awesome rehearsal. Children were sharing their own styles of singing and their own arrangements of the pieces we sang. The conductor of the T.T. Minor chorus was a gifted musician, and he brought the music to the children in a way that Ordway’s music teacher could not do. Children are healers and connectors. We hope to keep this connection going into 2005 with visits back and forth between the two schools.

Fourth grade students watched Ernest Green while preparing for our Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly. This docudrama is about the first integrated high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. Through the painful experiences presented in the film, these fourth graders could sense how damaging racism, put downs, dirty looks, etc. are to one’s self worth and identity.

This spring, several of our elementary schools had a poignant experience, the opportunity for staff members to hear personal stories from our own community’s multicultural committee. Frank Kitomoto, Karen Vargas, Millie Loughnane, Vince Packard, and Jennie Jones came to share with us their own personal stories of what it is like to be a child of a minority group while growing up and attending school. They spoke about their childhoods, their experiences in public school, what they feel are the concerns they have for our island’s young people. These stories have made a profound impact on our staff.

(Pages 6-7)

AN IMPULSIVE IMMIGRANT

by Michi Shibayama Tsukada

My father, Kamekichi Shibayama, was born and raised in Aichi Prefecteure near the city of Nagoya, Japan, on November 24, 1892. He had three brothers and three sisters, he being the oldest boy in the family. He only went to the fourth grade at school, worked for his aunt in her hardware store, and at age 18, worked on a ship that docked at Port Blakely to pick up lumber from the Port Blakely Mill, the world’s largest sawmill at that time.
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He had heard of people “jumping ship,” and he said he never really seriously considered doing it himself, but one day, he noticed that the deck of the ship and the level of the dock happened to be about the same, and he impulsively jumped off the ship onto the dock!

He had only five yen ($2.50); he walked until it became too dark, and lay down to sleep, which turned out to be where Bainbridge High School is today. In the morning, he brushed off the frost and walked north. He came upon a bay (Port Madison) which he thought was a lake; he bent down to drink and was so surprised to find it to be salt water!

A Friendly Farmer

He headed back south again, heard a boat whistle from Fletcher’s Bay, decided he might be able to get on the boat to Seattle. However, on the way, he drank water from a brook; noticed an empty Japanese soy sauce barrel nearby, and knew it must be from the home of a Japanese farmer. He found the farmer tending his chickens and asked him for help. The farmer said he got himself into trouble before when he helped someone, so he refused at first. Later, however, after a couple of temporary overnight stays, he reconsidered and allowed him to live with him because he proved to be a hard worker.

There is a new public swimming pool, the Don Nakata Memorial Pool, and Bainbridge Island artist, Maggie Smith, designed a ceramic wall mural, “Water Quilt,” incorporating quotations from my father and others about drinking water from the brook near that farmer’s home.

Although my father’s picture appeared in the post office, thankfully he was not apprehended and much later entered the U.S. legally after a visit to Japan. The farmer and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Uhichi Matsushita, had two daughters who became like his sisters. Haruko, many years later, managed his San Telmo Apartment, and Asako, managed his Terry Stewart Apartment. After living with the Matsushita family for a year, he had saved $300, and he moved to Seattle where he worked in restaurants, at first as a dishwasher.

A “King” Is Born

At one of his first cooking jobs, he received an order for “a stack of hots.” He didn’t know what that was, and found out it meant a stack of pancakes. After a while he received an offer to be part owner of a restaurant on Occidental Avenue. He bought his share for $300, and sold it for $1250 three years later. A year later, most of the restaurants in the area went broke.

