Podcasts about Japanese Americans

One of the most pivotal moments in Japanese American history was when the U.S. government uprooted more than 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry and forced them into incarceration camps. But there is another, less-known story about the tens of thousands of Japanese Americans who were living in Japan during World War II — and whose lives uprooted in a very different way.

We've spoken about cross-racial solidarity a few times, but never with quite the beautifully illustrative stories and historical references and personally motivating oomph that we did today. And I think it's important to note that this conversation is one that happened between the three of us, all identifying as Asian and American, about topics that involve not only our shared Japanese American and Asian American history but included a focus on how we collectively combat White supremacy.   We get to speak with David Mura, author of The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself - yes, it's quite the title - and if you have any desire to make any change in this country whatsoever, you'll want to commit to listening to this conversation in its entirety.  We absolutely loved it.   What to listen for: David's personal upbringing as a third-generation Japanese American, whose American parents were incarcerated in the internment camps on US soil - and therefore raised him to “want to be white” How his lens changed, and importantly, why the lens we tell stories through matters so, so much Stories about Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and how we need to include “AND” in their narratives - they were great AND they were racist slaveowners The actions white people need to take - knowledge and social interactions, a spiritual journey, and a political commitment Cross-racial, Asian-Black solidarity About David Mura: David Mura is an essayist, memoirist, poet, and fiction writer who brings a unique perspective to our multi-racial and multi-cultural society. A third-generation Japanese-American, he has written intimately about his life as a man of color and the connections between race, culture, and history. In public appearances interweaving poetry, performance, and personal testament, he provides powerful insights into the racial issues facing America today. Mura's memoirs, poems, essays, plays, and performances have won wide critical praise and numerous awards. Their topics range from contemporary Japan to the legacy of the internment camps and the history of Japanese Americans to critical explorations of an increasingly diverse America. He gives presentations at educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations throughout the country.   Buy links: Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-stories-whiteness-tells-itself-david-mura/18427145?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6cKiBhD5ARIsAKXUdyYTzd2nFr3Jd8WwNeMxqAyvh11wd88S-C1ffI14MU8yMN9R7Qw1HGMaAjM8EALw_wcB Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stories-whiteness-tells-itself-david-mura/1142412052 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Whiteness-Tells-Itself-Narratives/dp/151791454X Social media links:  Website: http://www.davidmura.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.mura.71 Twitter: https://twitter.com/muradavid

Far too many times in life, our narratives get told by others. Sometimes, being a passive passenger in the journey can feel the safest and most comfortable...until you realize the consequences of not speaking up on your or your community's behalf. Like misinformation, isolation, erasure, and even the exploitation of narratives to serve another's agenda. We're all becoming much more keenly aware of how this has been playing out for real all around us, and many of us are wondering how to approach it. In this episode, Minji sits down with Emily Inouye Huey, author of the moving YA novel "Beneath the Wide Silk Sky" - story about a Japanese American teenager named Sam who is navigating her young life in the wake of Pearl Harbor during WWII. Together they talk about Emily's personal process as a writer and as a Japanese American person unpacking very real family history that she's digesting. They go into the ups and downs of learning, embracing, and finding courage to share stories that mean so much, and how these stories can be vital contributions to culture, politics, and our own personal growth. Emily shares her thoughts on the recent book bans spreading across America, and what's at stake if we don't stand up for truth, accessibility and education. Timestamps: 00:00-10:15 - Introduction to episode & Emily featuring Uzuhan's "Uzutrap"10:15-52:42 - Part 1 of conversation with Emily52:42-54:42 - Break54:42-1:17:00 - Part 2 of conversation with Emily1:17:00-1:22:57 - Outro featuring Melissa Polinar's "Another Universe"Follow Our Guest Emily Inouye Huey:https://www.instagram.com/emily_inouye_huey/https://emilyhuey.com/Follow Minji On:Instagram (@minjeezy)Instagram (@firstofallpod)▫️ Music featured in this episode include "Uzutrap" & "Another Universe" by Melissa Polinar▫️ NEW!!: Subscribe to First Of All on YouTube & check out our S4 episodes on video!▫️ Follow the show on Instagram and Twitter and support our Patreon▫️ This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast CollectiveAudio Engineer @marvinyuehProducer @DaEunKimSocial Media Manager @JulianaDeer

On today's episode of Mother Daughter Connections®, I'm joined by The Mindfulness Mindset™ CEO & Founder Aiko Smith.   Aiko Smith is the CEO and Founder of The Mindfulness Mindset. A sought-after speaker and coach, she is a certified mindfulness teacher trained by UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior's Mindfulness Awareness Research Center.   Born on a naval base in Okinawa, Japan Aiko is both Black and Japanese American and was raised in Los Angeles, California.   Her passion is to create a kinder, more compassionate country. And to that end, she has devoted her life and career to teaching women how to mindfully confront their suffering as an integral part of the process of dismantling harmful paradigms and oppressive systems.   Aiko's mission is to make mindfulness accessible and applicable to all and increase our ability to feel peace.   When she is not helping her community and the women in it, Aiko is also a mother of three.   Today, Aiko and I discuss  . . . What is the difference between "mindfulness" and "meditation." The #1 Misconception women have about mindfulness and its practices. How to incorporate mindfulness into your work life.   …and a WHOLE LOT MORE! __________________________________   To Connect With Aiko…   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aiko-mindfulsmith/ Website: www.themindfulnessmindset.com     SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: @Aiko.Means.Love (https://www.instagram.com/aiko.means.love/)   Email: aiko@themindfulnessmindset.com   ____________________________________________________________________________ Got Coffee? Then Let's Get To Know Each Other

Contracting Freedom: Race, Empire, and U.S. Guestworker Programs (U Pennsylvania Press, 2022) explores the origins of twentieth-century U.S. guestworker programs from Mexico and the Caribbean. It investigates these government-sponsored programs as the unexplored consequence of the history of enslaved labor, Japanese American incarceration, the New Deal, the long civil rights movement, and Caribbean decolonization. Quintana shifts the focus on guestworker programs to the arena of political conflict, revealing how fierce debates over the bracero program and Caribbean contract labor programs extended and legitimated U.S. racial and imperial domination into the present era. Her work also unearths contract workers' emerging visions of social justice that challenged this reproduction of race and empire, giving freedom new meanings that must be contemplated Dr. Quintana earned her Ph.D. at the University of Washington and taught at San Francisco State's College of Ethnic Studies before joining the Department of History at California State University, Sacramento. Michael G. Vann is a professor of world history at California State University, Sacramento. A specialist in imperialism and the Cold War in Southeast Asia, he is the author of The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empires, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam (Oxford University Press, 2018). When he's not reading or talking about new books with smart people, Mike can be found surfing in Santa Cruz, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latino-studies

It's been over 400 years and African Americans still have not received reparations for the brutal dehumanization and injustice that was inflicted on our ancestors during the era of slavery. When President Lincoln signed the Proclamation of Emancipation into law, slaves were promised 40 acres and a Mule, but they never received anything when they were set free. Instead, the slave master was compensated $300 for every slave they had to set free. The reason why is because without the labor of slaves, the land would suffer, and they would lose money. That era was the start of the wealth gap amongst whites and blacks.Just recently, Professor William Darity at Duke University conducted two studies. The first study Mr. Darity performed was to see how much each African American is owed for reparations. His review shows descendants of slaves are owed roughly $350,000. He also did another study to see how large the wealth gap is amongst whites and blacks. Study reveals that white Americans are leading the wealth gap by roughly $840,000.The government has paid out reparations to the Holocaust survivors, the Native Americans, and Japanese Americans just to name a few. Now, reparations were owed to these folks for what they had to endure; however, African Americans are the only race that hasn't received reparations for slavery.Now is the time that all descendants of slaves be compensated for the inhuman torture that was inflicted on our ancestors many centuries ago. The only way to make things right is to make a large cash payment for our suffrage and an apology acknowledging how blacks were treated.Welcome to the Season Five Finale Episode Twelve of Authentic Filters! If you enjoyed what you watched and/or listened to and want to keep the conversation going, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your family and friends on Apple Podcast, Youtube or wherever you listen! We want to thank you for taking the journey with us thus far…Let's Get Into It.

This week, Georgia covers the Ouija Board inspired murder of Ernest Turley and Karen tells the story of Paul Ohtaki and the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. For our sources and show notes, visit www.myfavoritemurder.com/episodes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Mary Mikami was a Japanese American born in Alaska. Learn about her acceptance and achievements. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the third episode of the final review of The Silver King's War.  Michael G. Sievers, the writer, producer and creator of this podcast series, reviews his father's war.  It's 1942, FDR signed E0 9066 on February 19. Thousands of Japanese Americans were forced from their homes to internment camps. John Steinbeck wrote "Bombs Away." Stanley joined the Enlisted Reserve Corp in June.  He will ride a train to Nashville in January 1943. Contact us: thesilverkingswar@gmail.com Please review "The Silver King's War" on Apple Podcasts Share our hero, The Silver King, with family & friends Share "The Silver King's War" on social media Thank you for listening to our podcast

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow Transportation of Japanese-Americans 1942 LA #Canada: #PRC: Questions about CCCP lawlessnessfor the PM. Charles Burton, senior fellow at the Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. @GordonGChang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill https://apnews.com/article/china-canada-foreign-interference-ambassador-46735683b97bdfcdede81dbfba54c00b

Hang out with Al Mega as he chats with comic book creators, Eric Nguyen & Scott Burman. Tune in to learn all about their journeys, their latest project from Dark Horse Comics, White Savior and more… Website: www.whitesaviorcomic.com   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitesaviorcomic/   https://www.instagram.com/ericnguyenart/   https://www.instagram.com/imscottburman/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericnguyenart   https://twitter.com/WhiteSaviorBook   https://twitter.com/imscottburman ABOUT WHITE SAVIOR An ancient prophecy foretold of an outsider that would save the peaceful village of Inoki from an unstoppable army—a man who would confuse the people at first with his unconventional ways, but lead them to the light. Nathan Garin, Captain in the United States Army, known for his viciousness in battle on the American frontier, could be that man…if he weren't such an awful, drunken idiot.   Now it's up to Japanese-American teacher Todd Parker to warn the good people of Inoki of Garin's true nature before he causes the very death and destruction they are counting on him to avert! This sword-swing satire has it all—time travel, compromising situations, accidental homicide, mistaken identity, and, most importantly, laughs. Episode 297 in an unlimited series! Host: Al Mega Follow on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook): @TheRealAlMega / @ComicCrusaders Make sure to Like/Share/Subscribe if you haven't yet: https://www.youtube.com/c/comiccrusadersworld Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/comiccrusaders Visit the official Comic Crusaders Comic Book Shop: comiccrusaders.shop Visit the OFFICIAL Comic Crusaders Swag Shop at: comiccrusaders.us Main Site: https://www.comiccrusaders.com/​​​​ Sister Site: http://www.undercovercapes.com​​​​ Pick up official Undercover Capes Podcast Network merchandise exclusively on RedBubble.com: bit.ly/UCPNMerch Streamyard is the platform of choice used by Comic Crusaders and The Undercover Capes Podcast Network to stream! Check out their premium plans for this amazing and versatile tool, sign up now: https://bit.ly/ComicCrusadersStreamyard * Edited/Produced/Directed by Al Mega

This week on the show is Stacey Saya. Stacey is a Japanese American serving as the Global Compliance, Privacy and Quality Assurance Officer in an international company, implementing and advancing Corporate Social Responsibilities like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. @Stacey.SayaRecorded LIVE Tuesday 8/3/21Twitch.tv/thetransverse Thanks to our monthly supporters Henry Gillow-Wiles Emily McQuillan ShindigEats Brooke Renee Maddieisenough Rayne Corcoran Vespers Winter Nicole Azevedo Jess42 ¶ leftintheleaves ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For many years, Californians have converged on Manzanar to remember the Japanese Americans who were incarcerated there during World War II. A new community science project from NASA and UCLA is teaching the public to listen to and identify the sounds of “space weather.” Young Storytellers teach and mentor students in LA and beyond in the art of storytelling, bringing the tales of kids in underserved communities from idea to stage.

