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E v e n t s
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Major Events for 2008
Installation of Officers Luncheon
Sunday, January 27, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
The public is invited to the installation of the 2008 officers of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz, Gilroy,
and San Benito County JACL Chapters at the Seascape Golf Course, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos, CA 95003.
Keynoter will be Dr. Chris Hasegawa, Dean of Extended Education and International Programs of California
State University, Monterey Bay, who will speak on "The World Thinks I'm Japanese-I'm Not, Really."
The cost of the luncheon is $25 per person (tax and tip included). Choices are Chicken Castroville,
Tri-tip in Mushroom Sauce, Grilled Salmon Salad (salad is included in the Chicken Castroville and
Tri-tip entrees). For reservations, please call Bobbi Jo Palmer at (831) 724-8636 or email at
ptspalmer@prodigy.net by January 16, 2008.
The JACL Senior Center
On Thursdays from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
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
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.
Day of Remembrance Observance
Sunday, February 24, 2008 from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
The public is invited to join the five Monterey Bay region JACL Chapters-Gilroy, Monterey Peninsula,
Salinas Valley, San Benito County, and Watsonville-Santa Cruz-who will observe the 66th anniversary of
Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. As a result
of EO 9066, over 120,000 innocent persons of Japanese ancestry were unjustly imprisoned for over three
years during World War II. We will first assemble (weather permitting) at 1:30 pm at the Salinas
Assembly Center's California State Historic Marker and Japanese Memorial Garden, Salinas Community
Center at the California Rodeo Grounds, North Main Street, Salinas, CA. This year's program, in the
Santa Lucia Room of the Community Center, is sponsored by the Monterey Peninsula JACL Chapter and will
feature presentations by Project Director Donna Graves and Project Manager Jill Shiraki of Preserving
California's Japantowns. All are welcome to attend. There is no admission charge, and light
refreshments will be served.
20th Santa Cruz Japanese Cultural Fair
Saturday, June 21, 2008 from 11 am to 6 pm
Mission Plaza Park, Water Street, Santa Cruz, CA
Our Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL is a major sponsor of this important annual event in the city of Santa
Cruz, CA. The Fair is a one-day festival that presents and celebrates the many traditional and cultural
contributions of Japan to Santa Cruz and the surrounding Monterey Bay area. The Fair also strengthens
the Santa Cruz-Shingu (Japan) Sister City relationship. The Fair is held at the Mission Plaza Park in
Santa Cruz and includes performances by the Watsonville Taiko, mochi tsuki by Kagami Kai, Minyo by
Akebono Kai, Tasugaru Shamisen by Masaya, Obon Odori (dance) by Chieko, storytelling by Megumi, Koto by
Marimo Kai, Noh Kyogen by Theatre of Yugen, Okinawan Dance led by Arakaki, and the San Francisco Taiko
Dojo. Also included nearby are martial arts demonstrations by Aikido of Santa Cruz Dojo, Renseikan
Kyudo, Karate, Daito Ryu and Iaido and ikebana, ochanoyu (tea), and Zen meditation. Throughout the day,
the park is filled with various vendors who feature some of the other aspects of Japanese culture
including Japanese foods and drinks, dry goods, art, pottery, jewelry, live koi, Shiatsu massage,
Japanese bamboo flutes, etc. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL makes its presence known by selling
locally grown produce, green tea, and talking about the benefits of membership in the JACL. For the
past several years, we have participated in the Asian American Donor Registry program (bone marrow) as
a public service and information to the community. The event is an excellent opportunity to celebrate
the rich cultural heritage of Japan with the residents of Santa Cruz County The event is free, and
people of all ages are invited to enjoy the festivities. There's something of interest for everyone.
For additional information, please visit this website: www.jcfsc.org.
