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NEWS ITEMS JAWAUCB material to be donated to U.C. Berkeley Bancroft Library In November we met with representatives of the U.C. Berkeley Bancroft Library who enthusiastically accepted documents and photographs which document some of the history of JAWAUCB. These materials included information about Northgate, the building at 2509 Hearst St. purchased by the Japanese Mothers Group, which provided housing for Japanese American (JA) women attending UC Berkeley before WWII (1937-1941) and after the resettlement of Japanese Americans on the West Coast (1945-1966). We anticipate having an ongoing relationship with the Library which will continue to accept documents and photographs pertaining to our Organization. In so doing, our historic items will be accessible in the future to both our members and scholars. Oral histories are being conducted of JA women who attended UC Berkeley prior to the1942 internment and/or who stayed at Northgate. If anyone has additional material about Northgate or information that might be pertinent to the history of JA women attending UC Berkeley, especially before WWII and immediately after resettlement, please contact us either by email or mail. Irene Tekawa May Hirose 547 Santa Clara 6859 Kenilworth Ave. Berkeley CA 94707 El Cerrito CA 94530 imtekawa@sbcglobal.net mayhirose@sbcglobal.net
Honorary UC Degrees for WWII Internees Honorary degrees will be bestowed upon Japanese Americans who were unable, due to the evacuation and relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II, to continue their education at UC campuses. Identification of such students is being sought. A family member may submit an application on behalf of an eligible individual, living or deceased. One can contact the college directly or request an application/ information from the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) at (415) 567-5505 or email caniseiproject@ jcccnc.org. For UCB, contact Helena Weiss-Duman at (510) 642-5042 or email hwd@berkeley. edu. Ceremony: Dec. 13, 2009 with former Secretary Norman Mineta keynoting.For UC Davis, contact Frank Wada at (530) 752-3619 or email fywada@ucdavis. edu. Ceremony: Dec. 12, 2009. For UCLA, contact Patricia Lippert at (310) 794-8604 or email tricial@support. ucla.edu. Ceremony: Spring 2010 For UCSF, contact Maria Blandizzi at (415) 476-9063 or email maria.blandizzi@ ucsf.edu. Ceremony: Dec. 4, 2009. Nikkei Student Union, Day of Remembrance: February 19, 2010 In an effort to maintain contact with Nikkei students currently attending UC Berkeley, we have been in touch with the Nikkei Student Union. One of the events which they sponsor is a Day of Remembrance, which this year will be held in partnership with the Muslim Student Union. If you are interested in volunteering to assist at this event, please send a responsive e-mail to this Newsletter. SAVE THE DATE – April 24, 2010 Please mark your calendar and save April 24, 2010 for our annual meeting and scholarship luncheon. Our keynote speaker will be the Honorable Joni Hiromoto, Superior Court Judge in Contra Costa County. Yoshi's restaurant at Jack London Square in Oakland will again serve as the venue for this event which is not to be missed! Hope to see you there. The story of the Japanese American Internment during WW II is told in the current exhibit entitled “Uprooted” at the California Museum of History, Women, and the Arts on 10th and O Streets in Sacramento. The exhibit is ongoing with no end date scheduled. It is a message of personal strength and perseverance in keeping with the museum’s original theme of rights and responsibility. Particularly poignant are photographs of the Japanese American soldiers of the 442nd RCT visiting their families in the camps after serving on the Pacific and European fronts, and the faces of the internees during the confinement. There is a replica barrack constructed by Ted Kubota in August 1983, a scale model guard tower and a previously unopened trunk of belongings of a Japanese American family who left California. The film “Something Strong Within” by Robert A.Nakamura features excerpts from the few “home movies” taken by the internees, in spite of the general ban on cameras. In addition to the exhibit, from January to March, the museum usually sponsors workshops for area students grades 4-12, in the context of ideas of citizenship, constitutionality and redress. Presenters from the Japanese American community share personal stories of the internment. Cosponsors of the program are California State University, Sacramento, Library Special Collections, and the Elk Grove Unified School district. The museum website is www.Californiamuseum.org. |