Japanese Americans from the Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium this morning expressed their support and solidarity with the Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and South Asian American communities at a press conference at the National Japanese American Historical Society. this Tuesday, December 22 at
The press conference is in response to anti-Muslim hate and rhetoric that has increased following recent terrorist attacks.
The following community leaders were scheduled to speak this morning:
- Hiroshi Shimizu—Former incarceree, Topaz incarceration camp, Tule Lake Segregation Center, Chair of the Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium
- Samina Sundas—Founder and Executive Director of American Muslim Voice
- Hiroshi Kashiwagi—Former incarceree, Tule Lake Segregation Center. Poet and writer
- Karen Korematsu—Co-founder of the Fred Korematsu Civil Rights Foundation. daughter of late Fred Korematsu, Supreme Court challenger
- Rev. Ronald Kobata—Resident Minister, Buddhist Church of San Francisco, representative of Japanese American Religious Federation (JARF)
Following the press conference there will be a brief vigil.
Members of the consortium include: Asian Improv aRts, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, API Legal Outreach, Campaign for Justice: Redress NOW for Japanese Latin Americans!, Center for Asian American Media (formerly NAATA, Japanese American Citizens League-SF Chapter, Japanese American Religious Federation, Japanese Community Youth Council, Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California, Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, Nakayoshi Young Professionals, National Japanese American Historical Society, Nichi Bei Foundation/Weekly, Rosa Parks Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program, and the Tule Lake Committee. Other organizations: Japantown Task Force, Kimochi, Inc., Sansei Legacy.
