“A Time”

by Fred Yamashita (whose family was interned at Heart Mt. Internment Camp in  Wyoming)

A time to be or not to be

To reiterate my show of loyalty

My love of life and land

Is like that of any other man

Then why should we be denied?

We can’t trust the “slanty eyed”

This can’t be real, this tale of fiction

Still I salute the contradiction

That waves so bold red, white and blue

It stands for freedom and justice, for who?

 

A time to see or not to see

What has happened to my family

To my people so strong, so proud

The tears they shed aren’t heard aloud

But anger and confusion seeps through the soul

And what we want America to know

Is that we will endure despite and within

The laws you have forged to fence us in

We will fight for you

Unlock these yellow hands

And with our blood, prove to be

True Americans.

Fred Yamashita speaking at the Pima County Democratic Party HQ

Fred Yamashita is the Southern Az Director of UFCW 99, United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 99, in Tucson, Arizona. He recited this heartfelt poem at the SAJCC tour of the Gila River Internment Camp/Relocation Center memorial in Gila River, Arizona on January 24, 2015.

“In mostly earth-toned colors, and with clear lines and mass, these works by Phoenix artist Ping Wei stand on their own as sculptures and also invite people to arrange flowers in them in the Japanese art form called ikebana.”

Exhibit dates: Jan. 19 – Feb. 28, 9:30 to 4:30 daily. Free with regular admission to the Gardens. See. www.tucsonjapanesegardens.org.

Visit to Gila River Internment Camp on January 24

Gila River Internment Camp during WWII, courtesy of Dr. Karen Leong

All day tour of remnants of Gila River Internment Camp (Gila River, AZ – south of Phoenix) & memorial.

Reservations REQUIRED. Contact DirectorRoss Iwamoto at sajcc@yahoo.com for information. This was one of the large Japanese American internment camps caused by E.O. 9066 during WWII. Over 13,000 Japanese Americans, 2/3 of whom were U.S. Citizens were interned here from 1942 to 1945.

Tour date: Saturday, January 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $10 for lunch or option to bring our own. We will be car pooling to this tour site from Tucson and Phoenix.

Katachi exhibit at Yume Japanese Gardens opened on January 5 and continues  to May 5, 2015

“An untranslatable term, katachi connotes the essence of Japanese design. But one does not have to be an artist, designer, or connoisseur of Japanese art and culture to grasp it. As a concept, it expresses the appealing beauty, the refined shapeliness, the time-tested functionality, and the fine workmanship of traditional Japanese crafts that have persisted for centuries. We present 50 objects embodying these qualities”.

Exhibit dates: Jan.5 – May 5, 2015 9:30 am – 4:30 pm daily.

Free with regular admission to the Gardens. www.tucsonjapanesegardens.org.

Carolyn’s note: a set of my hanafuda cards are on loan at this exhibit.

For photos of this event go to our Culture page, or Facebook page.

Join us at 2nd Annual Mochi Pounding Festival on January 10, 2015 sponsored by Southern AZ Japanese Cultural Coalition, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  There will be mochi pouinding & samples, Japanese games (including Hanafuda, Kendama, Fukuwarai, Ayatori, and Go/Igo), origami, raffles prizes from local businesses,  Japanese music by Odaiko Sonora (taiko drumming) and singer Yuki Ibuki.

NEW location for 2015: Rhythm Industry Performance Factory, home of Odaiko Sonora (taiko drummers), 1013 S. Tyndall Avenue in Tucson (2 blocks north of E. 22nd St.)

More information/photos at www.facebook.com/tucsonmochi (public facebook site).

Event schedule below: