These past few months have brought moments of joy and moments of sadness for all of us at SFVJACL. We were excited about the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, the successful historical preservation of the Tuna Canyon Detention Station site and the many programs we held recently including Suzume no Gakkou and the Katarou Histories Project. But we were also very saddened by the passing of several long-time SFVJACLers, including Sam Uyehara and Dr. Sanbo Sakaguchi. Look for more information throughout this edition of our newsletter.
In June, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court made two significant rulings regarding same-sex marriage. They declared a key section of the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional on equal protection grounds and they left intact a lower court's ruling that overturned California's Proposition 8 which prohibited same-sex marriages. This was an important ruling, but we must stay vigilant as this battle will surely continue from opponents of same-sex marriages.
On June 25, 2013, the Los Angeles City Council voted to designate the former site of the Tuna Canyon Detection Station an historic cultural monument. This is one of many locations where Japanese Americans were detained during WWII. I applaud the many JACLers and community supporters who spent a great deal of time and effort attending the city council meetings en mass to convince them to overturn a previous decision by the Cultural Heritage Commission NOT to recognize this site's importance in history and to allow the construction of condominiums at this location. It was through good ol' fashion activism and grass root efforts that proved successful in this case. Kudos!
The SFVJACL hosted two major programs this past month: Suzume no Gakkou and the Katarou Histories Project. I just wanted to point out the hard work that went into bringing these programs to the San Fernando Valley and to thank everyone who helped organize these events. I know I say this every time, but I am constantly in awe of how dedicated so many JACLers are and just how much volunteerism and commitment is alive in our chapter.
Sadly, we had to say goodbye to several SFVJACLers these past few months. In particular, Sam Uyehara and Dr. Sanbo Sakaguchi who did so much for the JACL. Although we mourn the passing of these two great men, we also celebrate their amazing lives and reflect on the impact they have made on so many people. Thank you both for making this world a better place and for making a
difference in our lives.
Please take the time to read all the articles in the new issue of our
newsletter. It is a reminder of what makes JACL strong, why we must
continue to fight and how perseverance can prevail.
Sincerely,
Brian Moriguchi, President, San Fernando Valley JACL
In June, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court made two significant rulings regarding same-sex marriage. They declared a key section of the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional on equal protection grounds and they left intact a lower court's ruling that overturned California's Proposition 8 which prohibited same-sex marriages. This was an important ruling, but we must stay vigilant as this battle will surely continue from opponents of same-sex marriages.
On June 25, 2013, the Los Angeles City Council voted to designate the former site of the Tuna Canyon Detection Station an historic cultural monument. This is one of many locations where Japanese Americans were detained during WWII. I applaud the many JACLers and community supporters who spent a great deal of time and effort attending the city council meetings en mass to convince them to overturn a previous decision by the Cultural Heritage Commission NOT to recognize this site's importance in history and to allow the construction of condominiums at this location. It was through good ol' fashion activism and grass root efforts that proved successful in this case. Kudos!
The SFVJACL hosted two major programs this past month: Suzume no Gakkou and the Katarou Histories Project. I just wanted to point out the hard work that went into bringing these programs to the San Fernando Valley and to thank everyone who helped organize these events. I know I say this every time, but I am constantly in awe of how dedicated so many JACLers are and just how much volunteerism and commitment is alive in our chapter.
Sadly, we had to say goodbye to several SFVJACLers these past few months. In particular, Sam Uyehara and Dr. Sanbo Sakaguchi who did so much for the JACL. Although we mourn the passing of these two great men, we also celebrate their amazing lives and reflect on the impact they have made on so many people. Thank you both for making this world a better place and for making a
difference in our lives.
Please take the time to read all the articles in the new issue of our
newsletter. It is a reminder of what makes JACL strong, why we must
continue to fight and how perseverance can prevail.
Sincerely,
Brian Moriguchi, President, San Fernando Valley JACL