Program to Address Stereotypes of Tule Lake Incarcerees

SACRAMENTO — There is general agreement that Tule Lake was the worst American concentration camp. Most American Nikkei share this belief.

But many, perhaps most also believe, incorrectly, that what were peaceful protests were vicious attacks on camp officials and even fellow prisoners. The real burden still lies heavily on the Tuleans and their families, the only Nikkei who remain unforgiven.

The Saturday, Sept. 14, program from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Sacramento Buddhist Church, 2401 Riverside Blvd., will examine why this stereotype exists even today.

Guest speakers will be Roger Daniels, the Charles Phelps Taft professor emeritus of history at the University of Cincinnati; and Barbara Takei, an independent writer/researcher and Tule Lake Committee board member.

The UCLA Asian American Studies Center Eji Suyama Endowment is co-sponsoring this program, and Prof. Karen Umemoto, the Helen and Morgan Chu Endowed Director’s Chair at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and professor of Asian American studies and urban planning, will discuss the purpose of The Suyama Project and some of the new postings on the Suyama website (http://suyamaproject.org).

Other co-sponsors include: Florin Sacramento Valley JACL Chapter, Sacramento JACL Chapter, ABAS Law Foundation, Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento, Central Valley Partnership, Jan Ken Po, Sacramento Betsuin, YBA, Buddhist Church of Sacramento.

For more info and to RSVP, contact Barbara Takei at btakei@pobox.com or (916) 427-1733 or the UCLA Asian American Studies Center at (310) 825-2974 or events@aasc.ucla.edu.