He knew the hotel business had more potential. He acquired many hotels and apartments and became known as the “Japanese Hotel King of Seattle.” Among his holdings were the O.K. Hotel (on Western Avenue), the Stewart Hotel (near the Pike Place Market), the Right Hotel (on First Avenue), the Roslyn Hotel (located where Seattle Center is now, managed by Mrs. Yoshio Noma at one time, and Margie Harui later), Bush Hotel in the International District (he lost it during the Depression and leased it again later when Hatsumi Tsukada managed it for awhile), the Lincoln Courts Apartment in the Capital Hill area (managed by Zenji and Eiko Shibayama), the Dover Apartment at 6th and Marion (managed by Bob and Mary Seko Kono), the Laurelon Terrace Apartment near the University of Washington (managed by George Shibayama), the O’Donnell Apartment, and the aforementioned San Telmo and Terry Stewart Apartments.

His crowning achievement was the huge, beautiful Decatur Apartment near downtown Seattle. He also bought the Innis Arden Square, a strip mall in the Richmond Beach district, the Five Corners Shopping Center in Burien, and the Village Shopping Center on Bainbridge Island; (Hatsumi Tsukada helped Zenji Shibayama with its sale after which Safeway replaced The Village Foods).

A Family Man

In 1921, he married Kimiye Seko, who lived on New Brooklyn Road, up the hill from the Matsushita farm. Within the next 21 years, they had six children: George Kameichi, Zenji, Kimiko, Michiko, Masaru, and James Shigeru. Thirteen grandchildren were born between 1954 and 1968 (three grandaughters and ten grandsons). If they were alive today, they would have 12 great grandchildren, the latest born this September.

In 1933, he felt that my mother, who had developed tuberculosis, needed to live in the fresh country air, so he, his brother-in-law, Kaichi Seko, and friend, Yahachi Suzuki, built his five bedroom family home on Miller Road, for $200 in materials. Almost every door was different because he had bought them at second hand stores and at auctions.

Under Suspicion

After the start of World War II, Japanese families knew they were under suspicion, and they burned and destroyed family heirlooms, mementos, and Japanese artifacts in hopes of avoiding arrest. Shortly after December 7, 1941, the F.B.I. came knocking on the door. They were two young men who were courteous and appeared almost apologetic for what they were about to do. If memory serves, they went all through the house, looking through closets and drawers, etc. and found maps from Mr. Zenmatsu Seko’s Bainbridge Gardens store, owned by my mother’s father who, with his wife, lived with us. They also found a short-wave radio, a model airplane that son, George had made from a kit, and photos of airplanes on his bedroom wall, for which they instantly arrested Mr. Seko and took him away. Mr. Shibayama fortunately happened to be away that day, and later thankfully and cleverly was able to elude and avoid arrest by the F.B.I. Mr. Seko was initially taken to the Immigration Station in Seattle where we were able to visit him.

We had never seen him looking so wan and distraut; he looked as though he had not eaten or slept at all since his arrest. At that time, my father also looked terribly wan, distraut, and extremely worried. Later, Mr. Seko was transferred to an all-male detention camp in Fort Missoula, Montana, where he remained until his release the following September. While there, he and other detainees, or prisoners, made use of the beautiful Montana rocks and pieces of wood and branches, making vases and other artifacts. He was gone about eight months, but it seemed much, much longer. It was devastating to his spirit, his health and his business.

Proud Citizens

Meanwhile, he was able to purchase a large farm at Moses Lake, Washington, east of the Cascade Mountains, making it allowable for us to live there. Thankfully, we did not have to go with the rest of the Bainbridge Island Japanese population to Manzanar, California Relocation Center, (actually more like a prison camp because it was surrounded by barbed wire fences with guard towers with guns pointing inward).

Initially, the Zenhichi Harui (Zenmatsu Seko’s brother) family went there with us; it was March, 1942. Later the Koba family and the Tad Sakuma family joined us there until the War ended in August, 1945. my father, Mr. Harui and later Mr. Seko tried truck farming the first year, but later concentrated on farming dry onions. The Kobas and Tad farmed potatoes. Most people at Moses Lake had never seen a person of Japanese ancestry, but thankfully, for the most part, they were kind and accepting.