Normally, obviously, Grace talks about old books. But every now and then, OBWG presents an episode on old art. Because encountering old art is just as much about reading, interpretation, and attention as reading old books is! Today, Grace is delighted to welcome Dr. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt as a guest. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt (Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis) is an associate professor of art and art history at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia and author of Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking at and Learning from Art. As a biracial Japanese-white woman, she has navigated the joys and tensions of a hybrid identity. Dr. Weichbrodt has published on topics ranging from contemporary Black photographers to the patronage of Hawaiian landscape paintings to documentary photographs of Japanese Americans during World War II. She also enjoys writing for general audiences on the intersection of art history, politics, and pop culture. An artwork we discuss, Margaretha Haverman's A Vase of Flowers: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436634  

If there's one piece of advice Irene Nakamura wants you to take to heart, it's this: Your success begins when you expand beyond others' expectations for you. Irene Nakamura is the Founder and Principal of iDepo Reporters and iDepo Hawaii LLC, a woman and minority-owned court reporting firm providing both in-person and remote depositions, e-filing, subpoena and process serving, and record retrieval services to attorneys, law firms, legal secretaries and paralegals.  iDepo operates two independent companies in Los Angeles and Honolulu, Hawaii, with a network of 100+ culturally-diverse court reporters and staff, nationwide. In addition to a high degree of professionalism, iDepo is known for providing an excellent workplace environment. With nearly 30 years of court reporting experience, Irene is also a Registered Professional Reporter, a Realtime Reporter, and a certified LiveNote Reporter with certifications in California, Hawaii, Washington, Nevada, and Illinois. Prior to founding iDepo, Irene served as an Official Court Reporter for the Honorable Robert M. Takasugi and the Honorable George H. King at the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Since 1991, Irene has reported on complex cases for national and international law firms including high – profile cases involving the Mexican and Armenian Mafia and several groundbreaking business cases. She has also reported corporate meetings for the Screen Actors Guild, among others. By founding her own court reporting agency, Irene has become the first Japanese - American woman to do so in Southern California, perhaps in the nation. As hard as it may be for anyone to start a business, Irene says it is especially difficult coming from her background.  A brand born out of determination Looking at Irene's success, it's easy to assume that she was encouraged every step of the way. But while addressing cultural nuances, Irene shares that for her, this wasn't exactly the case.  Irene Nakamura's mother raised her to be a good wife and mom - but the emphasis was not necessarily on education. Beyond high school, Irene was informed that she had to wait to enroll in college until her brother graduated university. Irene was not having it.  After all, her brother was pursuing a double Master's degree - and Irene was not about to wait to start her life until his graduation date. Instead, she worked full-time to put herself through trade school as a court stenographer. She didn't even understand what it was, but she took to it naturally. Despite the challenges of becoming certified - stenographers have to pass their licensure exam with aa solid A+ and at least a 95% accuracy rate - Irene thrived and quickly became beloved to her clients for her follow-through, attention to detail and dedication. Relationships build better companies Irene Nakamura did not set out to become an entrepreneur.  She was frequently requested by name and became a staple of the court reporting community, and nourished her relationships with others in her field. But the inspiration for starting her own business came out of a troubling moment in her career.  Irene was requested on a case and communicated that she had surgery that week, so she wouldn't be able to turn in her transcripts until the following week. Nevertheless, the client insisted on working with her. Despite her communication, she woke up from surgery to harassing messages from people waiting for her transcripts - and realized that it was time to make a change. Her own family, watching her work while recovering and on a holiday, suggested that she start her own company. Upon launching iDepo, many of Irene's former clients chose to work with the company long-term. Relationships are everything to Irene, and nurturing her client partnerships paid off in a big way when she started her own brand! Creating opportunities for others Irene was beloved by her clients, but she observed that the working conditions for court reporters could be improved. Starting her own company meant that she could have a profound influence on the trade - and change lives along the way.  Now with three locations and growing, Irene says that her biggest goal is growing an excellent team. iDepo works on a national level, providing services in courts across the United States. The company is in a time of rapid expansion. WIth more graduates looking for stable employment in a trade that impacts lives, court stenography is a fantastic and marketable skill to learn - and iDepo is a company born out of excellence.   Quotes “When I was young, I was conditioned to follow the path my mom had led for me. She was grooming me to become a good wife and mother, and that was my path.” “It was all born out of relationships. I was getting so much work, there was no way I could do it by myself. I needed to start hiring.” “One of the biggest challenges is the people you work with. Hiring and making sure you have a really good team you can count on. They need to have a really good attitude and an entrepreneurial spirit, I like that even as part of a team. I want them to work well together. Sometimes your coworker might need help! I do my best to cultivate that type of environment.” “At first I really struggled to put myself out there. I had built my business on relationships but I got to a point where I needed to expand beyond those relationships. I had to have a website, marketing, social media, and being on amazing podcasts like yours to bring brand awareness…” “We have to pass our national test at 95% accuracy, at 225 words per minute with two people speaking. There aren't many exams given for a career that you have to have an A in order to pass, not just an A but an A+. One technicality can make or break a case.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit the website for iDepo at https://ideporeporters.com/company-idepo-team/  Connect with Irene Nakamura on LinedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/irene-nakamura/   Check out Irene's feature in Medium Magazine's “Power Women” series: https://medium.com/authority-magazine/power-women-irene-nakamura-idepo-reporters-on-how-to-successfully-navigate-work-love-and-life-as-209de062481  Read Irene's shout-out in Shoutout LA's piece Guardian of the Record: https://shoutoutla.com/meet-irene-nakamura-guardian-of-the-record-founder-of-idepo-reporters-and-idepo-hawaii/ 

This Quoircast Podcast episode is brought to you by Letting Go(d) by Aaron Simnowitz published by Quoir. The book is available now on Amazon. In this episode we chat with Scott Okamoto Scott is a 4th generation Japanese American writer and musician who grew up in Southern California. He grew up in a conservative Christian family and church community but deconstructed his faith culminating in a complete loss of all religious belief while teaching English at an evangelical university. His debut book, Asian American Apostate: Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University tells this story of faith deconstruction while simultaneously building an identity as an Asian American in community with artists and activists which included beloved tv stars, comedians, writers, and rock stars. You can connect with Scott on: Facebook     Instagram     Twitter     TikTok You can find all things Scott Okamoto related on his website You can purchase Asian American Apostate on Amazon.com You can connect with This Is Not Church on: Facebook     Instagram      Twitter     TikTok     YouTube Also check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church related Please like and follow our Quoircast Partners: Heretic Happy Hour     Messy Spirituality     Apostates Anonymous  Ideas Digest     The New Evangelicals     Snarky Faith Podcast     Wild Olive Each episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you're thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Ike Kawaguchi is an LA-based Japanese American independent “emo funk” solo artist. Coming from humble beginnings, Ike ran away from home at fifteen to couch surf, skate, and perform in local metal bands. Music was his solace away from life's everyday struggles and he soon found himself recording and mixing hip-hop records among some of the music industry's most revered names and attending audio engineering school. Early on Ike found a tremendous passion for guitar that soon gave way to him touring nationally throughout China as the lead guitarist performing on a custom eight-string guitar in the Chinese band “ Voodoo Kungfu.” In 2015, the band performed in front of thousands and that won the Chinese MIDI Award for best live performance. Growing restless from performing in metal bands, Ike soon began experimenting with various genres, forming a pop electronic duo. As Ike continued to play around with various sounds combining his guitar, piano, drums, bass, and vocal skills, he created a new genre he's named “emo funk.” His solo work is a reflection of his unique musical background and experience that masterfully places his poetic and soulful vocals in the center.

Relationships with teriyaki, sushi stereotypes, and the immigrant hustle—host Peter J. Kim looks at Japanese-American cultural identity with comedian Yumi Nagashima, rapper G Yamazawa, and producer Dan the Automator.Check out Counterjam on Spotify for bonus playlists featuring tracks from Yumi, G, Dan and so many other wonderful Japanese-American artists!

Ed Sugimoto is a 2nd-generation Japanese-American from the island of O'ahu. He is the owner and founder of VH07V, also known as Aloha Revolution which is a rotating collection of shirts, caps and sweaters for men and women. The VH07V logo which spells Aloha upside down, when worn is a subtle reminder to keep aloha in our hearts.  Before starting his entrepreneurial journey, he worked at Spectrum as assistant online editor, online editor and wireless manager for 23 years. In 2011 at the Rice Fest, he set the Guinness World for the largest Spam Musubi at 286 pounds and broke his own record the following year at 628 pounds. He hold the world record for largest Loco Moco. In this episode we talk about starting Aloha Revolution, setting two Guinness World Records, being Asian in Hawai'i, supporting local, and so much more. Enjoy! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamakadias Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/Hawaiiverse Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hawaiiversepodcast/ Shop local on https://hawaiiverse.com/

Oakland children's author Maggie Tokuda-Hall refused an offer from Scholastic to license her book "Love in the Library" when the publishing giant asked her to remove the word "racism" and historical context about incarceration camps for Japanese Americans during World War II. She tells host Cecilia Lei that efforts to whitewash history violate adults' "moral obligation" to tell kids the truth. | Unlimited Chronicle access: sfchronicle.com/pod Got a tip, comment, question? Email us: fifth@sfchronicle.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 7, 1941, Hawai'i was hit by one of the most unexpected military assaults in modern warfare. More than 300 Japanese fighter planes and dive bombers attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, killing 2,400 people and plunging the United States into World War II. After the assault, many of Hawai'i's nearly 160,000 residents of Japanese descent were viewed with suspicion and fear. But eventually thousands of Japanese-American men enlisted in the Army and went on to fight with valor. Their heroism would in time contribute to Hawai'i becoming America's 50th state.Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/historytellersSupport us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Food and the environment are inextricably linked—everything we eat has a footprint. Since the 1950s, industrialized food production and modern-day overconsumption have contributed to climate change, environmental degradation, and economic depression. Still, many innovators are working to find sustainable ways to feed the world's population. Food as a means to create positive change has long inspired Taiji Terasaki, a Japanese American artist and activist based in Hawaii. Raised in a family of scientists and creatives, Taiji combines the best of both worlds to create work across a wide variety of mediums. From large-scale installations to pioneering “mist” photography, Taiji's cutting-edge presentations emphasize the urgency and importance of environmental conservation. On today's podcast, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power chats with Taiji about the artist's mission to improve life on Earth for all its inhabitants. “Believe me, I never dreamed I would be an activist,” Taiji tells NOT REAL ART. “I never dreamed that I would be [sharing] my opinion on a podcast, but what I'm learning is [how artists] can find a voice.” Taiji also discusses his latest project, Recipes to Nourish Communities, an interactive mural on display at the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles' recently renovated headquarters. The mural invites viewers to consider food as nourishment for the body, a direct exchange between themselves and their environment. “I really believe that the visual arts should make a difference in our world and what our future will become,” Taiji says. Join us today as Taiji and Scott discuss the most pressing issues of our time: food insecurity, the organizations that seek to tackle it, and the ultimate resilience of the natural world. “When you see what nature is capable of, how it can rebound, it is amazing,” Taiji tells Scott. Don't miss this crucial conversation on the health and wellbeing of planet Earth. In Today's Podcast EpisodeTaiji Terasaki discusses…What artists and scientists have in commonHow an unconventional childhood impacted his innovative art practiceWhy raising his own children forced him to consider the world they'll inheritHis advice for building a studio team and taking criticism from galleristsHow Recipes to Nourish Communities tackles food insecurity in LAThe four organizations that benefit from Recipes to Nourish CommunitiesThe concept of rewilding and the importance of biodiversity in food productionWhy he ultimately feel positive about climate change and our ability to stem its rising tideFor more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/taiji-terasaki

