At the National Association of Japanese Canadians AGM held in Edmonton Alberta on October 16, 2011, the NAJC unveiled the Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi Human Rights Award at the AGM Dinner. Gordon had been a Professor of Sociology at the University of Alberta during the sixties, seventies, and eighties. Continue reading
Year: 2011
letter to Jason Kenney Re: Consultation process for immigration policy changes
November 27, 2011 The Honourable Jason Kenney Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism House of Commons Parliament Buildings Ottawa, ON K1A0A6 Dear Minister Kenney: Re: Consultation process for immigration policy changes In recent months members of the Human Rights Committee of the National Association of Japanese Canadians have noted the consultations on immigration policy. Last...Continue reading
December 2011
Like the iconic Japanese song of immigrants, Watari Dori (Birds of Passage), we are all transients looking for a place to alight and to call home. Fortunately, I have returned to Japan numerous times, but the Japan of my youth has long disappeared . . .Continue reading
Dr. Norikazu Nishio: Looking forward in life
I was brought up in Kitsilano so as youngsters all our friends were English-speaking, apart from a few other Japanese Canadian families. I went to Lord Tennyson Elementary and then Kitsilano Junior and High Schools.Continue reading
UBC to recognize Japanese Canadian students affected by internment during World War II
The University of British Columbia Senate voted tonight to honour students and Canadians affected by a dark period in Canada’s history, and will be awarding them special degrees next spring as part of a three-pronged program to mark the 70th anniversary of the internment policy.Continue reading
Update on Hastings Park Project
We are asking community members and descendants to forward the full names of family members who were detained in Hastings ParkContinue reading
Matsutake Film
I am a 2011 SEAD grant recipient for my film/project about matsutake hunting (past and present) in the JC community. I have been interviewing people in British Columbia for the film. Continue reading
November 2011
The mostly Nisei volunteers reminded me of the small number of dedicated people who put in long hours to ensure the survival of Nikkei communities across Canada. Continue reading
The Fight for the Vote
In 1916, 222 Japanese Canadian volunteers enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) for military service overseas in the First World War. Through enlisting, they overcame racial barriers and showed their determination to win their citizenship rights through military service.Continue reading