“Never Again, is Now Day of Remembrance Event Held in San Jose’s Japantown
“Never Again, is Now! Day of Remembrance Event Held in San Jose’s Japantown
By Barbara Hiura
By Barbara Hiura
Dec. 7, 1941, “is a day that will live in Infamy” stated President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on Japan’s sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, and led to the signing of Executive Order 9066 allowing for the illegal detention and incarceration of 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry and removing all from the West Coast. Commemorating that signing day, was Nihonmachi Outreach Committee’s 45th anniversary of this Day of Remembrance event, held on Feb. 16 at the San Jose Buddhist Betsuin. Members of Wesley Church were present as they have been for most if not all those years.
Suffering such indignities and the abridging of their rights as American citizens was the presence of several of our church leaders such as Roy and Hana Takeuchi, both interned as children in Topaz, Arizona, or Its Yokota, a child encamped at Tule Lake, California, or Warren Hayashi in Gila, Utah. They were youngsters at the time they were incarcerated. Each were honored by lighting a candle of remembrance as the roll-call of 10 “relocation” camps and one camp representing the Dept. of Justice Camps were paid tribute.
“Remembrance is Resistance” one of the speakers stated. It’s not the past we need to fear, but the present. This became crystal clear with the remarks given by “Women Activists Leading Change,” as these various keynote and guest speakers recover oral histories about the concentration camps from their mother’s and grandmothers most who were only children when they were torn from their homes during World War ll. From oral history, remembering the past, comes movement, resistance and activism. We witnessed women in a slide of San Jose Nikkei Resisters Unity Quilt Panel, one depicting a quilt made by Alice Hikido with the statement “Build Movements, Not Walls!” or Christine Hikido’s (Alice's granddaughter) “Never Again, is Now” as their activism is loud, colorful, and brilliant. Silence? No, never again.
We remembered our recently fallen Japantown leaders that evening, two of whom were integral to our church, Joe Yasutake and Rich Saito. Revered always, remembered, of course, and indeed, truly missed.
Bev Lovaas came to this Day of Remembrance event for the very first time. “I was moved,” she remarked. The timing of this event brought an ever-present acknowledgement of violations to our American Civil Liberties and the injustices that threaten all of us. Handling one of the information tables was Mark Teagle representing PACT (People Acting in Community Together) and Wesley. Some of that information entails activism, some learning civil rights history, and some learning to protect ourselves with the immediate and impending rounding up of many of our community friends. In the face of a new reality, are ways we in the community need to prepare and protect ourselves against what is to come. Perhaps ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) appear on our doorstep!
Rev. John Oda gave the following benediction to conclude the evening. Harken his words. “As we conclude this Day of Remembrance, may we carry forward the stories of resilience, the voices of those who endured, and the lessons history has taught us. May the courage of the women activists who led change—who stood in the face of injustice, who fought for dignity, who shaped a better future—inspire us to do the same in our time. May their strength remind us that every voice matters, every action counts, and that justice is a responsibility we all share. May we leave this space with hearts open to truth, hands ready to serve, and a spirit committed to building a world where no community suffers the pain of exclusion and injustice again. Go forth in remembrance, in resolve, and in hope. May peace be upon us all.”
Suffering such indignities and the abridging of their rights as American citizens was the presence of several of our church leaders such as Roy and Hana Takeuchi, both interned as children in Topaz, Arizona, or Its Yokota, a child encamped at Tule Lake, California, or Warren Hayashi in Gila, Utah. They were youngsters at the time they were incarcerated. Each were honored by lighting a candle of remembrance as the roll-call of 10 “relocation” camps and one camp representing the Dept. of Justice Camps were paid tribute.
“Remembrance is Resistance” one of the speakers stated. It’s not the past we need to fear, but the present. This became crystal clear with the remarks given by “Women Activists Leading Change,” as these various keynote and guest speakers recover oral histories about the concentration camps from their mother’s and grandmothers most who were only children when they were torn from their homes during World War ll. From oral history, remembering the past, comes movement, resistance and activism. We witnessed women in a slide of San Jose Nikkei Resisters Unity Quilt Panel, one depicting a quilt made by Alice Hikido with the statement “Build Movements, Not Walls!” or Christine Hikido’s (Alice's granddaughter) “Never Again, is Now” as their activism is loud, colorful, and brilliant. Silence? No, never again.
We remembered our recently fallen Japantown leaders that evening, two of whom were integral to our church, Joe Yasutake and Rich Saito. Revered always, remembered, of course, and indeed, truly missed.
Bev Lovaas came to this Day of Remembrance event for the very first time. “I was moved,” she remarked. The timing of this event brought an ever-present acknowledgement of violations to our American Civil Liberties and the injustices that threaten all of us. Handling one of the information tables was Mark Teagle representing PACT (People Acting in Community Together) and Wesley. Some of that information entails activism, some learning civil rights history, and some learning to protect ourselves with the immediate and impending rounding up of many of our community friends. In the face of a new reality, are ways we in the community need to prepare and protect ourselves against what is to come. Perhaps ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) appear on our doorstep!
Rev. John Oda gave the following benediction to conclude the evening. Harken his words. “As we conclude this Day of Remembrance, may we carry forward the stories of resilience, the voices of those who endured, and the lessons history has taught us. May the courage of the women activists who led change—who stood in the face of injustice, who fought for dignity, who shaped a better future—inspire us to do the same in our time. May their strength remind us that every voice matters, every action counts, and that justice is a responsibility we all share. May we leave this space with hearts open to truth, hands ready to serve, and a spirit committed to building a world where no community suffers the pain of exclusion and injustice again. Go forth in remembrance, in resolve, and in hope. May peace be upon us all.”
From left: Rev. John Oda presented the Benediction, Its Yokota and Warren Hayashi laid out candles or remembrance along with Roy and Hannah Takeuchi on the right.
Mark Teagle representing PACT and Wesley at an information table, supported by Bev Lovaas.
This memorial to the camps was created by Jimi Yamaichi.
Brenda Gee helped light our way during the Candlelight Procession in the streets of Japantown.
From left: Alice Hikido, Flo Oishi, Elaine and Robert Hikido.
Slide of Christine Hikido and Alice Hikido with their quilts.
From left: Mits Kumagai, Rich Eijima, Roy and Hana Takeuchi, Rev. John Oda, Its and Liz Yokota, and Warren and Jane Hayashi
Also showing support from Wesley were from left: Barbara Mulford and Bev Acuna.
Posted in Newsletter 2025-02-20