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E v e n t s
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Major Events for 2010
2010 Installation of Officers Luncheon
The 2010 Installation of Officers’ Luncheon will be hosted by the San Benito County JACL at the beautiful San Juan Oaks Golf Club, 3825 Union Road, Hollister, CA 95023 on Sunday, January 24, 2010 with registration beginning at 11 am. Officers of the Gilroy, San Benito County, and Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL chapters will be installed for the 2010 year. The guest speaker will be Congressman Mike Honda. A buffet lunch with a variety of salads with chicken and salmon entrees with rice pilaf will be served. Coffee, tea and dessert are included for $25 per person. We encourage members and friends to attend this special event. Please RSVP Marcia Hashimoto at hashi79@sbcglobal.net, or call (831) 722-6859 before January 15, 2010. Checks, made payable to the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL, should be sent to our P. O. Box 163, Watsonville, CA 95077-0163.
2010 DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OBSERVANCE
2010 “Day of Remembrance” Observance, the 68th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 (February 19, 1942) which led to the unjust imprisonment of 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II, will be hosted by the Salinas Valley JACL. It is tentatively scheduled to be held at the site of the Salinas Assembly Center (California Rodeo Grounds, 1034 North Main Street, Salinas, CA 93906) on Sunday, February 21, 2010. An outdoor ceremony (weather permitting) at the California Historical Marker and Japanese Memorial Garden at 1:30 pm will precede the formal presentation which will be held in the Community Center. Admission is free, and members and friends from the five JACL chapters –Gilroy, Monterey Peninsula, Salinas Valley, San Benito County, and Watsonville-Santa Cruz—encourage everyone to attend.
2010 JAPANESE CULTURAL FAIR
The 2010 Japanese Cultural Fair in Santa Cruz will be held on Saturday, June 19, at the Mission Plaza Park, Santa Cruz. Admission is free.
2010 JACL COMMUNITY PICNIC
The 2010 JACL’s Annual Community Picnic will be held on Saturday, June 26, at the Aptos Village Park.
Major Events for 2009
75th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Please read our coverage of the 75th Anniversary celebration by clicking onto “Newsletter,” “JACL Newsletter November 2009.
Installation of Officers Luncheon
On Sunday, January 25,
the installation of the 2009 officers of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz, Gilroy, and San Benito County JACL
Chapters took place before 80 attendees at the Masonic Hall, 380 W. Dunne Ave. in Morgan Hill, CA. Keynoter
was Congressman Mike Honda, and special guest speaker was 442nd RCT veteran Lawson Sakai. Retired Superior
Court Judge Joseph Biafore, Jr. installed the officers.
Seated: National President Larry Oda, Judge Joseph Biafore, Congressman Mike Honda, W-SC JACL President
Marcia Hashimoto, and Mas Hashimoto. Back row: Carol Kaneko, Paul Kaneko, Jeanette Hager, Victor Kimura,
Cindy Mine, Iwao Yamashita, Kimiko Kimura, Joe Bowes, Gary Mine, Tosh Tanaka, and David Kadotani.
Absent were board members April Goral, Philip Shima, and Bobbi Jo Palmer.
The San Benito County JACL Chapter will host the 2010 installation on Sunday, January 24, 2010.
The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL Senior Center Meetings
The Seniors meet on Thursdays from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at the Tokushige Kizuka JACL Hall, 150 Blackburn Street, Watsonville, CA 95076.
Mr. Tokushige Kizuka started the Senior Center in 1971 as a weekly gathering place for our aging Issei pioneers who
were now retired. They first met at the Hayashi boarding house at 27 First Street. Needing a larger and more permanent
meeting place, Mr. Kizuka initiated a proposal to have the JACL establish a community center. The old Toyo Hall on Union
Street had been deeded to the Watsonville JACL. In 1977, Mr. Kizuka got the JACL to start a fund-raising campaign to buy
a vacated Christian church on Blackburn Street. Combined with the sale of Toyo Hall, the JACL's successful campaign was
completed, and the hall was dedicated in 1985.
