San Jose Nihonmachi Outreach Committee
2024 SAN JOSE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Save the Date!
February 18, 2024
5:30 - 7:00 pm
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Annex
LINKS TO THE 2023 DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Reparative Justice: Together We Rise
Courtesy of
J-Town Community TV
Courtesy of
NBC Bay Area News
Courtesy of
Pro Bono Photography
On Sunday, February 19, 2023, the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee (NOC) will present the 43rd annual San Jose Day of Remembrance program in the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin Annex, 632 North 5th Street, San Jose, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. This event commemorates Executive Order 9066, which led to the World War II imprisonment of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were American citizens.
The theme of the program is "Reparatory Justice: Together We Rise," bringing awareness to the public about the Japanese American community's redress and reparations movement and the importance of being in solidarity with other communities in their struggles for justice and reparations today.
Update: Mr. Valentin Lopez, Chairperson of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, had an unexpected event this week and had to change his plans to speak. He enthusiastically recommended Professor Veronica Martinez, a member of the Amah Mutsun Land Trust Board of Directors, to take his place. Recently, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band has been involved in the fight to protect the environmental health of the region, particularly Juristac sacred lands that have great historic and cultural significance to the Amah Mutsun.
Sumi Tanabe and Satomi Susie Yasui, survivors of WWII incarceration, will remember their experiences in camp and how they were affected by incarceration in the difficult years of resettling after their release. Athar Siddiqee from the South Bay Islamic Association will make a statement of solidarity from the Muslim community.
Also featured are performances by San Jose Taiko and the traditional candlelight procession through Japantown. The candle lighting ceremony and procession through Japantown will honor those who were incarcerated in the concentration camps.
Seating is limited. Masks are recommended. This event is free of charge but donations are welcome.
Satomi Susie Yasui
In this trailer for the 2023 San Jose Day of Remembrance, Satomi Susie Yasui talks about how she and her family encountered racism in the years after their release from WWII Japanese American prison camps.
Professor Veronica Martinez
Veronica Martinez, a member of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Land Trust Board of Directors, speaks about the importance of protecting Juristac. Clip courtesy of Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.
Sumi Tanabe
Sumi Tanabe was born in Long Beach, California. She and her family were incarcerated at Jerome, Arkansas and Gila River, Arizona. After their release they settled in Fowler, ten miles south of Fresno, where she attended grammar school and high school. She earned an AA degree from Fresno City College and a BS in Organizational Behavior from University of San Francisco. Sumi has been involved with the Buddhist Church for 50 years in many roles. She is the first woman President of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin and board member, Dharma School teacher and Minister Assistant. Sumi volunteers at Fuji Towers as a member of the board and served as President of the Board; and as President of the American Association of University Women, serving on the committees for homeless, legal advocacy, and scholarships.
Athar Siddiqee
Athar Siddiqee is currently the Chairman of the South Bay Islamic Association (SBIA), which is the longest-running Muslim organization in the South Bay Area. He has also served on the boards of the Council of American-Islamic Relations - San Francisco Bay Area chapter and the West Valley Muslim Association.
San Jose Taiko
San Jose Taiko returns to our first live Day of Remembrance event since 2020. Continuously innovating, they have been collaborating with performers from other communities and integrating other forms of artistic expression into their set in recent years.
Reflection
The traditional candlelight procession through historic Japantown allows participants to remember how the incarceration of Japanese Americans devastated the community and to reflect on what that event means to us today.