NOC’s 24th annual Day of Remembrance program was held on February 15th at the San Jose Buddhist Church. Our theme, “Building Bridges to Defend Civil Liberties,” was reflected in the two co-emcees, NOC chairperson Masao Suzuki and Maha ElGenaidi of the Santa Clara County Human Relations commission.

The remembrance speaker was Alan Nishio of the Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress – Los Angeles (NCRR-LA), who stood in for the invited speaker Lillian Nakano. Alan read a statement from Lillian, and then recounted his work with Bert Nakano, the national spokesperson for the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations (NCRR) that NOC was a member of. Bert Nakano passed away last September.

The program also reflected on the passing of Yo Tokushige, long-time NOC activist, Ken Michizaki, husband of NOC activist Carolyn Kameya, and Jeanne Honda, wife of Congressman Mike Honda. Honda’s office was represented by Mariel Caballero. While Congressman Honda could not make the event, his work was seen in the passage of a House resolution supporting the creation of a National Day of Remembrance.

Internees were remembered in a candle-lighting ceremony by the Takaki family, followed by a candlelight procession through Japantown.

Other speakers included Audrey Shoji of the Campaign For Justice, who spoke of Art Shibayama and other Japanese Latin American and Japanese Americans who are still fighting for redress; Kenzo Kimura of the San Jose JACL; and former Human Relations Commission chair Jim McEntee who received a lifetime service award from NOC.

The program also included Okinawan music and dance by Genyukai Berkeley, a performance by the San Jose Taiko, statements by Gerald Sakamoto of the San Jose Buddhist Church, Tahir Anwar of the South Bay Islamic Association, and Shinya Goto of the Wesley United Methodist Church.