Hugh Watanabe is a Japanese-American pro basketball player who plays for the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Japan's B.League. He is also an Olympian and a member of the Japanese National basketball team. 0:01:25 from Hawaii to Japan 0:08:37 transition from high school to college ball 0:12:19 fighting through mental setbacks and multiple injuries 0:21:35 a freak accident injury 0:23:56 getting into Magic The Gathering 0:26:38 Limited Magic is like basketball 0:33:10 American vs International basketball - cultural differences 0:39:09 fun stories from Japan 0:42:42 what Hugh has learned from his teammates 0:49:32 "everyone here is ridiculously good at Magic" 0:53:42 Japanese culture, applied to pro sports and general life 1:01:29 James really enjoys long distance running 1:07:13 Limited is the most skill-intensive Magic format 1:09:32 greatest basketball player of all time? (The GOAT) 1:17:04 looking forward to the future --- Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

Bay Area Teacher on Growing Up 'Multiracial Japanese American' — and Why Ethnic Studies Matters “Woman. Daughter. Adoptee. AIDS Orphan. Hapa. Japanese-American. Asian. Asian-American. Queer Musician. Writer. Martial Artist. Alive.” Those are the words a 21-year-old Joemy Ito-Gates wrote below a photograph of her taken by artist Kip Fulbeck. Some 20 years later, she's also now a mother, an ethnic studies teacher and an advocate against cultural appropriation in fashion. And she's changed the words she uses to describe her racial background to “multiracial Japanese American.” Our series “Mixed: Stories of Mixed-Race Californians,” continues with hosts Sasha Khokha and Marisa Lagos in conversation with Ito-Gates about growing up as a multiracial adoptee, the loss of her parents to AIDS, and the ways she's reclaiming Japanese heritage garments.  Thrifting and Bio-Art: Two Different Approaches to the Fast-Fashion Problem You might not realize it when trying on a new pair of jeans, but some estimates put the greenhouse gas emissions from clothing and shoe manufacturing at eight-percent of the global total. And thousands of tons of textiles end up in landfills each year. While fast fashion has many Americans buying more and more new cheap clothes, others are wondering what they can do to help. From KCBX in San Luis Obispo, Gabriela Fernandez profiles two California women who are championing more sustainable ways to shop. 'Stud Country': Queer Line Dancing Finds Home in Los Angeles  We're heading to a night of boot scootin' boogie in Los Angeles, at a spot that's a little more than your usual honky tonk. Stud Country is a weekly dance party, a safe space for folks of all genders, sexualities and dancing abilities. KCRW's Danielle Chiriguayo recently hit the dance floor. 

A story that will open your eyes to scientific imagination! Dr. Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist, inventor, and humanitarian who was dedicated to bettering the lives of others. She began in her teens by making an important discovery about the relationship between cancer, nutrition, and stress. Eye health became her priority as a doctor and she made sure care was accessible for those in underserved communities. Dr. Bath's life was filled with achievements, including becoming the first Black female doctor to receive a patent. Her invention, a laser device to treat a common eye condition, restored the sight of many who had been blind for more than 30 years!Go to the episode webpage:https://jonincharacter.com/dr-patricia-bath/ If you liked this story about a hidden hero of history in medicine, you may also like Episode 53 on Dr. Kazue Togasaki, the first Japanese American women to become a doctor in the United States: https://jonincharacter.com/kazue-togasaki/ CREDITS: This episode has been a Jonincharacter production. Today's story was written by Molly Murphy and performed by Jonathan Cormur. Sound recording and production by Jermaine Hamilton at Hamilton Studio Recordings.Otter Space is an immersive sonic adventure for families about two mismatched sea otters who learn they must save the earth from and alien civilization who has outlawed all forms of playing. Out now: https://pod.link/otterspaceSupport the showREACH OUT! Tweet us @dorktalesstory Email us at dorktalesstorytime@gmail DM us on IG @dorktalesstorytime Newsletter/Free Resources: https://bit.ly/dorktalesplus-signup Become a Supporter: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1267991/supporters/new Original Music Available on Bandcamp: https://dorktalesstorytime.bandcamp.com/music Now, go be the hero of your own story and we'll see you next once-upon-a-time!

Elizabeth Partridge and Lauren Tamaki share Seen and Unseen, an important work of nonfiction featuring powerful images of the Japanese American incarceration captured by three photographers--Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams--along with firsthand accounts of this grave moment in history.   BOOK DESCRIPTION: Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal about the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Partridge and Lauren Tamaki Page Length: 132 pages Ages 10 to 14, Grades 5 to 9 This important work of nonfiction features powerful images of the Japanese American incarceration captured by three photographers--Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams--along with firsthand accounts of this grave moment in history. Three months after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the incarceration of all Japanese and Japanese Americans living on the West Coast of the United States. Families, teachers, farm workers--all were ordered to leave behind their homes, their businesses, and everything they owned. Japanese and Japanese Americans were forced to live under hostile conditions in incarceration camps, their futures uncertain. Three photographers set out to document life at Manzanar, an incarceration camp in the California desert: Dorothea Lange was a photographer from San Francisco best known for her haunting Depression-era images. Dorothea was hired by the US government to record the conditions of the camps. Deeply critical of the policy, she wanted her photos to shed light on the harsh reality of incarceration. Toyo Miyatake was a Japanese-born, Los Angeles-based photographer who lent his artistic eye to portraying dancers, athletes, and events in the Japanese community. Imprisoned at Manzanar, he devised a way to smuggle in photographic equipment, determined to show what was really going on inside the barbed-wire confines of the camp. Ansel Adams was an acclaimed landscape photographer and environmentalist. Hired by the director of Manzanar, Ansel hoped his carefully curated pictures would demonstrate to the rest of the United States the resilience of those in the camps. In Seen and Unseen, Elizabeth Partridge and Lauren Tamaki weave together these photographers' images, firsthand accounts, and stunning original art to examine the history, heartbreak, and injustice of the Japanese American incarceration. NOTABLE QUOTES: (7:50) “There was a kid in my class named Paul Yanamora who said in front of the whole class that his family had not been allowed to buy a house in our neighborhood after the war because they were Japanese American. And I was absolutely shocked. That's when it totally hit me that something really bad had happened in our country that I did not understand.” (8:44) I didn't know my grandparents' involvement until working on this book, how their families were involved. And it, it was just something that… “Oh, we left. We got over it. We left it behind. Look how successful we are. We don't have to talk about it.” (12:30) “The two of us got to work together in a collaboration that's almost never allowed in doing a book together, which is usually the writer writes their bit and then they pull out and then the illustrator gets to work. But there was too many overlaps. I mean, I had the photos and then Lauren had these ideas and then she was like, “Well, if you could do this photo, I could do this illustration.” I'm like, “Huh! That's a fantastic idea. Let's swap photos.” So we just really shifted things around and it ended up letting both of us go so much deeper than we would've individually.” (19:55) “Because you can talk in these grand kind of monolithic ways about an experience and about a people, but when you personalize it, that's when you can touch people.”  (25:33) “There was so much of myself in this book.” (25:42) “It's never too late to discover parts of yourself, like, these big parts of yourself.” (26:47) “Today, everybody has a cell phone and there's a camera in the cell phone. So we have a very powerful tool for social justice in our back pocket. And I just wanna encourage people when you see something that just doesn't feel right, you can bear witness to that by taking a photograph.”  (27:45) “You can't let fear make the decisions for you.” ADDITIONAL LINKS: Elizabeth Partridge website - elizabethpartridge.com.  Lauren Tamaki website - laurentamaki.com Purchase the Book - Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal about the Japanese American Incarceration TALK ABOUT THE EPISODE: What is an event that took place in history that you learned about recently? What was it like for you to learn this information? If able to make the connection, how do these historic events connect with our world today? Look up photos by one of the three photographers mentioned in this podcast episode: Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, or Ansel Adams. How would you describe the moment captured in the photograph? What does it make you feel? What do you think the photographer was communicating through this photograph? Talk with a grownup about the Japanese American incarceration. What (if anything) do they remember about this event? When did they learn about the incarceration? If able to recall, what did they feel when they first learned about the incarceration? And how do they feel about the incarceration now? Share your own reflections with the grownup. CREDITS: This podcast episode of The Children's Book Podcast was written, edited, and produced by Matthew Winner. For a full transcript of this episode, visit matthewcwinner.com.  Write to me or send me a message at matthewmakespods@gmail.com.  Our podcast logo was created by Duke Stebbins (https://stebs.design/).  Our music is by Podington Bear.  Podcast hosting by Libsyn.  You can support the show and buy me a coffee at www.matthewcwinner.com. We are a proud member of Kids Listen, the best place to discover the best in kids podcasts. Learn more at kidslisten.org. Fellow teachers and librarians, want a way to explore building a stronger culture of reading in our communities? In The Reading Culture podcast, Beanstack co-founder Jordan Bookey hosts conversations that dive into beloved authors' personal journeys and insights into motivating young people to read. And I am a big fan! Check out the Reading Culture Podcast with Jordan Bookey, from Beanstack. Available wherever podcasts are found. DISCLAIMER: Bookshop.org affiliate links provided for any book titles mentioned in the episode. Bookshop.org support independent bookstores and also shares a small percentage of any sales made through this podcast back to me, which helps to fund production of this show.

Chris From Brooklyn, Bronx Johnny and Chris Stanley are joined by comedian and author Mike Rainey to discuss how On Percs came about, trying new things in the Mile High City, Johnny's tribute to Women's history, Japanese American relations, using a lazy eye to your advantage, 6ix9ine getting jumped and so much more!Support Our Sponsors!https://yodelta.com - Use promo code GAS for 25% off your order!https://yokratom.com - Check out Yo Kratom (the home of the $60 kilo) for all your kratom needs!High Society Radio is 3 native New Yorkers who started from the bottom and didn't raise up much. That's not the point, if you enjoy a sideways view on technology, current events, or just an in depth analysis of action movies from 2006 this is the show for you.Chris Stanley is the on air producer for Bennington on Sirius XM.Bronx Johnny was a fixture on the Ron and Fez Show and is currently shaping the minds of children as an educator.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bronx.johnnyChris from Brooklyn is a lifelong street urchin, a former head chef and current retiree.Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisFromBklynInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisfrombklyn/Follow Panties In The Mouth PodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/pitmpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitmpodcastSubscribe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/panties-in-the-mouth/id1489046721Follow AndyTwitter: https://twitter.com/mikerainey82Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikerainey82/Engineer: JorgeEditor: CoopExecutive Producer: Mike HarringtonBaby Registry: https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/giftregistry/viewregistryguest/552104705?eventType=BabyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/themharrington/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMHarringtonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bob Gretz joins the YJHTL podcast once again sharing his fasciating stories as a sports writer and top-notch  journalist. Bob talks about his interviewed with Wat Maska he did in 1988.  Wat Misaka, the son of Japanese immigrants, was a 5-foot-7 guard who starred for the University of Utah on teams that won two national tournament championships at Madison Square Garden in New York in the same year. Then joined the Knicks there in 1947. Wat was the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball in 1947.  Bob explains how Wat's sense of humor helped him through his struggles as a Japanese American during WW 2. This is a great, fascinating and inspiring podcast.  