During this time, his businesses were being managed by the John Davis Company. Soon after the War ended, we returned to Bainbridge Island. Thanks to editors and publishers of The Bainbridge Review, Walt and Millie Woodward, who were huge supporters of the Japanese Americans, they emphasised the fact that the Bill of Rights was not upheld; our transition to life back on Bainbridge was smooth and without incident. However, our house was rented out during the War and we found the nicer items were missing.

Father went back to his life as a business man, commuting back and forth on the ferry every day, acquiring and selling properties, also “playing” the stock market. When obtaining American citizenship became available, both parents jumped at the chance. They both studied hard and were successful on their first try; my mother was especially relieved to have passed the test! They finally became proud citizens of the United States of America!

From the Other Side

He was impressed with our American history, and was full of wonderment and very grateful and appreciative of our great country. As a father, he had high moral values, and one glare or a few angry words were enough to keep us in line. As a matter of fact, years later after his passing, his daughter went to bed angry with her husband after a fight. The next morning, she dreamed of him looking angrily at her and she actually heard his voice! He said only one word, her name,“Michiko!” She thought, “Oh my goodness! He’s still checking up on me from the Other Side!”

He was rather stern, but he was kind and generous. He would often say, “Shinsetsu ni shinasai,” which means “be kind and considerate.” He was protective of us and we always felt safe and knew he would take care of us. He loved growing vegetables and fruits in his garden which he shared with his Seattle friends, much to their delight.

He was only 5’1” tall, very active, healthy, and inquisitive. He went to the Puyallup Fair every year, sometimes with family, sometimes alone, because he “had to have a Fisher Scone” (at one point in his life, he had worked in a bakery). He loved to travel, which he did mostly in tour groups, however he also took various family members on car trips near and far, mostly to National Parks. He always went with a movie camera and a 35mm camera. As a senior citizen, he was tossed in a blanket (a Native American tradition) at Point Barrow, Alaska, he was kicked by a kangaroo in Australia, he raved about the pastry in Denmark, he went to Russia when it was first opened to tourism, he especially liked Brazil (probably because of the large Japanese population) and of course, Japan, where he was able to meet his siblings, some of whom he helped support financially.

A Proud Moment

His proudest moment was when he went to Japan in 1971 to receive the Sixth Order of the Sacred Treasure medal from the Japanese government, a medal given to Japanese who leave their native land and distinguish themselves in another country. Later a celebration dinner was held for him and co-medal winner, Mr. Yoshito Fujii, by the Seattle Japanese community. Another more private dinner was held to honor him at Bush Garden restaurant with his family, extended families and friends. He developed prostate cancer and died at the home of his daughter, Kimi and son-in-law, Tak Momoda who had taken care of him during the last months of his life. He was 84 years old and died on June 4, 1977. •••

BACK TO FOR THE FUTURE

Tell us your stories! In a number of continuing, interrelated BIJAC projects, we are bringing together biographical sketches, anecdotes, sayings and other written material that help to tell the story of Japanese American life on Bainbridge Island and the surrounding region. Together with our Oral History project (see page 11) and growing collection of photos and other artifacts, this material is being organized and preserved for many generations to come.

Michi Tsukada’s rememberance of her father here was originally written for her grandchildren, and like the articles by Carole Ann Kubota and Shimako Kitano elsewhere in this issue, affords not only a fascinating look into history, but also as an inspirational guide to what the future can hold.

Your memories are unique and valuable, and you don’t have to be a professional writer to get them into print. In future issues of BIJAC NEWS, we’d like to publish them all (space permitting) and remember, they can also be published on our website, where there is virtually no limit on length.

Speaking of the website, be sure to check out last summer’s BIJAC NEWS where you’ll find a wonderful piece about Ken Myers by his son, Dick, a touching tribute to Akio Suyematsu by Gerard Bentry, and other reminders that the entire community of Bainbridge Island, not just those of Japanese ancestry, highly values the contributions made by the Issei and their descendants.