Today, our Senior Center members, retired and semi-retired, number nearly 80 members. Nineteen are 90 years of age and older.
Each week 50 to 60 members regularly attend to sing God Bless America in honor and memory of Kate Smith, the singer who supported
the Nikkei community during World War II, and to play friendly games of bingo. Each month birthdays are celebrated with cake and
ice cream on the third Thursdays. All the major holidays are celebrated, including New Year's, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Hanamatsuri,
Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Bonenkai (year-end) Party. Special one-day trips to historic sites, museums, casinos,
musicals or plays (Lion King, Holiday on Ice skating) and longer trips (Las Vegas, Branson, Manzanar, et al) are enjoyed by the Seniors.
The Senior Center members are very active, and all are welcome to join. For membership and more information, contact Carol Kaneko at
(831) 476-7040, or email at tsktsk_95062@yahoo.com.
Senior Center elders, front: Ray Sako (92), George Hoshiyama (97), Masako Miura (94), Sueko Okamura (95), Fujiye Idemoto (94),
Louise Sako (91), Frances Hoshiyama (92), Olive Yamakuchi (91), and Lorraine Enomoto (91). Back: Nancy Iwami (93),
Yoshino Matano (93), Haruko Yoshii (91), Miye Yamashita (90), and John Tsukiji (91). Absent: Masano Yamashita (96),
and Hiroko Shikuma (94).
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OBSERVANCE
Nearly 100 attended this year’s event on Feb. 22, 2009, at the Salinas Community Center, site of the Salinas Assembly Center of 1942. With Kurt Kurasaki of the San Benito County JACL as the host and Tony Boch serving as the master of ceremonies, the observance was celebrated in fine style.
Rev. Andy Rasuch of the Northminister Presbyterian Church, substituting for Rev. George A Doyal, gave the invocation, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Gordon Nakagawa, retired Vietnam War veteran.
Mr. Jojiro Takano spoke of the plans for the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center in Building 640, Crissy Field, Presidio of San Francisco, with the completion date set for Nov. 1, 2011, exactly 70 years after the establishment of this top secret language school in 1941. MIS veteran, Marvin Uratsu, related the personal struggles experienced by the MIS soldiers in the combat zone.
Historian Emeritus of Cabrillo College, Sandy Lydon, carefully outlined the many important projects of historical significance in and around the Monterey Bay region. They included the Gilroy Hot Springs, the Castroville Japanese Language School, the Redman-Hirahara House, the history of the Salinas Valley Nikkei, the Monterey Maritime Museum, and the reenactment of the 1942 evacuation.
We are grateful to the many JACLers from all five chapters who baked cookies and brewed the tea and coffee. They were so good and tempting; participants began munching before the program began!
Next year, the Salinas Valley JACL Chapter will host this event on Sunday, February 28, and we look forward to their presentation.
The clean-up crew from the five JACL chapters at the Salinas Assembly Center’s California State Historic Marker.
JAPANESE CULTURAL FAIR REFLECTIONS
by Carol Kaneko
The 23rd annual Santa Cruz Japanese Cultural Fair took place on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at Mission Plaza Park, Aikido of Santa Cruz Dojo on Mission
Street, and the Zen Center on School Street. The fair, one of the most comprehensive presentations of Japanese culture on the Central Coast, was
attended by thousands of enthusiastic people interested in learning about Japanese culture and experiencing all things Japanese.
Performances this year included: Watsonville Taiko, San Jose Kendo, Kagami Kai’s Mochitsuki, Akebono Kai, Rakugo by Toshiro Suzuki from Shingu,
Marimo Kai, Bon Odori by Chieko, Okinawan Dance by Ohtori Kinsen-Kai, and San Francisco Taiko Dojo.
Martial arts demonstrations were ongoing at Aikido of Santa Cruz, and the Zen Center had demonstrations
of ikebana, kimono dressing, bonsai, and tea ceremony.