Pata Suyemoto is a feminist scholar, educator, curriculum developer, activist, and artist. Her work focuses on promoting racial equity in mental health and suicide prevention through teaching and advocacy. She advocates for equity and inclusion at all levels of mental health care, from grassroots organizations to state-level policy institutions. Dr. Suyemoto has spoken and written about being a suicide attempt survivor and about her struggles with chronic depression and PTSD. Dr. Suyemoto earned her PhD in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, where she researched multicultural and anti-racist education. She currently serves as the Training Director for the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association and leads the National Asian American Pacific Islander Empowerment Network. She is also a leader in suicide prevention at the local and national levels, serving as the Equity Coordinator for the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention and co-chair of the Greater Boston Regional Suicide Prevention Coalition. Dr. Suyemoto co-wrote an educational resource called “Widening the Lens: Exploring the Role of Social Justice in Suicide Prevention – A Racial Equity Toolkit.” In this interview, Dr. Suyemoto discusses how her identities as a Japanese American woman and lifelong educator have influenced her work promoting racial equity in mental health and suicide prevention. She shares her efforts to build a national network of Asian Americans with lived experiences of mental health challenges and emphasizes the importance of equitable partnerships with those with lived experience in research, advocacy, and therapeutic contexts. *** Thank you for being with us to listen to the podcast and read our articles this year. MIA is funded entirely by reader donations. If you value MIA, please help us continue to survive and grow. To find the Mad in America podcast on your preferred podcast player, click here

These days, you don't often find someone who's been with their job for maybe 5 or 10 years. Well, Amanda Stewart has been at Constellation for 15 years now and is still committed to helping the company grow.Amanda earned a BBA from UT Austin in 2002, with a concentration in marketing, and an MBA from Rice Business in 2008. She is the vice president of retail operations for Constellation, the nation's largest producer of carbon-free energy and a leading competitive retail supplier of power and energy products and services for homes and businesses across the U.S. She sits down with host Scott Gale ‘19 to chat about the benefits of getting an MBA at a smaller school, what has kept her working with passion at Constellation for 15 years, and how her Japanese-American background and the internment camps of WWII are a central part of her family's history and her commitment to DEI work. Episode Quotes:The value of working together18:19: If we understand how to work together better, we will deliver better results for the organization. We can become a high-performing team that delivers for the organization because we've created an environment where everybody's voice matters. You have a totally different experience than mine. If I learn from your experiences and then use that when we sit around a table to solve a problem, we'll come up with a better answer.How her grandparents played an essential role in her passion for DEI16:16: The real story behind my passion for DEI comes right back to my grandparents. They had very high and very hopeful expectations. They believe that freedom, basic human rights, happiness, and a little success for our families was not only possible but probable for generations to come. And so, really, when I think about my DEI work and the work we still have left to do, I'm really motivated to do right by them and everything that they did for us.What does inclusion look like23:46: That's what inclusion looks like. We hear different perspectives, and we understand them. We might not agree with them, but we embrace them, and we listen.Leading an organization by embracing DEI13:41: As a leader in a huge organization, I feel a strong sense of accountability for creating a culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion.It's impossible to not fall in love with the Rice community03:12: It's impossible not to fall in love with the Rice campus, the Rice community, and the business school. And that was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made in my career: to come back to Houston to do the full-time program at Rice. It was exactly what I needed at that point in my career. Where I wasn't really very specific about what I needed. I just knew it was something different, something original and unique, and I needed a little refresh at that point.Show Links:Guest Profile:Amanda Stewart on LinkedIn

海外の結婚式に参加したことはありますか？当然ながら国や文化が違えば結婚式の習慣も様々ですが、アメリカと日本の結婚式も例外ではありません！ Have you ever attended a wedding abroad? Every country and culture has unique and special customs to their weddings, and Japan and the United States are no exception! 今週のちーちゃんとやっこは、自分たちがこれまで参加してきた経験談などとともに両国の式に見る主な違いについて語り合います。小さな挙式もあれば駆け落ちもありますし、贈り物などについても両国の作法も違うようです。 In this week's episode, Yakko & Cheechan discuss the differences between the popular styles of Japanese and American weddings, including small weddings and eloping. They dive into gift-giving customs and what's considered back luck or taboo. 結婚式などの儀式を通して文化の違いを学ぶのも面白いですよね。今週のエピソードもぜひお楽しみ下さい！ You can learn a lot about a culture through their wedding customs. Tune in to learn more! 《今週のポッドキャスト・フレーズ》 subdued: 光、色、音などが「薄暗く、抑えられた」状態であったり、形式や動きなどが「低調」であるなど、基本的に「静かで、和やかな、柔らかい」雰囲気のことを言いますので、日本の伝統文化の根底に流れるイメージにはぴったりの単語ではないでしょうか。

Wyoming's treasures include turtles who can breathe underwater, a small town that moved across the river, and history makers such as Grant Ujifusa. He went from being a star on the high school football team to editor of a prestigious political best-seller in our nation's capital. Grant convinced President Reagan to issue redress and an apology to Japanese Americans for their incarceration in WWII.  Grant's accomplishments have resulted in recognition not only in the Worland Warrior Hall of Fame, but in receiving the Order of the Rising Sun award from the Emperor of Japan! This episode shares one complex story of growing up Japanese in Wyoming, and the personal impact of that experience.   See the shownotes for links and more details!

Today's Sponsor: Zenni OpticalToday's Rundown:Chaeyoung of K-Pop Group Twice Apologizes for Wearing Swastika on ShirtLAUSD strike enters 2nd day with no publicly announced plans for return to bargaining tableTrump attorney to testify Friday in Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation after losing appealFlorida's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' policy could be expanded into high school DirecTV reaches deal to distribute right wing network Newsmax after long disputeCreators protest potential TikTok ban in D.C.Post Malone Settles ‘Circles' Copyright Suit in Last-Minute DealArmed Florida man in devil mask stopped by 'heroic' strip club security guardsMarch 23 BirthdaysChaka Khan (70)Richard Grieco (58)Keri Russell (47)Today In History1806: Explorers Lewis and Clark, having reached the Pacific coast, began their journey back east.1942: During World War II, the U.S. government began moving Japanese-Americans from their West Coast homes to detention centers.1998: The movie Titanic won 11 Academy Awards, including best picture, best director and best song, to tie the record set by 1959's Ben-Hur. The record was tied again by Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in 2003.Plus, Today We Celebrate: Chip and Dip Day More Of The Conversation Project Can Be Found Via...Website: http://thisistheconversationproject.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/thisistheconversationprojectTwitter: http://twitter.com/th_conversationTikTok: http://tiktok.com/@theconversationprojectYouTube: http://thisistheconversationproject.com/youtubePodcast: http://thisistheconversationproject.com/podcasts

Violent Inheritance: Sexuality, Land, and Energy in Making the North American West (U California Press, 2022) deepens the analysis of settler colonialism's endurance in the North American West and how infrastructures that ground sexual modernity are both reproduced and challenged by publics who have inherited them. E Cram redefines sexual modernity through extractivism, wherein sexuality functions to extract value from life including land, air, minerals, and bodies. Analyzing struggles over memory cultures through the region's land use controversies at the turn of and well into the twentieth century, Cram unpacks the consequences of western settlement and the energy regimes that fueled it. Transfusing queer eco-criticism with archival and ethnographic research, Cram reconstructs the linkages—"land lines"—between infrastructure, violence, sexuality, and energy and shows how racialized sexual knowledges cultivated settler colonial cultures of both innervation and enervation. From the residential school system to elite health seekers desiring the "electric" climates of the Rocky Mountains to the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans, Cram demonstrates how the environment promised to some individuals access to vital energy and to others the exhaustion of populations through state violence and racial capitalism. Grappling with these land lines, Cram insists, helps interrogate regimes of value and build otherwise unrealized connections between queer studies and the environmental and energy humanities. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of cultural anthropology, queer studies, disability and mad studies, and religious studies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Violent Inheritance: Sexuality, Land, and Energy in Making the North American West (U California Press, 2022) deepens the analysis of settler colonialism's endurance in the North American West and how infrastructures that ground sexual modernity are both reproduced and challenged by publics who have inherited them. E Cram redefines sexual modernity through extractivism, wherein sexuality functions to extract value from life including land, air, minerals, and bodies. Analyzing struggles over memory cultures through the region's land use controversies at the turn of and well into the twentieth century, Cram unpacks the consequences of western settlement and the energy regimes that fueled it. Transfusing queer eco-criticism with archival and ethnographic research, Cram reconstructs the linkages—"land lines"—between infrastructure, violence, sexuality, and energy and shows how racialized sexual knowledges cultivated settler colonial cultures of both innervation and enervation. From the residential school system to elite health seekers desiring the "electric" climates of the Rocky Mountains to the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans, Cram demonstrates how the environment promised to some individuals access to vital energy and to others the exhaustion of populations through state violence and racial capitalism. Grappling with these land lines, Cram insists, helps interrogate regimes of value and build otherwise unrealized connections between queer studies and the environmental and energy humanities. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of cultural anthropology, queer studies, disability and mad studies, and religious studies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Violent Inheritance: Sexuality, Land, and Energy in Making the North American West (U California Press, 2022) deepens the analysis of settler colonialism's endurance in the North American West and how infrastructures that ground sexual modernity are both reproduced and challenged by publics who have inherited them. E Cram redefines sexual modernity through extractivism, wherein sexuality functions to extract value from life including land, air, minerals, and bodies. Analyzing struggles over memory cultures through the region's land use controversies at the turn of and well into the twentieth century, Cram unpacks the consequences of western settlement and the energy regimes that fueled it. Transfusing queer eco-criticism with archival and ethnographic research, Cram reconstructs the linkages—"land lines"—between infrastructure, violence, sexuality, and energy and shows how racialized sexual knowledges cultivated settler colonial cultures of both innervation and enervation. From the residential school system to elite health seekers desiring the "electric" climates of the Rocky Mountains to the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans, Cram demonstrates how the environment promised to some individuals access to vital energy and to others the exhaustion of populations through state violence and racial capitalism. Grappling with these land lines, Cram insists, helps interrogate regimes of value and build otherwise unrealized connections between queer studies and the environmental and energy humanities. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of cultural anthropology, queer studies, disability and mad studies, and religious studies.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