For information about how to send us your stories and how they might be structured, please contact Dr. Frank Kitamoto at (206) 842-4772 or our editor, Mac Davis, at (206) 842-9268 or mac@mcedit.com.

NATIONAL MONUMENT STATUS

A preliminary draft of the General Management Plan (GMP), a 215-page documentary, has been written. The public meetings and workshops have played a significant part in the draft alternatives. In May of this year, Beth Takekawa, Associate Director of the Wing Luke Asian Museum, Yosh Nakagawa and I, representing the Seattle area planning team, met with Anna Tamura of the National Parks Service and Cassie Chin of the Wing Luke Museum to go over this first draft; we made comments and formed a collective opinion which was sent to the core planning team.

tsuru We reiterated our concern that constitutional rights, not merely civil rights, were violated and that the older Nikkei were affected the most by the incarceration and their strength of character, will and creative adaptation to a trying time should be highlighted and cannot be stressed enough. We pointed out the danger of romanticizing our experiences of this time as much of the anecdotes are now from those of us in our 60s and 70s who were small children during WW II. I plead guilty to this: I have played the subservient role, tried not to “rock the boat,” have used euphemisms such as relocation instead of concentration camp and have felt apologetic for causing discomfort…a legacy of feeling shame for being Japanese and therefore the “enemy” in the majority’s eyes. Thankfully, the younger Nikkei carry no such baggage and are dedicated to ensuring the monument will tell our historical story truthfully and completely.

The draft is projected for completion later this year and will be sent to the Washington D.C. headquarters of the National Park Service for review. The NPS in charge of the Minidoka National Monument, headed by Neil King, will continue its commitment to gathering public input by making the final draft available to the public, and has planned public meetings in April and May, 2005.

—Lilly Kodama

A PERSONAL PILGRIMAGE

Our latest pilgrimage to Minidoka lasted two days, from June 25, 2004. Along with Islanders Junji (and Kathy) Yukawa and Toshi Yukawa Sunohara and 150 other people, I take the long pilgrimage from Bellevue and Portland to Minidoka. The 12-hour bus ride is long but well-planned, with frequent rest stops for us senior citizens, videos, snacks and story telling about concentration camp experiences. My seatmate by chance is Dr. Larry Matsuda, recent recipient of the University of Washington Distinguished Alumni Award. He was born in Minidoka.

We tour a preserved barrack at the I Farm, about five minutes from Twin Falls. A highlight for me is finding hanging on a wooden wall a picture of my two sisters-in-law, Kathryn Miyo Babe Yoshida and Joanne Kiyo Baba Okada, as children looking out of a train window leaving for Minidoka from Puyallup.

We visit the College of Southern Idaho to see Teresa Tamura’s photo display on Minidoka. Behold, she has several pictures of us Islanders then and now, including a picture of our recently dedicated memorial rock. Teresa is at the pilgrimage and expresses her desire to return to the Island to add more of us to her collection.

The National Parks Service guides us on walking tours of the Minidoka site. Much of the previous sage brush-covered land is now lush pasture land as present owners have taken advantage of the irrigation system installed by the camp internees during WW II. The guard house and reception room remain. The rock garden at the entrance has been uncovered. The root cellar is being restored. Inside the earthen cellar it is at least 20 degrees cooler than the 100 degrees we walk in in the afternoon sun. The swimming hole is dried up and looks only like a sage brush-covered depression in the sand. How large and vast this camp looks. The large steel power pole which sits about where someone says block 44 used to be looks tiny on the horizon as we look from the entrance and the administration area.

I wonder how I managed to walk every day to my kindergarten class at Stafford School. I’m sure my oldest sister Lilly at ten years of age, five years older than me, was given the responsibility of making sure I got there and back every day. Memories of my “saved” kindergarten report card enter my mind. I see two “U”s (unsatisfactory) one for citizenship and one for following directions. The comment by the teacher says I’m an aggressive child but I show leadership qualities. (She probably had to strain her brain to come up with something to soften her first comment to help my mother feel better.)

