A RETURN HOME: A KATAROU HISTORIES DOCUMENTARY
Reflections on Katarou Histories 2013
By traci ishigo, Program Coordinator
October 2013
This summer, the Japanese American Citizens League Pacific Southwest (JACL-PSW) District office is hosting Katarou Histories, a ten week dialogue-based program for all generations to foster a deeper understanding of identity, community and the importance of preserving oral histories in the San Fernando Valley’s Japanese American community. This is the second summer the San Fernando Valley JACL chapter and the PSW District office have collaborated to encourage more community members to learn about the significance of sharing their stories and building community by enriching our collective knowledge. Through this experience, Miharu Okamura, a JACL intern helping to plan this program has expressed that, “Getting to work with people, who have experienced and gone through such difficult times has been a true eye opener...Not only have I gained experience with working with an intergenerational demographic, but also life experience getting to listen to their stories. Something that I have learned from this program is that, you’re never too old or too young to inspire creation, aspiration and courage to the community.” Katarou Histories offers a rare chance for Japanese Americans from multiple generations to not only share and be exposed to narratives that are often unheard, but to feel empowered to preserve their oral histories through creative outlets. The participants in Katarou Histories are currently working on their final projects to share their discoveries with the greater community on August 24th at 2 PM at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) Cultural Room in Little Tokyo. We encourage you all to join us for the inaugural celebration of our Katarou Histories program participants and their intergenerational collaborative efforts to empower the community and preserve our cultural, community and regional history.
Participants pictured above:
Sitting (L to R): Ellen Kameya, Marion Shigekuni, Mabel Takimoto, traci ishigo, Nancy & Yas Gohata
Standing: Patty Takayama, Harold Kameya, Phil Shigekuni, John & Liz Doomey, Barbara & Dennis Okita, Shawn Iwaoka, Nancy Takayama
October 2013
This summer, the Japanese American Citizens League Pacific Southwest (JACL-PSW) District office is hosting Katarou Histories, a ten week dialogue-based program for all generations to foster a deeper understanding of identity, community and the importance of preserving oral histories in the San Fernando Valley’s Japanese American community. This is the second summer the San Fernando Valley JACL chapter and the PSW District office have collaborated to encourage more community members to learn about the significance of sharing their stories and building community by enriching our collective knowledge. Through this experience, Miharu Okamura, a JACL intern helping to plan this program has expressed that, “Getting to work with people, who have experienced and gone through such difficult times has been a true eye opener...Not only have I gained experience with working with an intergenerational demographic, but also life experience getting to listen to their stories. Something that I have learned from this program is that, you’re never too old or too young to inspire creation, aspiration and courage to the community.” Katarou Histories offers a rare chance for Japanese Americans from multiple generations to not only share and be exposed to narratives that are often unheard, but to feel empowered to preserve their oral histories through creative outlets. The participants in Katarou Histories are currently working on their final projects to share their discoveries with the greater community on August 24th at 2 PM at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) Cultural Room in Little Tokyo. We encourage you all to join us for the inaugural celebration of our Katarou Histories program participants and their intergenerational collaborative efforts to empower the community and preserve our cultural, community and regional history.
Participants pictured above:
Sitting (L to R): Ellen Kameya, Marion Shigekuni, Mabel Takimoto, traci ishigo, Nancy & Yas Gohata
Standing: Patty Takayama, Harold Kameya, Phil Shigekuni, John & Liz Doomey, Barbara & Dennis Okita, Shawn Iwaoka, Nancy Takayama
Katarou histories participants 2012
Participants: Alyssa Himeno; Kristen Himeno; Ariane Sadanaga; Brandon Isa; Paige Negoro; Patricia Takayama; Kara Tanaka; Hawk Kuwata; Nancy Oda; Evelyn Mitarai; Lex Nakashima; Tom Serizawa; Janet Yamamoto; Grace Serizawa; Isabelle Miyata; Kevin Sato; Kylie Rosero-Ozawa
Staff: Marissa Kitazawa; Eri Kameyama; Molly Serizawa. Adviser: Nancy Takayama
Staff: Marissa Kitazawa; Eri Kameyama; Molly Serizawa. Adviser: Nancy Takayama
katarou histories culmination
By Patricia Takayama [Ocotber 2012]
The Katarou Histories class celebrated its Culmination program at the SFV JACC, Thursday, August 23, 2012. Class members ranged in age from 15 years, high school teenagers, college students to adult professionals, and a few retired members of the community, including 80 plus year, Tom Serizawa. The other participants were Alyssa Himeno, Kristen Himeno, Brandon Isa, Hawk Kuwata, Evelyn Mitarai, Isabelle Miyata, Les Nakashima, Paige Negoro, Nancy Oda, Kylie Rosero-Ozawa, Ariane Sadanaga, Kevin Sato, Grace Serizawa, Patricia Takayama, Kara Tanaka, and Janet Yamamoto.