March 24, 1942. During World War Two, the US Army begins forcibly moving Japanese Americans into internment camps.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Legacy of Eastwind Books Tonight APEX Express focuses on the legendary Eastwind Books, the oldest AAPI book store in the country closes on April 30, 2023.  Host Miko Lee speaks with founder Harvey Dong and staff Cheryl Truong and Banoo Afkhami about the history and the future of this beloved community activist book store.     SHOW TRANSCRIPTS EastWind Books 20230323-Thu1900 [00:00:27] Miko Lee: Express. Good evening, you are tuned into Apex Express. We're bringing you an Asian and Asian American view from the Bay and around the world. I'm your host Miko Lee, and tonight we're talking about the beloved and amazing East Wind Bookstore. It'll be closing its doors on April 30th after 41 years in operation. Joining us are is the founder Harvey Dong. Staff Cheryl Truong and Banoo Afkhami. So keep it locked on Apex Express. Welcome East Wind Books to Apex Express. I am so excited to talk to you all about the legacy of East Wind Books, I wanna start first with our legacy make. Harvey, can you just first share, I mean, I think many people know about you and we've interviewed you on Apex Express before talking about the history of where the terminology Asian American even comes from. And we know you're an esteemed professor at, um, uc, Berkeley. But can you, in your own words, tell us who you are, who your people are, and what legacy you carry with you from your ancestors? , [00:01:33] Harvey Dong: that's a tough, uh, question because, um, it would take quite a lot of thinking of the different places I've been in in the past. But, um, I, I would just start with, uh, this was our decision to, uh, continue the operations at East Wind Books, uh, was when a friend of ours, uh, Who was the manager of East Wind Books and Art, uh, informed us that this bookstore, uh, 1986 Shaddock, uh, was planning to be closed. And he was sad to see it closed, and he asked us, Myself and my wife Beatrice, if we'd like to continue it, possibly as an Asian American bookstore. Um, and we said that, uh, we'd think about it and it took us about two years. 9, 19 94, we were customers at his store and in 1996 we decided to take the leap, um, Beatres. Uh, graduated with a degree in ethnic studies, studying literature with, uh, professor Barbara Christian in African American Studies and Professor Elaine Kim in Asian American Studies and also Saling Wong in Asian American Studies. So she was very familiar with ethnic. lit and myself, I had the experience of, being involved when I was in the AAPA Asian American Political Alliance, to open the first Asian American bookstore on Kearney Street. Yeah, on the international hotel. We were evicted from that location in 1977. We gave it another try for another two years and, uh, everybody's shut down it's operations. So this is post third World Strike Post, um, uh, I Hotel. It was a time. Conservatism Prop 2 0 9, uh, attacks on the affirmative action and so forth, and we decided that maybe we could make a contribution by opening up and continuing. And evolving East Wind books of Berkeley. Uh, so since then, um, it's been a, uh, uh, quite a ride, you know, in terms of the people we've met, the people we interacted with, uh, the social movements that have come up and. We offered it as a, a place for up and coming, uh, Asian American studies, ethnic studies, uh, poets, uh, writers, um, and so forth. And it's, it's a, uh, a, a spot that we really. Treasure, we really enjoy. Um, the, the dream I had back then was, uh, people go all over to go to City Lights. Maybe East Wind books could be something like that. You know, we, we knew, uh, someone who worked at City Lights. Too. I [00:04:55] Miko Lee: love that. And I think for many people it has become a version of city lights, especially for the Asian American Pacific Islander community. But Harvey, you ignored my initial question. You went right into East Wind Books, which we're gonna be spending our whole episode talking about. And I wanna know, go way back and go back to growing up in Sacramento and, and tell me about, I know that your mom was also an activist. Can you tell me about how your mom influenced you as an organiz? [00:05:23] Harvey Dong: Well, my mom was always a very outspoken person. A lot of this had to do with the fact that because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, people who came over as paper sons, paper daughters, uh, she was left behind by both her parents, uh, because, uh, boys were prioritized over girls and her papers were given to a male cousin who could help at the, uh, grocery business. So she was, uh, left. And she went through the sin, uh, jaap Japanese war, uh, during war, war, war ii. Uh, she, uh, was a political refu. She was a refugee, uh, moving from China to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Macau, and then back to China. So she had all this experience, and so she wasn't afraid to speak. Uh, we did see her speak out when, uh, acts of racism, uh, happened and, uh, she was also active in the, uh, uh, unions in, uh, for the state employees. So she, she was an inspiration to us, although we were probably too young to realize that we thought that she was just someone that was. Loud, [00:06:38] Miko Lee: loud. What wasn't afraid to speak out or speak her mind, right? Mm-hmm. . So not the model minority, your [00:06:44] Harvey Dong: mother? Uh, no, definitely not. Um, later when we, when I myself became active, uh, her main concern was not so much the, the content of the activism, but more whether or not I would graduate. [00:07:00] Miko Lee: Uh, yes. Graduating from college. That was the critical component to your. . Right. So tell me what was your, I know you have been involved in so many of the fabric that makes up Asian American movement building from the Third World Liberation Front to the Black Panthers to and with bees involvement in the Garment workers movement to the I Hotel. Tell me, what was your very first activist, uh, involvement? What was the thing that spurred your organizing? [00:07:30] Harvey Dong: Well, my first activist involvement. Dropping out of the, uh, RTC army program at uc, Berkeley. Uh, because I had talked to, uh, fellow classmates about the war. I went to a bookstore, uh, right around the corner from unit three where I lived. I just went out that exit and I just went in Cody's and read all their books about us imperialism and colonialism. And so I became, uh, anti-war and I. Lose some friends in the dorms over that cuz fellow Asian American friends who, uh, weren't as, uh, informed. You know, I would get into discussions and debates and so forth. [00:08:16] Miko Lee: And you had been reading all the books so [00:08:17] Harvey Dong: you knew Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I, I, I felt really passionate about it and I participated in Stop the Draft week 1967, uh, to, to, to, uh, uh, sit in at the induction. In Oakland, uh, I witnessed, uh, police brutality on demonstrators and it only fired us up, uh, for next year. Stopped the draft week part two in 1968. And so that kind of got me. Involved as an individual. Um, the anti-war movement, uh, began to relate with the, uh, black Panther movement. And from there I attended Black Panther functions. I even went down to the, uh, the headquarters as a volunteer witness, uh, because of the fact that there was news that there was gonna be a, a raid on the Black Panther headquarters and they needed community support. So I did have that background experience and then when the Asian American Political Alliance started in around May of 1968, um, I joined it the following fall. , um, they, they helped organize one of the first Asian American studies courses. It was an experimental course, and from there, I, I was, uh, became active in A A P A That led to the formation of the T W L F in, uh, December of 1968, and the strike begins in January, 1960. So I did, uh, meet quite a few people. We did, uh, connect with, uh, different, uh, peoples of color. Um, and white supporters during that time. [00:10:14] Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing that. And I know, um, B couldn't be with us here today, but b is your spouse and partner and collaborator, um, life partner and business partner. And I'm wondering if you can share a little bit about how b for Scott involved, and I know that she worked with the, um, garment workers, but do you know her origin story, her activist origin story? [00:10:35] Harvey Dong: Uh, sure. The, um, the strike, uh, ended. Um, with a moratorium of strike activities pending further negotiations for a third World College. Um, part of that agreement would be the establishment of an interim Department of ethnic studies at uc, Berkeley to begin fall, uh, 1969 and b. , the first, uh, among the first students to be part of that fall 1969, uh, ethnic studies, Asian American studies class. So she, so from there she, uh, she was actually, uh, previously active in the Asian block at Oakland High. They worked with the Black students Union. So she started [00:11:22] Miko Lee: as a high school student? Yeah. As an activist. [00:11:24] Harvey Dong: Wow. Yeah. Yeah. They, they had a group there and the, quite a few number of the. Black students, uh, uh, went to Berkeley that following fall, and they became very active in Asian American studies. Asian American studies was, uh, somewhat of a liberated, uh, program because they gave us a minimal amount of funding, uh, with the hope that we would, um, burn ourselves. Ah, but instead we, we used whatever funding we had. Uh, we used the, uh, the classes to develop Asian American studies and reached out to the communities nearby, such as Japan Town in San Francisco, uh, Oakland, Chinatown, Oakland, uh, Manila Town, uh, San Francisco, Manila Town, south of Market. And so forth. And, and then students from Asian American studies classes would go to all these locations and they would become, uh, uh, people who would start, uh, serve the people type programs. [00:12:38] Miko Lee: I love that. So they thought they were gonna squish y'all, but instead they kind of helped to fire up a movement. [00:12:42] Harvey Dong:.Yeah, we had to really Think and brainstorm, you know, solutions, you know, given the limitations. So Bee became, very active in, Asian American studies. It was called Asian Studies back then, and she was actually in the, governing body, you know. Oh, wow. So just imagine a university program where you have a freshman having a say in the running of the program. [00:13:15] Miko Lee: Does that happen nowadays? [00:13:15] Harvey Dong: Uh, now it's very distance, you know, it's, it's not, not at all [00:13:21] Miko Lee: basically. No, no, that doesn't happen now. Wow. And then how did you two meet? What is the activist love story of Harvey and B Dong? [00:13:30] Harvey Dong: Well, we've met, in Asian American. we became closer through the formation of the, uh, Chinatown Cooperative Garment Factory, which was a, uh, an alternative to the, sweatshops in San Francisco Chinatown. Uh, that was also an, originally an Asian American Studies, community course project where there's investigation, uh, interviews, oral histories, and, and then we applied for, uh, seed. To purchase equipment machinery to establish a, um, a cooperative garment factory, um, in the basement of the International hotel. [00:14:14] Miko Lee: Oh, so you started that first and then it was at the I Hotel that you started mm-hmm. , everybody's bookstore, is that right? [00:14:20] Harvey Dong: everybody's bookstore was on the, Kearney street entrance of on the international hotel block. that started as a  like a 10 by 10 room. We, solicited like 50 bucks each from different  AAPA members and we raised about $500 and we got a business license. We went down to l n s bookstore., the book vendor in San Francisco, uh, book people was another. and also China books, which had a, never ending supply of, of red books and, literature from China. that's how the bookstore started. And that was actually I think the, the last activity of the Asian American Political Alliance. It, it ended, you know, cause So, so [00:15:25] Miko Lee: was was founding [00:15:26] Harvey Dong: the bookstore? Uh, yeah. Was founding the bookstore. And then after that, the, the bookstore, uh, is, um, becomes independent of, uh, of the aapa because people, scatter, move, go to different directions and stuff. we then inform. around that same time, we, we, Asian American Studies, formed this Asian studies field office, which brought students to, uh, San Francisco Chinatown and Manila Town holding classes. So, so we had this bookstore, we had this Asian studies field office. Uh, a couple years later, funding gets cut for, for the field office. And we then form an independent Asian community center known as acc. And the acc, um, had to raise its own monies. Uh, there were a lot of elderly people coming down, a lot of seniors, and they themselves felt really very attached to the center and they. , um, solicit funds to cover the rent. Yeah. Wow. So it became a community space. what happened there was we, we, we had people go to, uh, Portsmouth Square and we told the, uh, people sitting there, the elders that, you know, you can come down to our center and sit. You don't have to sit out here in the cold. Ah, in the rain. [00:16:57] Miko Lee: You gave them a space. [00:16:57] Harvey Dong: Yeah. So they all came down. The only problem was, you know, there was a lot of smoking and, uh, we did, there's no, you know, tobacco type related regulations and stuff like that, right? But,  there was tea serve. some of the old men, elders would tell us talk stories, while we're drinking tea. we connected, you know,  this type of phenomenon, we found out was also happening. Other locations and places. There was community center set up in, Japanese Community Center. in J Town there was a basement workshop in New York City., so you have this, the Civil rights Movement, black power movement, ethnic studies, movements. These classes,, wanting to send students to the community. then you have these centers developing. So it shows how like movements interrelate and connect the bookstore, everybody's bookstore was a part of that, providing the information. [00:18:13] Miko Lee: So it's always been, even in its very roots, it's been based in and of, and by and for the community as a way of building in political action. Is that right? [00:18:21] Harvey Dong: Yeah. exactly. We were definitely about, Building this wave of activism by going to the grassroots, you know? and that was happening, uh, in, particularly in, in, in the African American community, the Puerto Rican community,, Chicano community. All that was, was happening where you have young people, redefining their, their purpose in life. [00:18:57] Miko Lee: and their connection with their elders. Harvey Dong: Exactly. Yeah. Miko Lee: That's amazing., I have a question that has come from my colleague, which runs, Nancy Xiong that runs Hmong Innovating Politics. And actually tomorrow, our network at AACRE, we're doing an intergenerational exchange all about organizing and it's, elders speaking with young folks about how they're organizing and how they're uplifting their community. And her question is, can you talk about. organizing has evolved over time as you go through the different life transitions, like starting a family, taking care of kids, take, taking care of parents. How do you, what, what is a way to keep a healthy work life balance with your [00:19:40] Harvey Dong: activism? Well, taking care of um, uh, elders is a very tough task cuz we're, we're dealing with that now cuz Bee's dad passed. Last month, and then her mom moved into our, our house, uh, this, this month. So, so definitely it's, it's, it's something that, that has to be, uh, addressed. I, I know back then, you know, we, we, um, we did have, um, quite a few elders, uh, relate to our organization, but we, we didn't have any specific, uh, program. Uh, other than recreation, um, showing of films, uh, celebrating holidays, uh, together and, and so forth, the international hotel tenants, um, I, I know the International hotel, um, tenants collective, they, they, they actually, uh, brought in, uh, food programs, social services. Needs, you know, things that could meet, meet the daily needs of the elderly. So, so definitely it, it has to be a, uh, Dealt with on a community-wide basis so that people aren't isolated. [00:20:59] Miko Lee: But for you personally, how do you balance work and life with all of these things that are going on? You're still a professor, you're still, you know, been running the bookstore, you've been doing your activism, you've been doing so many different things. How do you, Harvey, I know in the past you used to do Tai Chi, and I'm just wondering, are there other tools that you utilize on the daily to be able to stay sane in a crazy world? [00:21:20] Harvey Dong: Well, sometimes if I, I. Extremely stressed. I would get on a bike and ride it and I would take pictures of water. [00:21:30] Miko Lee: What is it about water that's calming for you? [00:21:32] Harvey Dong: Uh, well, the, the, if, if you ever look at the bay, the water changes, you know, sometimes it's higher, sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's blue, sometimes it's gray. So it, it does, it does, uh, make you kind of, um, think about how things. Um, and it never stops. You know, it, it's always something you can learn and pick up. Tai Chi, I, too, Kung fu, especially when we started, we were getting threats and, uh, from the. Messages. And, you know, when you started the bookstore, [00:22:13] Miko Lee: you were getting threats? [00:22:13] Harvey Dong: Oh, oh, yeah, yeah. And the Asian Community Center, we, we, because we were an alternative to the, uh, conservative establishment, um, in Chinatown, uh, there were newspaper articles and, uh, from conservative newspapers that, that, uh, something should be done. And, and, and, and, and then we, we, we did, uh, uh, participate in some activities where, um, the Dolui movement, uh, back then, I, I, I remember it was attacked by, uh, hired thugs. And so it was ver very tense times too. You know, it wasn't like, um, easy going, you know? Right. There's, there's always violence, the threat of violence, and you have to figure. How to survive, uh, preserve your, your energy and also, uh, protect, uh, the community. So what did you figure out about that? Uh, well, an elder came down and sat down with us and said, uh, I'm gonna bring you guys to, to these, uh, uh, seafoods who can, uh, teach you, uh, some martial. . Um, so, so we did that and, but, but I, I would say that the, the main thing was to establish ties and con connect and connections with, uh, the youth in the community, you know, that could be used against you and, um, know your enemies, know your enemy, uh, build allyships, um, run, uh, programs that have meaning. You know, we, we. We, uh, distributed food to, um, maybe a thousand families every month. You know, uh, Lonnie Ding, the filmmaker actually, uh, found that there was this government surplus food, and she initiated that program and the Asian Community Center provided the. So every month it, the, the, the place from front to back was filled with surplus food, And in that surplus food we would have literature, uh, uh, about resources, services. Uh, a lot of the, uh, the people who received the food were workers and when they had labor disputes, they would come to us and we would provide translation. Uh, seek out legal aid and so forth. Yeah. So [00:24:46] Miko Lee: provide the community what they need. Harvey Dong: Yeah. Food, legal services, advice. Yeah. And educate them about what's going on in the exactly capitalistic system. Yeah. Um, we're hearing words of wisdom from East Wind Books Founder Harvey Dong. We're gonna take a moment and just have a little break and listen to some music. Uh, the Yellow Pearl from. Old School Movement Song Collective Charlie Chin, Chrissy Gemma, and Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto. And we'll be back in a moment after listening to Yellow Pearl. Song [00:27:02] Miko Lee: Few. All right. That was Yellow Pearl from A Grain of Sand by Old School Collective Charlie Chin, Chris Ijima, and Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto. And we are here with the folks from East Wind Bookstore and you are tuned in to Apex Express, a 94.1 K P F A, and 89.3 KPF FB in Berkeley. 88.1 KFCF in Fresno, 97.5 K2 four eight BR in Santa Cruz and online@kpfa.org. So we are here talking about East Wind Books, talking about organizing and talking about the impacts that this has on your body. And I'm gonna actually throw the mic over to Cheryl Trong to ask a question of Harvey about, that you're curious about. Go ahead. [00:27:54] Cheryl Truong: um, hi everyone. I'm Cheryl. I work at Eastman Books. I've been working here for maybe two years now. Over two years. Um, yeah, I mean, just going back to that question of navigating this work life balance, I think there's something that's not always talked about in these radical organizing is the effect it has on your life. Kind of like a sacrifice. And while Harvey is super humble and you know, is someone who does everything with all of his heart, as I know, and Bonnie's also right here next to me on my right, who also works at the bookstore and started when I did, we've seen just within these last two years, you know, the, how much it affects. How much organizing affects you and how much you sacrifice for it. Um, something Harvey doesn't talk about often is one, like financially, like back in the day when he was organizing, he didn't have a fridge. He would put a gallon of milk on his balcony every night just to keep it from spoiling and eat bread. Um, so there's a lot you do. I mean, there's a lot you gain too. You know, the community. And that spiritual, you know, aspect of fighting for the things you believe in with people that you care about. Um, but there's also, you know, you sacrifice a lot. I mean, also, you know, b the co-owner of East Wind Books, she stays up till 3:00 AM ordering books and planning our next events. You know, they both put all of their heart into everything that they do. And while it's such a beautiful sentiment, they're also. Real life aspects as well. Um, oh, I was supposed to ask a question. [00:29:37] Miko Lee: Well, Cheryl, I think you wanted to ask about how, um, you were mentioning this to me before about how both Harvey and Bee hold all of this space in their bodies, how they take care of themselves, how they work through this, because you've been doing it for a long time. So what are the elements that keep you going day? . [00:29:58] Harvey Dong: Um, well, I just wanted to address the, uh, the milk being put up on the window. So , [00:30:04] Miko Lee: critical component. . [00:30:07] Harvey Dong: Uh, yeah, actually I, I, I did get away with doing that and I thought it was convenient, except that one day I saw a rat, um, trying to get the milk. So after that, that, that stop [00:30:20] Miko Lee: So then what did you do with the milk Harvey? [00:30:20] Harvey Dong:  Um, well, shortly after that, me and. Um, got married and she did have a refrigerator, . And so, so with that marriage we, the wonders of marriage, we had a refrigerator . But, um, but definitely, I, I, I, I think it, it is not unusual for, for activists in the sixties and seventies to, to, um, do many tasks cuz there were so many things going on. Time was co. You know, you say, uh, 1968, so many things happened in one year, um, internationally, the war nationally, um, assassination of civil rights, uh, leader, uh, Martin Luther King, uh, SF State, uh, students, uh, negotiating for, uh, uh, thorough studies, um, the, the Chinatown protests against Poverty. Um, the French, uh, student rebellion, the Zarin student rebellion. So, so time is really compressed and you feel that you, you have to do the, the best you can, you know, given the, the short amount of time. I, I, I think that people felt that they, they did have to sacrifice because of the, the fact that, uh, the world could end too, you know? And so, so, so there's that time. That a lot of the activists had, uh, back then. And, um, so some of