After I returned to the Island and had grown much older I encountered several adults, both men and women, who said “I remember—you were the kid that was crying all the time and hanging on to your mother’s dress. I felt so sorry for your mother.” Maybe it was because my father wasn’t with us most of the time we were in both Manzanar and Minidoka (I rationalize). I find “44 8 E, Block 44, Building 8, Room E” embroideried in my clothes, Mom says its because I kept leaving my clothes everywhere I went.

We have a banquet Saturday night. Yosh Nakagawa gives an inspirational speech on the legacy of our Minidoka experiences. It’s from the heart. It’s moving. We close with a dialogue between the Sansei and Yonsei young people and we who were incarcerated at Minidoka. Closing ceremonies are held at Minidoka in front of the rock garden on Sunday morning. Nisei vets and vets from Twin Falls are the color guards The vets struggle to keep the fl ags upright in the strong wind. We each string a paper crane to a peace umbrella.

On the bus ride back home, a Minidoka Interlude Annual is being circulated. A woman says a man and his wife lost their infant son who passed away before the pictures for the Annual were taken. In the picture for the cabinet makers, this man’s boy’s image appears in his lap, she says. We fl ip through the pages to find the photo. Sure enough, in the second row third from the end is the man with the image. I can feel the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

A group of tired people on two buses finally pulls into Bellevue Community College at 12:23 a.m. I hurriedly load our case containing our proposed WW II Nikkei Memorial exhibit into my van and rush off to catch the 12:45 ferry home.

—Frank Yoshikazu Kitamoto

(Page 10)

GROWING UP JAPANESE ON BAINBRIDGE
by Carole Ann Hatsuko (Koura) Kubota

About a year ago, Uncle Art [Koura] gave me a very old packet of strawberry red cardboard tickets that were used to record the amount of strawberries that a person picked. Each ticket had boxes arranged around the perimeter. You’d take the ticket to the checker who’d punch the ticket according to the number of boxes you had. Each punch was worth 20~25 cents.
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Each ticket also bears the words “Koura and Sons” and as I gaze at a ticket, my throat chokes, my eyes water, and my heart explodes. What is it about this little red cardboard ticket, this artifact from the past, that evokes such strong emotion? I find I am no longer gazing at a ticket but through a window at snapshots of growing up Japanese on Bainbridge Island (we didn’t say “Japanese American” then). Let me share three of these snapshots. They are so sweet they hurt my teeth but there is a sadness that also makes me weep.

• Snapshot: Go. There are Ji-chan and his friends playing the game Go on the thick, wooden board someone made for him when he was interned. The back of the board is inscribed “O. H. Koura, Hunt, Ida., Dec. 25, 1944,” a Christmas present given to him while incarcerated in camp, separated from the rest of his family because he is an Issei leader. He brought the board back to Bainbridge when the Japanese were finally free. I can smell the cigar smoke, see the black-haired men and their stogies through the haze, hear the snap of the white shell pieces and the black slate pieces as they are strategically placed on the board with satisfied grunts from the players. This is a Go tournament and several pairs of men are playing; they are all dressed up, wearing fancy ties and their best jackets. Ji-chan plays Go well but he never talks about where the Go board came from.

•Snapshot: Gohan (rice). There is the food that perhaps defines the Japanese. Gohan for sushi, onigiri, ochagai, mochi, ozoni. It is the New Year and many families have gathered at the “Koura and Sons” farm to make mochi. There is the big granite stone (now used by the community for mochi tsuki) holding the steaming gohan; there are the men with their heavy wooden mallets rhythmically pounding the gohan while they chant; there is Ito-san who hypnotizes us as he sprinkles water over the gohan, his hand darting in and out defying the pounding mallets. And now there I am in grade school happily taking nori-wrapped rice balls for lunch but my classmates point and say, “yuk, what is that?” There I am asking mom to only give me peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches for lunch from now on. Am I ashamed of gohan?”

