Fourth annual Day of Remembrance at SJSU emphasizes activism and solidarity

Gordon Yamate, who serves on the Los Gatos Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, spoke about inspiring solidarity and activism for a panel at this year’s Day of Remembrance of Japanese American incarceration at San Jose State University.

Feb. 19 nationally commemorates the anniversary of Executive Order 9066, a 1942 decree that ordered the removal of all people of Japanese descent from the West Coast to camps in remote areas of California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Arkansas. San Jose State held an event on that day to acknowledge the Japanese American experience and the campus’ connection to it. In 1942, Yoshihiro Uchida Hall, which used to be the university’s men’s gymnasium, was used as a registration center for Japanese Americans in Santa Clara County before they were sent to the incarceration camps.

SJSU Asian American studies professor Yvonne Kwan said that just under 3,000 people with Japanese ancestry were processed through the gymnasium. About 125 of them were San Jose State students. The discovery of this history led Nina Chuang, then a San Jose State student, to lead the “Never Again Is Now” project, which aims to commemorate the history of Japanese American incarceration by establishing the annual Day of Remembrance at the university and acknowledging institutional responsibility with a mural on one of the walls of Uchida Hall and a monument.

“What we found was just shocking, heart (and) gut-wrenching, just to see, wow, what our students did or what our university did to our own neighbors, our own people,” Kwan said.

Kwan moderated the Thursday morning panel with Yamate and Vanessa Hatakeyama, executive director of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose. The theme was “Neighbors, Not Enemies.” The discussion touched on issues like community work, interracial solidarity and activism.

The panelists were asked about the historical parallels between Japanese American incarceration and the federal crackdown on illegal immigration, leading to Yamate to answer that those currently being targeted for deportation are “being judged by the identity they wear on their faces.” He acknowledged that the circumstances that led to both events “didn’t happen in a vacuum,” as those being targeted then and now don’t have community resources at the federal level.

“This community doesn’t want to see it happening to any other community,” Yamate said.

Hatakeyama acknowledged the need for building solidarity, reminding a nearly full audience at the Student Union Theater that Japantown in San Jose has always been a multicultural, multiethnic community.

Kwan asked the panelists what people could do to start becoming engaged, and Yamate shared the story about the formation of Los Gatos’ DEI commission. He said Los Gatos is “one of the most segregated places in the country,” which led to a consulting firm recommending that the town form a DEI commission to monitor the community and deal with social issues. Yamate recommended that the audience look to some activist groups if they’re interested, plugging the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition and United We Stand/Indivisible Los Gatos.

“A lot of people don’t feel like they’re welcome in Los Gatos,” Yamate said. “(They later) discovered that there are a lot of good people; you just haven’t met them yet.”

Hatakeyama said small actions, like joining a newsletter or volunteering for a one-time event, can contribute to greater change and reminded the audience that vocal advocacy, especially by those who feel strongly about immigration enforcement, can lead to people who are impacted by these issues to feel supported.

The Day of Remembrance continued with three breakout sessions. One was a screening of “Home Court,” a film about a Cambodian American basketball prodigy, another was an interfaith coalition building panel, and the last was about navigating difficult conversations.

This was San Jose State’s fourth Day of Remembrance event. When asked why it was important to remember this history at the university, Chuang said, “As someone who’s not Japanese American, this project is especially meaningful for me because it’s because of legislation, because of policies and migration that I’m here, and it’s important for us to recognize this history because we are seeing it today, that it can happen to anyone.”