Talk on Japanese Latin American Redress at J-Sei

EMERYVILLE — J-Sei, 1285 66th St. in Emeryville, will present “Japanese Latin American Currents” on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Grace Shimizu (Rafu Shimpo photo)

During World War II, thousands of innocent Japanese Latin Americans were brought into the United States and incarcerated. The parallels to Japanese American incarceration are somewhat obvious – as civilians of Japanese ancestry living outside of Japan in Allied countries, they were treated as enemies of the state and wrongly imprisoned.

But the differences are also significant – what is at stake in pushing for redress for Japanese Latin Americans? How can Japanese Americans help in this process?

Longtime activists Grace Shimizu and Libia Yamamoto will review Japanese Peruvian incarceration history, provide an update on the current status of redress, and engage in a larger discussion about mobilizing community in the coming years.

RSVP is requested. Donations at the door accepted. For more information, call (510) 654-4000.