Day of Remembrance in San Jose

SAN JOSE — San Jose Japantown’s 39th annual Day of Remembrance will take place on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, 640 N. 5th St. (near Jackson).

With family separation in the news, tents cities being built on the border, and children dying while in the custody of the federal government, the annual Day of Remembrance takes on new urgency. The theme this year is “#Never Again Is Now.”

On Feb. 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 was signed. This led to the incarceration of more than 120,000 people of Japanese decent, two-thirds of whom were American citizens.

Chizu Omori, who was incarcerated at Poston in Arizona, will give her remembrance. She co-produced the documentary “Rabbit in the Moon” with her sister Emiko, writes a column for Nichi Bei Weekly, and is active with the Nikkei Resisters.

Teresa Castellanos will be the community speaker. She is the coordinator for immigrant relations and integration services for Santa Clara County and has worked with immigrant communities for over 25 years.

Professor Masao Suzuki of Skyline College will give an update of the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee and examine the parallel of the immigration issues of today to the Japanese American experience. He has been active with NOC for almost 30 years and has worked with South Bay Committee Against Political Repression.

Attorney Don Tamaki from Minami Tamaki LLP in San Francisco will give the the keynote address and provide insight on Fred Korematsu’s legal challenge to the incareration. He was a member of the legal team that reopened the wartime Supreme Court case in the 1980s.

There will be a candlelight procession and cultural performances from San Jose Taiko, Asha Sudra, Safiyah Hernandez, and Jake Shimada. There will also be an activity area for children. The event is free but donations are welcome.

For more information, visit http://www.sjnoc.org.