that, uh, probably does come back and kind of, uh, define what I do. I, but lately, I, I do know that, you know, as you get older, you, you can't do so many things at. Uh, much lesser. Remember ? , [00:32:16] Miko Lee: I think you have an amazing memory. You're always spitting dates out that I'm saying. How does he keep all that in his mind? ? Yeah. Um, we're gonna get, we're gonna talk about the future of East Wind Books in a moment, but I, I wanna just go and talk a moment about like, what is a memory that stood out? Like when you, when you're just talking about how you learn martial arts, um, as a way. You have, have safety and also a sense of wellness. I'm wondering, was that before or after the whole Bruce Lee Wong jog Jack Man fight schools that were in East Wind Books. And can you tell that story to our audience about what [00:32:51] Harvey Dong: happened? Well, the, the learning of martial arts was, was actually, um, even before Bruce Lee became famous, you know, because we, there was definitely a need to defend yourself safety. Yeah. For safety. Um, but years later, uh, at East w Books of Berkeley, um, there was, um, a book event we had, um, with, uh, Rick Wing who teaches at community college. I think he's a math professor, but he was also the, uh, the. assigned by Wal Jackman to carry on the legacy of his school. And Wong Jackman was the person who fought Bruce Lee. And there's many stories about who, who won that? Wong JackMan or Bruce [00:33:41] Miko Lee: Lee won one of the most famous karate battles. Yeah. Ever. [00:33:42] Harvey Dong:  And it's, it, it, it's, it is comp continually being retold with different angles and stuff like that. But, uh, Rick Wing, um, did research on it and he wrote about it. Um, I think it's online. Um, and he invited, uh, he wanted to have a book event and we had at East Wind Books and he invited all the martial arts schools in the Bay Area and. , the first thought that came to my mind is, oh, no , what's gonna happen? Yeah. What's gonna happen? Or, or, or, how big is our space? How big is our space? And, um, would this create like rivalry between different clubs over their styles? And so, so there were TaeKwonDo, uh people, karate people, kung fu. Um, how many people showed up? Uh, about 45 or 50. Mm-hmm. and some of 'em were huge , big people, Uhhuh, and they were, uh, but we just sat around and, and, and, and people were sharing stories about their martial arts club and, and their interactions with Bruce Lee and Wal Jackman and, and, and, and, and then there's one huge, uh, Puerto Rican, uh, karate guy said, man, this. uh, I feel like a, a child in a candy shop. I, I, I'm really enjoying all these stories. , . [00:35:12] Miko Lee: So it became a talk story event. Yeah. Not just like, oh, my school's better than your school, or, he won this [00:35:17] Harvey Dong: fight. Yeah, yeah. None of that. Yeah. And, and, and, uh, people really respected each other. And when the, the, the, the, the event ended, uh, , everybody went across the street to the Taiwan restaurant, which is no longer there.Oh, yeah. Yeah. And, um, for, for a meal. And, um, one person said, I don't, I don't know what I should do, uh, because I feel that we all got together here, and this is like a. Sacred place. And then he turned around and did a bow as if he was in, in, in a, uh, a studio in Dojo, dojo, , or, good. Love it. [00:35:54] Miko Lee: Love it. That is so fun. Are there other, um, memories that have stood out for you in the 41 years of experiences that have happened at East Wind Books that you think, oh [00:36:04] Harvey Dong: wow. Uh, let's see. Yang did an event, [00:36:10] Miko Lee: Jean Yang of the graphic novelist, the Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist that did American Boy in Chinese. That's actually just about to come out as a whole series, I think, on Disney with, um, almost all of the same performers from everything everywhere all at once. But anyway, that Jean Yang, yes. [00:36:31] Harvey Dong: Yeah, yeah. He, he, he tells the story about how he, he. , um, uh, affections for East Wind Books of Berkeley because when he first started out, he created this, this zine that was, uh, stapled and he came into East Wind Books. And he said, uh, would you carry this? And I said, yeah, just put it there. But, but he went, but he went to other stores and they, they wouldn't take it cuz they thought he was this young kid. Yeah. Uh, trying to promote something that wouldn't grow or develop. Do they sell? Uh, yeah. Yeah. They sell. Do [00:37:06] Miko Lee: you have one? Um, that would be such [00:37:08] Harvey Dong: a collector's item. I think we, we, we, we sold out. Oh. But, but he always remembers that. So whenever we have an event, you know, he. ask him to do an event. He's willing to. Yeah. I love [00:37:20] Miko Lee: that. Yeah. That is so amazing. Um, okay, now tell me about what made U N B decide to close East Wind Books? Uh, [00:37:29] Harvey Dong: well, it, there's the issue of gentrification, the rent, so there's the economic part there. Uh, age is, is another part. And, um, family responsi. . Um, so we had to kind of weigh that, you know, um, I, I think one time, um, the last time we were thinking of closing it, I, at, at, at a book event. I, um, I think it was, um, uh, black Against the Empire, um, is, uh, Waldo Martin, um, um, worked on a. About the Black Panthers. Mm-hmm. and, uh, Bobby Seal was there and we, we talked about, uh, the importance of the book and the importance of the bookstore. Uhhuh . And I think I said, oh yeah, we'll, we'll be here forever. [00:38:29] Miko Lee: Alas . [00:38:30] Harvey Dong: And so after making that statement, we, we did commit for another five years on. You, [00:38:38] Miko Lee: you boxed yourself in there, , but I'm, I'm wondering you what your take is. Okay. We're gonna get back to that one second, but I'm wondering what your take is on ethnic bookstores like Marcus Garvey books and East Wind Books. It's really there. Yeah. There's, it's a, it's a hard thing to keep going these [00:38:54] Harvey Dong: days. Uh, yeah, yeah, definitely, uh, difficult, uh, largely having to do with rent and, uh, gentrification and, and we have a, um, a huge. you're in, um, net, net, net, uh, bill mm-hmm. , which means that we, we pay something like 4% of the bill for the entire building, including water, to insurance, to property tax, to Right. Uh, repairs, which is not feasible. Yeah. So it, it definitely, uh, every year it's, it's, um, increasing. Um, and then the, uh, overhead we have to deal with, uh, The payroll tax, which is important, but um, is, it's a big pill. And, and also the, um, um, sales tax. Yeah. That always comes up. [00:39:48] Miko Lee: So modern living, modern living as, uh, then the burdens of trying to just keep things going are just too much. [00:39:56] Banoo Afkhami: Yeah. But to go back to your question, Miko, um, about like, you know, the role of ethnic bookstores, uh, well, I, I can't speak for like Harvey, but I can speak on, you know, as a staff person who has seen and helped many customers through the store and also as a person, like who enjoys shopping at Eastwood and spends a portion of their paycheck back at the bookstore just buying books again. Love it. Um, , it's ethnic bookstores are really hard to come by and, you know, as Harvey like really highlighted like there's a lot of costs that just make it really hard to exist as a small bookstore without all the additional like, challenges you face. Just, you know, of like carrying a very niche selective books that you know though very important, not a lot of people are gonna. Really want to go for it, you know, because Right. It goes against, um, pop culture. It goes against like, you know, the common media stream, you know, which is centrist, if not conservative. [00:40:50] Miko Lee: Or even just taking some young person's little zine that they stapled together. and putting it on the shelf. [00:40:56] Banoo Afkhami: Yeah. You know, and supporting like local artists and everything. Yeah. Like it's, they're super important, you know. Though, you know, though we are small, um, you know, there are so many people that come into the store and are just like, wow. You know, like, I've never seen it all in one place. Right. You know, I, I like, I'm, you know, like seen [00:41:13] Miko Lee: what in [00:41:13] Banoo Afkhami: All plate, one place seen. So, you know, we feature Asian American books, but also just radical, radical books at all times. And by authors? Yes, by bipo authors. And you know, like for example, I remember, especially with like, you know, our Filipino-American population here in the Bay Area, there's not a lot of representation in media of like Asian-Americans in general, but especially anything outside of like, you know, Chinese American, Japanese-American, Korean American, like the rest of us go kind of forgotten, you know? Right. Um, and so like, you know, especially like seeing this happen with like a lot of more like, you know, niche communities, you know, like. just a few days ago, you know, there's a Phil Filipino American, uh, person, and they came into the store and they're like, do you have any stuff on, like, anythings on like Filipino, you know, diaspora, Filipino American stuff. I'm like, yeah, actually we have a whole shelf on it. You know, I added them over. There's exception on that . And like, they were so heart warmed and overwhelmed by that, and it's like, oh my God, I ha I never saw them in all in one place. You know? Like you might find like in, you know, an Alan Robles book, you know, here, or you know, you could find like this other book there, you know, but you don't. all together. Right. And when you see an entire shelf full, it's kind of magical. Um, and I remember that person, like I ended up bringing them a stool just cuz they wanted to like, flip through all the books and like decide which ones they wanted to go through, you know? And, and they ended up buying a bunch of them, you know, and it's just, it's moments like that, you know, where you remember, wow, like, this is a really important thing to have. Um, and it's really difficult to keep open, you know, because, , there's, you know, these communities are intentionally like left out of mainstream media. Right. You know, like there's, it's a constant fight to get more representation and when you're already underrepresented, you know, and like the most that maybe a common person might want to get. In the store. I don't, I shouldn't say common, but like, you know, a person who only watches mainstream media. Like they, they might come in and be like, Hey, do you have the new chan? You know, like the Chani comic book or like, do you have like, you know, like, you know, crying in Amart, although that one's really good, you know? Or like That's a good book, . Yeah. But it's like, you know, they only, what's the bestseller ones? Yeah, what's the bestseller? You know, do, right. Do you have like, , you know what, what was the other one? Bullet train. You know, that one sold. Like things like that. Right, [00:43:31] Miko Lee: right. Well, um, I love hearing that about how there will be East Wind is continuing in some way and I wonder if, um, both Bonu and Cheryl, can you talk about what is the future of East Wind Books, the brick and mortar Store we know is closing in April. Right. And, and we're inviting folks to come to the bookstore. Yeah. There's a what, tell us what's happening at the bookstore before it closes first and then where, where we are going in the future. [00:44:00] Cheryl Truong: So right when you said, asked us to start talking about the future, Harvey gave me this really funny look. [00:44:06] Miko Lee: I noticed that. What's that about? Please tell us. [00:44:08] Cheryl Truong: I mean, he's curious too, you know, because this is something really only our generation can answer. Um, so, okay. So as for now, I mean, Eastland Books is still gonna be here in the Bay Area. We're still gonna be doing our community events. We're gonna be online distributing books on a even wider reach. Now, you know, we can ship. Globally, uh, instead of just having in-store pickup, things like that. Um, [00:44:37] Banoo Afkhami: our website is asia book center.com [00:44:39] Miko Lee: and we're talking about doing some kind of apex collaboration Yes. So that we can celebrate a p i books on air as well. But what's happening if somebody walks into the bookstore right now on University Avenue, what do they see? What's happening right now? [00:44:54] Cheryl Truong: You're gonna see a whole bunch of. On for sale for $5. Wow. And we're talking actually like really amazing, incredible books. Um, so we're trying to clear our shelves. Lots of really great books are on sale for 30% off. Um, you're gonna see Harvey in the back office drinking a can of Diet Coke, even though I tell him not to. You'll probably see me or Bonoo at the front counter and we're. . Also happy that it lasted for as long as it did and will end [00:45:31] Miko Lee: strong. And then there's community events that are still ongoing. I know that you have one coming up. Yes. The Oakland Cultural Center. Asian Cultural Center. Can you tell us about that one? [00:45:40] Cheryl Truong: I'm so excited for this one. So Chiwan just re released a book called, have you Eaten yet? Recipes from Chinese American Family or something like that. Um, and then he's going to be in conversation. Amazing. Chef Martin Jann from YN Can Cook, and I think a little birdie told me that, uh, Jann is going to be doing a surprise cooking demonstration at the O A C C too, which is something I think they've never done before. So yeah, we're excited. [00:46:11] Miko Lee:  So how do people find out about coming to that event? [00:46:14] Cheryl Truong: Well, you can go on our Instagram. , uh, at Eastwood books or follow the Oakland Asian Cultural Center at Oakland Cultural Center on Instagram. Or you can go on occ.cc/events and you'll see a whole bunch of their events there too. [00:46:31] Banoo Afkhami: And you can also check out our website and send up to our newsletter, uh, which is also on our website. Um, like I said, it's asia book center.com. Uh, we post all of our events on there as well as links to purchase the books of the events. [00:46:46] Miko Lee: Um, so while the brick and mortar store is closing, you will still continue.I know East Wind Books is also a nonprofit, so the nonprofit arm is the aspect that's continuing. Is that right? Mm-hmm. . So the community center part, the community, maybe it's a virtual community or a community center at different locations will continue to exist? Yes, [00:47:09] Harvey Dong: correct. And then the, the other, um, activity that'll continue is, um, uh, the publishing of, um, books. [00:47:19] Miko Lee: Oh, great. Tell us about that. [00:47:20] Harvey Dong:  Uh, well, professor Carlos Munoz, who's active in the Chicano movement. is, um, writing a book about his, uh, life story, uh, his autobiography, and it it'll be published by East Wind Books of Berkeley. And the book covers his life from being involved in the, uh, LA student, uh, uh, blowouts. It was a huge walkout in, um, around 1968 and, um, his, uh, teaching of ethnic studies and Chicano studies. at uc, Berkeley and his activism in the Chi Chicano movement. Um, another uh, book that we recently released is titled The Power of Our Stories Won't Stop. And Who's that by? Uh, that's published by, um, uh, Helene Helen Lee. that book, uh, uh, is an anthology of. peoples of color, uh, who write about their early activism and sharing their stories, uh, to the younger generation. Oh, [00:48:37] Miko Lee: love that. That would be, that's very appropriate to our conversation today. Maybe we could do a book club on that. That sounds fun. Um, how many books has East Wind published? [00:48:48] Harvey Dong: We put 'em out on the table that day and there must be about six or seven. [00:48:52] Miko Lee: There's more than that. There's [00:48:53] Banoo Afkhami: more than that. Harvey. Those was just the ones we had on hand, Harvey. Yeah. And also like I, I was limited on table space there. Okay. You know , [00:49:01] Miko Lee: you'll see East Wind at a series of different community events that are happening. Um, I saw you backstage at Cambodian Rock Band. We. So good. Yeah, so different events. You'll see East Wind books and we always encourage folks to support local bookstores, not the big bad monsters. In [00:49:18] Cheryl Truong: addition, uh, there's a East Wind documentary in the works being worked on by Banu, uh, our good, good French Shine Lee and um, myself. [00:49:30] Miko Lee: Oh, great. What's the timeline for that, Cheryl? Tell us about the document. , we're [00:49:35] Banoo Afkhami: gonna hopefully have a teaser done by sometime in April. Um, you know, to commemorate the closing of the store. And I don't know, as of right now, I mean, there's no complete set timeline. We're just kind of, we want to capture these stories and the stories of, you know, Harvey and b and, you know, everyone involved in the movement. Um, So we actually agreed, you know, a couple weeks ago in a, in, in a Zoom meeting, sometime ridiculously late into the middle of the night , um, that, you know, we wouldn't set a 100% firm timeline for the super final product, but we will be releasing a teaser sometime in April. Um, just because we wanna make sure that we're doing justice to their stories and we don't want. Rush that process. Um, especially, you know, once we, you know, feel, like, feel out what, like the final through lines of the story are gonna be, um, and just to make sure that we do it just as, because it's such an important part of the community, it's such an important part of the Asian American movement. Um, and it can serve as a really beautiful metaphor for, you know, passing the torch and also just. Um, what it means to be an activist. So we don't want to rush that process. But, um, we're [00:50:53] Cheryl Truong: also definitely approaching it kind of with a whole bunch of seeds of curiosity. I think our hypothesis is kind of us asking how do we navigate, uh, post East One society? Not that, you know, east wind's forever gone, but just how do we move on after being impacted? Influentially by such a wonderful [00:51:16] Miko Lee: place. I love that. Thank you for sharing. Can each of you, Cheryl and Bonous, share what, who you come from, who are your people, and what is the legacy you carry with you, especially as you go into this next envisioning of what East Wind becomes? I [00:51:33] Cheryl Truong: love this question so much, right? When you asked it, Bonu, Bonu basically gave me a mental fist bump. Um, we love talking about this, so I. . I was born and raised in Long Beach, California, right? Harvey? Harvey loves Long Beach, um, . So I was born and raised in Long Beach. I come from a family of three or four siblings, or no, three other siblings, four people in total. Um, both of my parents are refugees from Vietnam. My mom left Vietnam when she was young to China, and then eventually, Had to leave China and walk or and go to Cambodia. And from Cambodia, she walked all the way to Vietnam again. Um, my dad was part of the second wave of Vietnamese boat people. He was on sea for, you know, five, five days, four nights I think, before he eventually landed in a refugee camp in Malaysia. Um, so I think our connect. I feel really similarly with Harvey, our connection to water. You know, we can trace our bloodlines through waterlines basically. Um, and yeah, we're, yeah, that's my family I guess. I have other family in Orange County as well in the little Saigon area, and my sister and I are up here in the East Bay. Love it. [00:52:52] Miko Lee: Thank you. And finally, I'd love to hear. [00:52:55] Banoo Afkhami: Yeah, so, um, my mother's actually Mexican American. My dad is Iranian. Um, he immigrated after the revolution. Um, as an artist. He was a photographer and at the time he was studying and working to be a director in cinema. Um, but then the revolution happened and there were a lot of restrictions on art, um, and self-expression. So he had a really complicated immigration story. Um, That I'm probably not gonna own to right now, but he, uh, after a lot of trial and error and years of trying, he made his way over to America. Um, and he opened a Photoshop, um, in San Leandro near the Bayfair Mall. Um, and my mom, uh, so she was Mexican American. Uh, she grew up in la um, To at the HNO family. So we're at the Hans, uh, generationally speaking. So like the border crossed us, we did not cross the border. . Yeah. Uh, we were Mexicans native to Texas. Um, and then Texas became a part of the US after my people were already there. Um, but yeah, so my grandparents left Texas because Jim Crow there was really, really awful. And, um, they moved to LA and my mom grew up in LA and. . Um, then she moved up to north, uh, northern California and she was into photography as a hobby. And so that's how my parents met. Um, my mom was his customer and so that meant for growing up in a really interesting upbringing. Um, just in the sense of it was weird, but in a lot of ways, being Iranian taught me how to be Chicano and being Chicano taught me how to be proud of being Iranian and Asian American. Cuz as far as diaspora goes, like. Um, like as Chicanos, we've been here and dealing with this type of racism for like a lot longer than the Iranian community has, where as a lot of us only immigrated in the eighties. So it really helped having, you know, people who like for generations understood what racism was to a community that was. So that's where it's like, you know, like I'm, you know, second gen in this, you know, where it's like my dad immigrated, you know, hoping to live the American dream and, you know, Now I'm the one that has to deal with like growing up Iranian American in a society that, you know, hardly wants to recognize that you exist. So in that sense, to go back to your original question of like, what does that do for, you know, east Wind or whatever, I mean, or whatever, , . Well, I don't know. I think in terms of our generation when it comes to community work, I don't feel like I can take claim. our movement. I think our movement is made up of everyone. You know, I don't think it can just be one person or, um, what I do see in terms of differences between our generation and older generations is some of the ways that we organize. Um, and also like, I don't know, we have to kind of evolve that and evolve how we trust each other. Cuz I remember Harvey, you know, would talk about how back in the day, they just had to trust in each other to show up and for us, I don't know, we have to be more creative with it. Um, [00:56:09] Miko Lee: thank you so much for sharing so much information about Legacy and about the future of East Wind Books and how we have to work together to be able to make it all happen. this is so critical for our movement, for our movement building. Webid a fond farewell to the brick and mortar store of East Wind Books. We encourage people to come there. Door closes,  in April and encourage people to get involved in all the different events that are happening. Um, that will continue to happen both online and at different locales. So find out more information at the East Wind website. You can also check out more information about. Amazing community events that are happening. There's a Women of Color Leadership conference tomorrow in San Francisco. There's the People Get Ready Political Conference at uc, Berkeley on Saturday. Cambodian Rock Bands still playing at Berkeley Wrap and Muni raised me is at San Francisco. Check those out. Um, and please check out our website, k pfa.org to find out more about these events and about East Wind Books. And we thank all of you out. Listeners, keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions for the world. Because your voices are important. Apex Express is a proud member of Acre Asian Americans for civil rights inequality, a network of progressive AAP I groups. Find out more@acre.org. Apex Express is produced by Paige Chung Swati. Raam Anju Pret Man, Shak Jalina Keenly, and me Miko Lee, thank you so much to our engineer, Jose Gonzalez, for making this show happen. Woo, and to all have a great night. The post APEX Express 3.23.23 The Legacy of Eastwind Books appeared first on KPFA.