Our JACL chapter was again a co-sponsor of the event, and our booth sold delicious strawberries, organic cucumbers, hot and cold green tea, and new,
this year, were three types of bento boxes prepared by Aloha Island Grille. The event was very successful for our chapter and brought together a
fun-loving group of JACL members who manned the booth, increased our chapter’s visibility in the community, and raised some much needed funds.
Thanks to the many friends and local businesses that generously donated to our booth: Paul Tao for organic strawberries; General Manager Tom
Simmons of Watsonville Berry Bowl Co-op; Bill Kajihara and Steve Kajihara; and Driscoll’s Strawberries for strawberries; and Nagamine Farm for
the organic cucumbers.
Many thanks to the following people who worked at our JACL booth: Jeanette Hager, Kimi and Jenny Kimura, Victor Kimura, Joe Bowes, Phil Shima,
Bobbi Jo Palmer, Marcia and Mas Hashimoto, April Goral, Cindy and Gary Mine (also for donating ice), Tosh Tanaka, Takeshi Kaneko, and Carol Kaneko.
Thanks to Iwao Yamashita for bringing several bonsai trees for display and to Phil Shima for making two beautiful signs and taking photos. A very
special thank you goes to Joe Bowes for providing the transportation to and from Watsonville for all our equipment and supplies, and to Gary and
Cindy Mine and Victor Kimura for helping load and unload the truck.
Again we thank Milo Yoshino and Tomoko Roudebush of Diablo Valley JACL for representing the Asian American Donor Registry Program and being part of
our JACL booth. They underestimated the amount of interest in their program as they ran out of their swab kits and could not register all who were
interested.
Spotted having fun at the fair were George and Frances Hoshiyama, Inako and Roland Johnson, Jim Palmer, Mitsuyo Tao, Paul and Kim Tao and family,
Jean Akiyama, and Hide Nagamine.
To everyone: Domo Arigato! See you next year, same time, same place!!
JACL 2009 COMMUNITY PICNIC REPORT
by Marcia Hashimoto
On behalf of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL, I would like to thank everyone who helped, donated to, and attended our annual community picnic
on Sat. June 27, 2009, at the Aptos Village Park. Nearly 200 participants enjoyed the beautiful, fun-filled day which included a variety of races
for children and parents; exciting free bingo for our Seniors; a terrific performance by our Watsonville Taika, a fabulous BBQ chicken lunch with
strawberry shortcake and ice cream: jon ken pon contest; and an outstanding raffle.
For many years, Glenn and Judy Nagamine have conscientiously taken care of all the details and preparation of our lunch. The
tremendous amount of time and effort they put forth before, during, and after this event is remarkable, and we are most grateful to Glenn and Judy.
We also extend our thanks to the following committee members and friends whose assistance made this year's picnic marvelous in every way.
Paul, Kim, Melissa and Alex Tao; Sara Nagamine; Paul, Carol and Takeshi Kaneko; Joe Bowes; Tosh Tanaka; Jeanette Hager; Iwao Yamashita;
Sunao Honda; Bobbi Jo and Jackie Palmer; Cindy and Gary Mine; Kimi and Jenny Kimura; Victor and Carter Kimura; David and Jeanni Kadotani;
Dr. Stuart Sakuma; Chiye, Bobby and Nancy Tamaki; Phil 5hima; Aimee Mizuno; Debbe Chan; and Mas Hashimoto.
To anyone who helped or donated whose name was unintentionally omitted, I apologize. Please contact me at (831) 722-6859 or email
hashi79@sbcgobal.net.
2009 PICNIC Donations
We are extremely grateful for the generous donations from, the following individuals, businesses, and
organizations to our picnic and raffle.