The 10 week, multi-generational program forged friendships between young and older Nikkei while playing games, writing poetry, and working in groups to learn about individual talents and common history to create a winning team. By looking at personal experiences from an Asian identity perspective, class members were able to reflect on their own experiences as political. By sharing stories, the group came to see the value and need to preserve the history of Japanese Americans in the San Fernando Valley.
The final program featured two films and an exhibit of events and organizations as they developed in the San Fernando Valley. The subject of the films included interviews with persons about the Obon festivals and the history of San Fernando Aces baseball team and athletics organized in conjunction with the SFV JA community center. The films provided a means of viewing the impact of regular and continuous activity as a thread that creates a Japanese American historical connection to the SFV and the community center.
The third project was an exhibit that showed the history of the SFV JA Community Center, its expansion and how it came to be the anchor for a Japanese American Village. The collection of photos show only a few of the extensive activities and organizations that utilize the center, including the hot meal programs, girls and boys basketball, hula and line dancing, mah jong, hana fuda, bridge and poker just to name a few of the organizations that use the community center regularly. The exhibit will be on display in the foyer of the Pioneer Center beginning October 2012.
The Katarou Histories class was a pilot program by the PSW JACL staff, Marissa Kitazawa and Eri Kameyama with intern Molly Serizawa. The effort to collect and preserve SFV Japanese American history is expected to continue. Oral interviews, photos and documents will be collected and eventually a resource center established at the community center by volunteers. Nancy Takayama, whose previous collaboration with CSUN to collect oral interviews acted as the moving force to bring the Katarou Histories Program to the SFV JA Community. Plans are currently under discussion to develop a program for next year to continue the development of a Japanese American History Preservation Project with volunteers and possibly interns.
The Katarou Histories class celebrated its Culmination program at the SFV JACC, Thursday, August 23, 2012. Class members ranged in age from 15 years, high school teenagers, college students to adult professionals, and a few retired members of the community, including 80 plus year, Tom Serizawa. The other participants were Alyssa Himeno, Kristen Himeno, Brandon Isa, Hawk Kuwata, Evelyn Mitarai, Isabelle Miyata, Les Nakashima, Paige Negoro, Nancy Oda, Kylie Rosero-Ozawa, Ariane Sadanaga, Kevin Sato, Grace Serizawa, Patricia Takayama, Kara Tanaka, and Janet Yamamoto.
The 10 week, multi-generational program forged friendships between young and older Nikkei while playing games, writing poetry, and working in groups to learn about individual talents and common history to create a winning team. By looking at personal experiences from an Asian identity perspective, class members were able to reflect on their own experiences as political. By sharing stories, the group came to see the value and need to preserve the history of Japanese Americans in the San Fernando Valley.
The final program featured two films and an exhibit of events and organizations as they developed in the San Fernando Valley. The subject of the films included interviews with persons about the Obon festivals and the history of San Fernando Aces baseball team and athletics organized in conjunction with the SFV JA community center. The films provided a means of viewing the impact of regular and continuous activity as a thread that creates a Japanese American historical connection to the SFV and the community center.
