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Japanese American Mobilizations against Hate Crimes and for Peace
Oct. 4, 2001
Mike Liu
Japanese Americans have been in the forefront of organizing against hate crimes and war in the aftershocks of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. The Japanese American community, with the lived experience of mass deprivation of civil rights during a war hysteria, have won respect on these issues through their achievements in redress and reparations.
In San Francisco, the Nosei, a young Japanese American group, organized a peace gathering in Japantown on Sept. 20th. Well-known long time activist uri Kochiyama, writer-activist Janice Mirikitani and members from the Muslim communities spoke at the event. Nosei issued a statement
In Los Angeles, three hundred people turned out for a moving candlelight vigil. Representatives from local Arab-American organizations spoke of their opposition to terrorism and thank Japanese-Americans for their successful struggle for redress. One representative said without that victory, "We would be in jail now." Lillian Nakano, a Japanese American internee, also spoke out against hate crimes. Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR) sponsored the event.
The Japanese American community plans to continue to work with the Arab American communities on follow up events and to monitor the continued restrictions on civil rights and incidents of hate crimes.
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Los
Angeles Little Tokyo Event Sept. 28