We encourage everyone to support the businesses listed:
A Nagamine Nursery, Akira and Glenn Nagamine
Art Hayashi, DDS
Bonnie Chihara
Clyde and Kimi KiMura
East Lake Village Hardware, Rodney Misumi
Eugene and Emiko Hirano
Flowers by Tashi, Ryoko Kozuki, www.flowersbytoshi.com/
Gary and Cindy Mine
Hong Kong Garden II
Imura Restaurant, Jee Kajihara
Inako and Roland Johnson
JACL Senior Center
Jim and Bobbi Jo Palmer
Jiro and Jane Sugidono
JoAnn and Tad Kato
Kato Cut Flowers, www.katocutflowers.com
Mas and Marcia Hashimoto
Miyukl Restaurant, Yasuo and Janet Sakaguchi
Ozeki Sake USA, Inc. Kozo Yamamoto, President
Paul and Kim Tao
Shiatsu Clinic, Ben and Chiyoe Yamaguchi
Tamaki Sisters--Chiye and Mabel Broader
Union Bank of California, Irene Recht, V. P.
Victor Kimura
Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL
Willie and Joanne Yahiro
Yamashita Market, Goro Yamashita
Special thanks to the donors of our raffle grand prize, a Sony 32" flatscreen TV:
Dr. Gerald Kondo
Dr. Brooke Kondo
Dr. Reed and Nancy Kuratomi
David and Jeanni Kadotani
Yukio and Edna Nagata.
The lucky winners are
Gary and Cindy Mine.
The support and participation of our community at this annual family event are appreciated. We look
forward to seeing you at our picnic next year on Sat. June 26, 2010, at the Aptos Village Park.
PACIFIC RIM FILM FESTIVAL (PRFF)
The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL is the proud sponsor of the film, Patsy Mink: Ahead of the
Majority, which will be shown twice--once in Watsonville and again at the Rio Theatre in Santa
Cruz. It is the story of the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawaii, who was the first woman of
color elected to the House of Representatives in 1965. She was the driving force behind Title IX, the
landmark legislation that transformed women’s opportunities in high education and in athletics.
She fought racism and sexism in business and in government. She was “ahead of the majority (women were
in the majority but treated like a minority). A woman for all the people, she was a pioneer, a patriot,
and, at one time, an outcast. She furthered the ideals and the spirit of Americanism. We encourage
everyone to view this film with their family.
George Ow Family Properties and the PRFF Steering Committee proudly announce the 21st film
festival’s schedule of films—from Fri. October 16th through Wed. Oct. 21st. Check www.pacificrimfilmfestival.org for the films’ synopses.
All the presentations are FREE OF CHARGE (thanks to the generous support of many local
organizations and businesses) and seating is on a “first-come, first-served” basis. The final film of
the film festival, Toward Living Pono, will be a benefit presentation. Tax deductible
donations are appreciated and can be made payable to Pacific Rim Film Festival and mailed to P. O. Box
8220, Santa Cruz, CA 95061.
Schedule of Films for 2009
Fri. Oct. 16—Del Mar Theatre, SC
7 pm The Third Wave, (USA ‘07, 96”)
9:30 pm Up the Yangtsze, (Canada ‘07, 93”)
Sat. Oct. 17—Del Mar Theatre, SC
1 pm Cave of the Yellow Dog (Mongolia/Germ, ‘05, 93”)
4 pm The Third Wave
7 pm Tuya’s Marriage (China ‘06, 96”)
9:15 pm Like a Virgin (S. Korea, ‘06, 116”)
Watsonville Center, Cabrillo College
6:30 pm Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority (USA ’08, 57”)
8 pm Sleep Dealer (US/Mex. ’08, 90”)
Sun. Oct. 18—Del Mar Theatre
1 pm Treeless Mountain (USA/S. Korea ’08, 89”)
4 pm All About Dad (USA, ’09, 90’)
7 pm Sin Nombre (USA/Mex. ’08, 96”)
9:15 pm Cave of the Yellow Dog
Mon. Oct. 19—Del Mar Theatre
1 pm Up the Yangtze
4 pm Gone Shopping (Singapore, ’07, 100”)
7 pm Calavera Highway (USA, ’07, 83”)
9:15 pm Ping Pong Playa (USA, ’07, 96”)
Tues. Oct. 20—Rio Theatre
2 pm Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority
3 pm Hawai’i: A Voice for Sovereignty (USA, 83’)
7 pm Black Grace (New Zealand, ’07, 56”)
8:15 pm Water (Canada/India, ’05, 117’)
Wed. Oct. 21—Rio Theater, 1205 Soquel Ave.,
7 pm Toward Living Pono, (60”) stars Jason Scott Lee;
Hawaiian Halau performance.
