By Lorene Oikawa, Past President
NAJC is preparing for regional member organization meetings. The Western Regional Meeting is first up, taking place in Nanaimo this month. Receive updates through your local member organization. List of member organizations are on the NAJC website. https://najc.ca/member-organizations/
Our new Administrative Assistant hired is Sydney Christie. Our new Capacity Building Initiative Project Manager is Laurie Harada. Welcome to Sydney and Laurie. Congratulations to our Project Administrator Julia Yamaguchi on her marriage, and we wish her a lifetime of happiness.
We will be highlighting upcoming festivals organized by or with participation by our member organizations. If you have information about Japanese Canadian events and festivals, please let us know and we can help promote them. Email [email protected]
In the last edition of The Bulletin, I introduced you to Geoff Meggs. He has written about the history of fishing in British Columbia including the history of Japanese Canadian fishers. He knows about Buck (Tatsuro) Suzuki, my uncle who was a leader in the Japanese Canadian fishing community. Geoff’s books include Strange New Country: The Fraser River Salmon Strikes of 1900-1901 which tells the stories of Japanese Canadian fishers fighting for their rights.
The “story of Tomekichi Homma, a Japanese Canadian who took legal action in 1900 to challenge B.C.’s racist voting laws.” can be read in full here. Geoff has been working on this project since 2022 and has given permission for the NAJC to share this important story about a Japanese Canadian’s fight for voting rights.
Japanese Canadians did not have the right to vote until 1949, four years after the Second World War ended and Japanese Canadians were released. 22,000 had been unjustly incarcerated since 1942 including forcible uprooting from their homes, dispossession, and exile. Our ancestors came to Canada in the 1800s. They worked hard, contributing to their communities and some even fought for Canada in the first World War, and they weren’t allowed to vote. The lack of franchise meant they wouldn’t be recognized as professionals even when they had achieved the required education. We owe it to our ancestors to remember their stories and we must share their stories as a lesson for all to learn.
Now, more than ever, we must participate in our democracy, make an informed choice, and vote. Encourage your family, friends, and networks to vote. Participation in our democracy is low. About 63% of eligible voters voted in the last federal election. The percentage is even lower for provincial and municipal elections. We have the power to ensure we have the inclusive, thriving communities we deserve. All we have to do is vote.
Read the full story of Tomekichi Homma, Canadian by Geoff Meggs. Copyright Geoff Meggs. March 25, 2024