The third project was an exhibit that showed the history of the SFV JA Community Center, its expansion and how it came to be the anchor for a Japanese American Village. The collection of photos show only a few of the extensive activities and organizations that utilize the center, including the hot meal programs, girls and boys basketball, hula and line dancing, mah jong, hana fuda, bridge and poker just to name a few of the organizations that use the community center regularly. The exhibit will be on display in the foyer of the Pioneer Center beginning October 2012.
The Katarou Histories class was a pilot program by the PSW JACL staff, Marissa Kitazawa and Eri Kameyama with intern Molly Serizawa. The effort to collect and preserve SFV Japanese American history is expected to continue. Oral interviews, photos and documents will be collected and eventually a resource center established at the community center by volunteers. Nancy Takayama, whose previous collaboration with CSUN to collect oral interviews acted as the moving force to bring the Katarou Histories Program to the SFV JA Community. Plans are currently under discussion to develop a program for next year to continue the development of a Japanese American History Preservation Project with volunteers and possibly interns.
Katarou Histories Mid-Point Report
By Patricia Takayama [July 2012]
PSW JACL staff Marissa Kitazawa, Eri Kameyama and with our Molly Serizawa have brought to the SFV JACL a pilot historical preservation program with a focus on the San Fernando Valley Japanese Americans. The 10-week program is designed to familiarize participants with their fellow class members by sharing their individual stories and experiences through fun games and interactive exercises in the process building trust and understanding of inter-generational concerns and issues.
The class members for this years programs range in age from fifteen years to early 80s. The participants are Nisei, Kibei, Sansei, Yonsei, Gosei and a young shin Issei. The diverse perspectives of the members have provided the organizers and participants an exciting opportunity to interact and learn from each other not just from the lecturers and leaders. Every contributing visitor has introduced new insight into our Japanese American historical experience and added to the richness of the experience.
As a member of the class, the most remarkable part of the program I am witnessing is the blossoming of the members as we share our experiences. Not only are we building community, cementing our generational network but providing a forum for each of us to grow our talents and demonstrate our abilities.
We are only half way through the program and our final project is to produce a film, power point presentation or art work that illustrates the history of the Japanese Americans in the San Fernando Valley.
PSW JACL staff Marissa Kitazawa, Eri Kameyama and with our Molly Serizawa have brought to the SFV JACL a pilot historical preservation program with a focus on the San Fernando Valley Japanese Americans. The 10-week program is designed to familiarize participants with their fellow class members by sharing their individual stories and experiences through fun games and interactive exercises in the process building trust and understanding of inter-generational concerns and issues.
The class members for this years programs range in age from fifteen years to early 80s. The participants are Nisei, Kibei, Sansei, Yonsei, Gosei and a young shin Issei. The diverse perspectives of the members have provided the organizers and participants an exciting opportunity to interact and learn from each other not just from the lecturers and leaders. Every contributing visitor has introduced new insight into our Japanese American historical experience and added to the richness of the experience.
As a member of the class, the most remarkable part of the program I am witnessing is the blossoming of the members as we share our experiences. Not only are we building community, cementing our generational network but providing a forum for each of us to grow our talents and demonstrate our abilities.
We are only half way through the program and our final project is to produce a film, power point presentation or art work that illustrates the history of the Japanese Americans in the San Fernando Valley.
"Experiences"
Experiences can be long or short, big or small
But each adds to the journey from child to adult Everyone is both unique and special in its own way Some fall but grow some soar yet not high enough But from them they learn and expand their understandings Experiences brings lessons that may or may not be repeated But only time will tell of what the future brings. by Hawk Kuwata (Son of JACL members Miles & Rouxann Kuwata) and Nancy Oda (JACL Board member & President of SFVJACC) |
"Vacation"
Relaxation of the body & revitalization of the mind
No responsibilities or accountability Time for Yourself Love for everyone, but a timely need to be alone Days of a little R & R A book in a shady corner of the yard Or sunbathing next to the pool Sparkling water releases me into another world by Kara Tanaka (Daughter of JACL members Sharon Teramura & Nathan Tanaka) and Lex Nakashima (JACL member) |