PRFF’s only benefit movie.
$15 tickets are available at Bookshop Santa Cruz, Logos Books and Records, and Aloha Island
Grille and brownpapertickets.com.
Our 75th Anniversary Celebration (1934-2009)
Please join us for this special luncheon event which will take place on Saturday, October 4, 2009 at the Seascape Golf Course,
610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos, CA 95003. Program plans are underway carrying out the theme, Honoring Our Past … Defining Our Future.
Further details will be forthcoming. For more information, please call Marcia Hashimoto at (831) 722-6859 or
email at hashi79@sbcglobal.net.
Other Chapter Activities and Programs
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For the Sake of the Children--an on-going effort to interview and document as a historical record the life stories of our Nikkei seniors.
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Teacher Training Workshops on the internment.
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Speaker's Bureau: Retired high school social studies teacher and former internee, JACLer Mas Hashimoto, makes frequent presentations to
students (elementary to college age) regarding the evacuation during WWII and the importance of protecting our civil rights. Support is
through the chapter's "Day of Remembrance Education Fund." Call Mas at (831) 722-6859 or email at hashi79@sbcglobal.net.
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Chapter Newsletter. Comprehensive, informative, monthly newsletter. Click onto Newsletters.
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Monitoring of Civil Rights and Constitutional Issues.
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Youth Group.
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Disaster Relief. Assist people affected by personal, local, or regional tragedies or events.
Major Awards and Accomplishments
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First to present diplomas to the Nisei graduates of Watsonville High School’s Class of 1942 with graduation ceremony on June 12, 1942.
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Reenactment of the 1942 Evacuation--Liberty Lost . . . Lessons in Loyalty, April 27, 2002. Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and
Agriculture’s Special Event of the Year. DVD of the event is available for a donation to the Day of Remembrance Education Fund.
Email Mas Hashimoto at hashi79@sbcglobal.net.
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Assisted in the Emmy Award winning production by KTEH-TV, a PBS station, on Return to the Valley, the story of our homecoming in 1945.
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Assisted in the restoration of the Castroville Japanese School project in Monterey County.
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Veteran Recognition-Development of a WW II Nisei Veteran's Honor Roll dedicated on November 10, 2002 which lists over 200 Nisei veterans
who served in the Armed Forces during World War II. This "Honor Roll" measures 3' by 6' and is on display in Kizuka JACL Hall in Watsonville.
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Organized and sponsored the screenings and discussions of the film: A Most Unlikely Hero-the Bruce Yamashita Story in Watsonville and
Santa Cruz on April 17, 2004.
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JACL Chapter of the Biennium, 2004 Honolulu National JACL Convention.
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2004 Japanese-American of the Biennium: Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, co-author of Farewell to Manzanar, Honolulu National
JACL Convention.
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Veteran Recognition-Development of a WW II Nisei Veteran's Honor Roll dedicated on November 10, 2002 which lists over 200 Nisei veterans
who served in the Armed Forces during World War II. This "Honor Roll" measures 3' by 6' and is on display in Kizuka JACL Hall in Watsonville.
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JACLer of the Biennium: Mas Hashimoto, 2004, Honolulu National JACL Convention.
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Performance of Camp Dance: The Music & the Memories by the Grateful Crane Ensemble, in Watsonville on April 2, 2005.
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Brought the talents of Watsonville native, cartoonist Jack Matsuoka, Poston II, Block 211 to the Santa Cruz County Fair in September
of 2005 to the delight of thousands of children and fairgoers.
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Support of cultural activities such as Kokoro no Gakko (cultural summer school for youth), Watsonville Taiko, and
Watsonville Bonsai Club.
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Future Events
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