Annual JACL Community Picnic
Saturday, June 28, 2008 from 11 am to 4:30 pm
Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos, CA 95003
For nearly a century (no one can remember when it first began), the Nikkei community has enjoyed this
special summer event. Over the years, the community picnic has evolved into today's format. The
Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL invites families/clans to join us. This Santa Cruz County park has great
facilities. Many weddings and concerts are held at this beautiful site during the year. The day
enables students, teachers, and families of Kokoro no Gakko-"School with a Heart" (the two-week
Japanese Summer Cultural School held at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple)--to participate in this
fun-filled day. There will be various races--sack race, two-person geta race, hashi (chopsticks)
races, bean bag, powdered donut eating, water balloon toss, koko eating, and other unique races.
This year, there will be an added contest-a "jan ken pon" (rock, scissor, paper) elimination
tournament! And, all who enter the races will receive great prizes. For our Senior citizens, there
are free bingo games, conducted by the leaders of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL Senior Center. Great
prizes can be won. Prior to lunch, Watsonville Taiko is the featured entertainment performing several
energetic selections for the enjoyment of all. A fabulous lunch of barbecue chicken, hot dogs, French
bread, salad, barbecue beans, rice and soft drinks and tea/coffee is served at a nominal cost. A
highlight of the day is the presentation of the Kee Kitayama Memorial Scholarship(s) to one or more
deserving high school graduating seniors. Finally, the day ends with an exciting raffle. We are
grateful to the many local professionals, businesses, and individual supporters who generously donate
wonderful prizes.
Pacific Rim Film Festival
Friday, October 3-10, 2008, and in theaters in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz.
This outstanding festival started in 1988 as one of the host sites for the East-West Center Film Tour.
This tour brought films from the Hawaii International Film Festival to mainland audiences, providing
the west coast audience an opportunity to see feature films from Asia and the South Pacific as well as
from Latin America and Canada. Today's festival carries on the tradition of selecting films which
reflects the theme, "When Strangers Meet," and which promotes cross-cultural communication and understanding. After the screening, producers, directors, screenwriters, and/or stars are invited to share their experiences regarding the film.
Among those on the selection committee and sponsors are our JACLers George Ow, Jr., Jeanne Wakatsuki and
James D. Houston, Cori Houston, Victor Kimura, and Paula Suzuki. The Watsonville-Santa Cruz JACL
Chapter, as a major sponsor, whole-heartedly supports this wonderful event. In the past, we have
sponsored "Beyond Barbed Wire," "Sugihara: A Conspiracy of Kindness," "Visas and Virtues," "Day of
Independence," "Shall We Dance," "Stand Up For Justice," "Stranded," "Pawns of the King," "Big Drum,"
and last year, "Letters From Iwo Jima." Invited to discuss the film, "Letters From Iwo Jima" was
Academy Award nominee screenwriter Iris Yamashita. The viewing, with one fund-raising exception, is
free and open to the public.
Other Chapter Activities and Programs
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For the Sake of the Children"-an on-going effort to document through the interviewing of our seniors to record
their life stories and experiences as a historical record.
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Teacher Training Workshops.
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Speaker's Bureau. Member, 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."
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Chapter Newsletter. Comprehensive, informative, monthly newsletter.
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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.
Recent Awards and Major Accomplishments
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Reenactment of the 1942 Evacuation-"Liberty Lost . . . Lessons in Loyalty," April 27, 2002. 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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Performance of "Camp Dance: The Music & the Memories" by the Grateful Crane Ensemble, in Watsonville on April 2, 2005.
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Assisted in the restoration of the Castroville Japanese School project in Monterey County.
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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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Veteran Recognition-Development of a Veteran's Honor Roll of local Nisei Veterans dedicated on November 10, 2002 which lists all Nisei veterans who served in the Armed Forces during World War II. The "Honor Roll" measures 3' by 6' and is on display in Kizuka JACL Hall in Watsonville.
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JACL Chapter of the Biennium, 2004, Honolulu National JACL Convention.
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Japanese-American of the Biennium: 2004 Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, co-author of "Farewell to Manzanar," Honolulu National JACL Convention.
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JACLer of the Biennium: Mas Hashimoto, 2004, Honolulu National JACL Convention.
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Future Events
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