• Snapshot: Nori tori (seaweed gathering). There are the Nakatas and the Kouras at Point White. We are there with Ji-chan, Ba-chan, Grandma, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins from Seattle. We wade in the surf, gathening strands of nori that we will take home, rinse in icy water, and hang to dry on thin cedar poles. After drying, the nori is stripped from the poles and stuffed into pillowcases to be stored for use during the year. At the beach we also gather tsubo (sea snails) that we will boil, pull from their shells with a needle, peel off the leathery, protective opercula and pop the curled, sea-tasting bodies into our mouths. I love nori and tsubo although, having learned my lesson with onigiri, I will never bring those to school for lunch.

Koura and Sons was a 190- acre strawberry farm. Today, there are only a few acres left; the rest is the golf course, Meadowmeer. Uncle Art and Auntie Flo still live in the “big house.” Last year, Mom and Dad sold their acreage but bought back a piece to build a new house. My brother, Scott, and our Nakata cousins used to ride our bikes all over the Koura and Sons farm; now we would be trespassing. That makes me sad. But perhaps kids can bring onigiri rice balls to school now without feeling weird and that makes me feel better.

Research on the brain is revealing that our strongest memories are those that have multisensory inputs—sights, sounds, smells, taste, and touch. Indeed the snapshots that I see looking through the red ticket window are multisensory memories. However, my memories of growing up Japanese on Bainbridge are stored not in my brain, but in my heart. •••

THE LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE IS BACK!

The Bainbridge Island Historical Museum reopened at its new downtown Winslow location at the end of August. Moving the old one-room schoolhouse, which is the museum’s main building, and a companion structure from the former location at Strawberry Hill to the new site at 215 Ericksen Ave, near Bainbridge Performing Arts and the Virgina Mason Clinic, went smoothly—blocking traffic only briefly.

Among the numerous items in the museum’s collection are many relating to the history of the Island’s Japanese American community. Thanks to strong public demand, copies of the “After Silence” video are on sale at the museum’s store. This absorbing work, produced by Lois Shelton for the Historical Society under a grant from the Washington Civil Liberties Union, documents the story of the evacuation and internment of the Island’s Japanese community during WW II. Dr. Frank Kitamoto reveals the story to five modern-day high scool students as his vintage photographs are “developed” in a dark room. A post-9/11 perspective infuses the story with relevance to current issues and events.

The video is $29.00 plus tax; Historial Society members receive a 10% discount. Museum hours are 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. More information at www.bicomnet.com/bihs or (206) 842-2773.

THE FAMILY OF KIROHACHI AND TSUE NISHIMORI

by Shimako Nishimori Kitano

Kirohachi Nishimori was born on April 20, 1879 in Arao, Kumamoto Japan. He immigrated to the United States in 1904 and arrived in Tacoma, Washington. During his early years here he worked in the lumber mills on Bainbridge Island. In 1915 he married Tsue Hamasaki soon after she arrived from Japan. Tsue was born on April 22, 1889 in Arao, Kumamoto, Japan. Kirohachi and Tsue had eight children (two of whom died at birth). Tairoku, Masako, Kiyoko, Sueako, Matsue and Shimako were all born and raised on Bainbridge Island.
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The Nishimori family lived in Crystal Springs and subsequently bought their home and five acres of farmland in Winslow. As a five-acre farm was not enough to sustain a family, additional land was leased to grow strawberries, peas, tomatoes and rhubarb at various locations on the Island until 1942 when they were forced to evacuate to Manzanar, California.

Tairoku, Masako, and Kiyoko, graduated from Bainbridge High School before World War II. Because of the forced evacuation, Sueako graduated in Manzanar California in June of 1942. Matsue and Shimako attended school in Manzanar during the War years; however, Matsue was able to attend school in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated in 1945. Shimako was able to graduate from Bainbridge High School in 1950 and Seattle University in 1954.