The next two or three election cycles will determine our nation's fate: a more widespread democracy or the Russian-style fascism promoted by Trump and DeSantis. Stay tuned and stay woke! Also Veteran War Correspondent Phil Ittner on the ground in Kyiv. The Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 393 of the invasion. Eight people killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv; west must brace itself to supply lethal aid to Ukraine for a long time, says NATO chief. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Japanese-American cowgirl Miko Moriuchi McFarland put herself through college trick riding six nights a week and going to classes during the day. A founder of the Trixie Chicks Trick Riders, she has performed on the rodeo circuit, ridden beside Budweiser Clydsdales and carried the the American flag during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. She chats with Russell and Alan about her career as a professional trick rider and her new hobby—mounted archery.

Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, stands out as a major affront to the promise of American liberty. In 1942, this executive order forced approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes on the western coast, and incarcerated them in makeshift prisons all around the nation. Our guest today explains today that this was not only a case of civil rights being stripped from Americans, but labor rights as well. In these glorified concentration and work camps, agents of the U.S. government coerced Japanese Americans into doing hard and dangerous labor, for little-to-no compensation, sometimes even for the benefit of private, for-profit companies. This coerced labor was justified by the rhetoric of the U.S. government, even as the imprisoned resisted and persevered.  Leading this week's conversation on coerced labor during WW2 is Dr. Stephanie Hinnershitz, award winning author and historian of Japanese American incarceration, civil-military relations, and race on the American wartime homefront. Stephanie Hinnershitz is a historian and author specializing in the American home front during World War II. She has written 3 books and became a Senior Historian with the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans in 2021.  Stephanie Hinnershitz is an author and historian with the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. She has previously taught at Valdosta State University and Cleveland State University. In addition to her professorships, her research has been supported by grants and fellowships from the Social Science Research Council, the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, the Office of Diversity at the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Library of Congress, and the American Council of Learned Societies. She is the author of Race, Religion, and Civil Rights: Asian Students on the West Coast, 1900-1968, A Different Shade of Justice: Asian American Civil Rights in the South, and Japanese American Incarceration: The Camps and Coerced Labor during World War II, which won the 2022 Philip Taft Labor History Award from the Labor and Working Class History Association and Cornell University Industrial Labor Relations School.Follow her on Twitter @sdhinnershitz and visit her website stephaniehinnershitz.com. 

Interested in further study of the Bible? Join us at Logos Bible Software. Sign up to attend Westminster Seminary California's Seminary for a Day here! Do you want to retrieve our Classical Protestant theology and heritage? Sign up for a degree program or individual classes at the Davenant Institute by following this link here. Please help support the show on our Patreon Page! WELCOME TO BOOK CLUB! Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt (PhD, Washington University in St. Louis) is associate professor of art and art history at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. As a biracial Japanese-white woman, she has navigated the joys and tensions of a hybrid identity. Weichbrodt has published on topics ranging from contemporary Black photographers to the patronage of Hawaiian landscape paintings to documentary photographs of Japanese Americans during World War II. She also enjoys writing for general audiences on the intersection of art history, politics, and pop culture. We want to thank Baker Academic for their help in setting up this interview and providing us with the necessary materials for this interview Purchase the book(s) here: Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking at and Learning from Art Have Feedback or Questions? Email us at: guiltgracepod@gmail.com Find us on Instagram: @guiltgracepod Follow us on Twitter: @guiltgracepod Find us on YouTube: Guilt Grace Gratitude Podcast Please rate and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you use! Looking for a Reformed Church? North American Presbyterian & Reformed Churches --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gggpodcast/support

This backup infielder and long-time coach was only the second Japanese-American to play in MLB, paving the way for future greats. The extra "N" is for "Nice Glasses." Card 716 on Beckett SABR Bio by Rory Castello Feature on Lenn in Japan Ball ***CANDIDATE FOR BEST-LOOKING CARD OF THE 1980s*** 1981 Donruss Lenn Sakata Tippy Martinez picks off three runners in one inning, Lenn catches

Attorney and author Shirley Ann Higuchi was puzzled when her dying mother asked that the koden money from her pending funeral be donated to a place called Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. After her mom died, Shirley was even more mystified when a committee claiming to represent HMRC asked a representative of her family to attend a ceremony at there as they dedicated a trail to the late Setsuko. Her reluctant decision to travel to this remote site that had unjustly imprisoned nearly 11,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry after the attack on Pearl Harbor, HI, not only started her on an in-depth journey into this dark chapter of America's racist past, but it slowly opened her eyes to the long-term, lingering effects that this traumatic experience had on her parents and on her and her sibling. Her book "Setsuko's Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration," not only chronicles the injustices and the in-fighting, but is also illustrated with little-known stories of the suffering that some of the Japanese Americans had to endure.

Jeff and Phil welcome Yoko Okumura, Midori Francis and Jolene Purdy, the director and stars, respectively, of the horror/thriller UNSEEN. They discuss the challenges of crafting a story about two people connecting via FaceTime; the unique storytelling dynamic that occurs when a movie, not originally conceived as an Asian American story, is told by a director and two leads who happen to be Japanese American; And The Good, The Bad, and The WTF of making UNSEEN (hint: involves bugs).

Episode: 3216 World War II, the Los Angeles Art Students League, and Japanese American internment.  Today, art and survival.