In 1942, Kirohachi was sent to Missoula, Montana to an internment camp. In March of 1942, the rest of the family was evacuated to Manzanar, California, a concentration camp, for the duration of the War. However, with sponsorship, each of the Nishimori children relocated to Chicago, Illinois.

In 1946, Mr. and Mrs. Nishimori moved back to Bainbridge Island and began strawberry farming again on their property. Tairoku followed shortly after to help on the farm. Tairoku married Chizuko Matsuno in Chicago and had three children—Janice, Richard and Jean. Masako is married to Kim Muromoto and have two sons— Michael and Kim. Kiyoko married Steve Kumagai (died 1980) and settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota and they have two children— Steven and Susan. Sueako married Robert Yonemitsu (died 2002) and they have seven children—Linda, David, Kathy, Terri, Michael, Tony and Francine. Matsue is married to Sam Watanabe and they have three children—Dale, Naomi and Marl. Shimako married Tom Kitano and they have three children—Nancy, Paul, and Pattie.

Kirohachi Nishimori died at the age of 93 in 1973; Tsue passed away in 1978 at the age of 89; Tairoku passed away in 2002 at the age of 85. Happily, today there are many grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Kirohachi and Tsue Nishimori living throughout the United States.

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT GOES DIGITAL

Going straight to the source is always the best choice when attempting to record the history of a community. This “horse’s mouth” approach (pardon the expression!) is made even more effective now that we have the digital tools to permanently archive the personal stories of those who have been a part of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American experience.

Time is of the essence when it comes to collecting this material, however, particularly from persons of the Nisei generation who, some 63 years ago, were young adults when they experienced the forced relocation from the Island.

This is not the first time oral histories have been collected by BIJAC. A series of audio-taped interviews and transcripts are in the BIJAC collection, and includes interviews with more than 30 individuals. We would like to upgrade our oral histories by going with digital video for more efficient editing and storage.

Although we are focusing on Japanese Americans who had direct experiences with the camps, we are also collecting stories from non-Japanese residents who have memories of the evacuation and return of Japanese Americans to their homes on Bainbridge Island.

Our Oral History Committee is collecting names and contact information for people to interview, including former residents who now live elsewhere. We currently have a list of potential interviewees, but would like input from the BIJAC community to make our list accurate and comprehensive.

A prime objective is to archive the interviews at full length, without editing, to enrich the entire collection and provide authentic, first-person source materials for future use, say by historians, teachers, students and especially, decendants and relatives. Other uses would include the creation of multimedia materials for presentations at varous events and, in particular, as part of the Interpretive Center planned as part of the national Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial at Eagledale.

BIJAC hopes to partner with Densho, a non-profit organization located in Seattle, to implement our oral history project. Densho documents oral histories from Japanese Americans and maintains an interactive website to access their resources. Their amazing website at www.densho.org includes oral history interviews, digital photo archives, and educational materials that focus on issues of democracy, intolerance, wartime hysteria, civil rights and the responsibilities of citizenship in our increasingly global society. Tom Ikeda, Executive Director, and Alice Ito, Interview Programs Manager discussed with us the interview process and technologies they use to develop their interviews. The parallel goals and mission of our organizations make it a natural to combine forces on this important project.

The cost of videotaping, editing, making transcriptions, and archiving interviews is significant. We are actively seeking funding opportunities through grants and private donations to help cover costs of this project. Mac Davis has compiled an interview questionnaire that we can send to the interviewees to prepare them for the videotaping session, and is working to digitize the existing recordings for storage on CDs. Please contact him at mac@mcedit.com, or see Frank Kitamoto if you have suggestions or if you would like to join the Oral History Committee. •••

—Karen Matsumoto

BIJAC NEWSLETER • SUMMER 2004

MEMORIAL GETS GREEN LIGHT

by Clarence Moriwaki, Chairman, Memorial Committee