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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the headline stories in the state for Friday, February 20th, 2026:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>This week marks the 84th anniversary of the United States, under president Franklin D. Roosevelt, enacting Executive Order 9066, which led to U.S. residents of Japanese descent being dispossessed and interned, even if they were American citizens. Survivors of Japanese internment say they’re seeing the Trump Administration embracing similar policies that led to one of the darkest chapters of the United States in the 20th century.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A non-partisan policy analyst is recommending that California lawmakers reject Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest electric vehicle rebate proposal, citing cost concerns.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Japanese Internment Survivors Say White House Could Repeat History With Current Immigration Policy\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Franklin Delano Roosevelt ushered in one of the darkest stains on the legacy of the United States when he signed \u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-9066\">Executive Order 9066 on February 19th, 1942.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese air force on Pearl Harbor Military Base in Hawaii left the country bewildered and clamoring for reprisals; \u003ca href=\"https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/pearl-harbor-december-7-1941\">that was on December 7th, 1941\u003c/a>. A day later, the U.S. was officially at war with Japan–and Roosevelt used the Alien Enemies Act put a \u003ca href=\"https://densho.org/catalyst/the-alien-enemies-act-paved-the-way-for-japanese-american-incarceration-lets-keep-it-in-the-past/\">target on the backs of anyone that had Japanese ancestry in the country.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Japanese communities that had emerged in the United States were no strangers to bigotry and discrimination, but\u003ca href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Anti-Japanese%20exclusion%20movement/?_gl=1*1u6npbn*_gcl_au*NjIwNjYyMzYwLjE3NzE2MDc5MzA.\"> anti-Japanese sentiment sky-rocketed after the Pearl Harbor attack\u003c/a>. Federal agents conducted raids on Japanese neighborhoods to detain “enemy aliens” without any search warrant or probably cause outside of a person’s ethnicity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two months after the Pearl Harbor attack, Roosevelt’s order 9066 empowered the Secretary of War to set up “military zones” anywhere in the United States, and exclude anybody from these areas for reasons of national security. In practice, it led to the de-facto reclassification of people of Japanese descent living in the as enemies of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then a resident of San Francisco, Sam Mihara, and his family were among more than 125,000 people of Japanese descent that were forced from their homes on the West Coast by the U.S. government, and moved to one of internment camps set up across the United States. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/rori/learn/historyculture/incarceration-of-japanese-americans.htm\">At least half of those interned were U.S. citizens.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kiyo Sato and her family grappled with a similar fate. Back then, she was removed from her home in Sacramento and placed in an internment camp in Poston, Arizona.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two say that there are unnerving parallels between Roosevelt’s policies that led to Japanese internment, and the Trump Administration’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/invocation-of-the-alien-enemies-act-regarding-the-invasion-of-the-united-states-by-tren-de-aragua/\">immigration enforcement\u003c/a>–and if nothing is done to stop or curtail the White House’s draconian immigration policies–the country is due to repeat its past mistakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nonpartisan Group Says Lawmakers Should Pump Brakes on Newsom’s Clean Car Rebates\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Legislative Analyst’s Office (L.A.O.) is calling on California legislatures to oppose the electric vehicle rebate plan that has been proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom, because it’s unclear just how the incoming funds would be allocated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Governor Newsom proposed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072633/californias-instant-ev-rebates-would-require-automakers-to-match-state-funds\">$200-million-dollar rebate plan for prospective electric vehicle buyers in the state\u003c/a> earlier this year. The plan came after the Trump Administration refused to renew the federal program that gave E.V. buyers \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/credits-for-new-clean-vehicles-purchased-in-2023-or-after\">a tax rebate of up to $7,500 on their car purchases. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plan still needs to be approved by the state legislature, but the L.A.O. is calling for lawmakers to reject the proposal. The group says that California has bigger budget concerns, and Newsom’s rebate program isn’t likely to move the needle when it comes to funding key health and public safety initiatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"title": "Elderly Japanese Americans Warn Same Threats Rising That Led to Internment | KQED",
"description": "Here are the headline stories in the state for Friday, February 20th, 2026: This week marks the 84th anniversary of the United States, under president Franklin D. Roosevelt, enacting Executive Order 9066, which led to U.S. residents of Japanese descent being dispossessed and interned, even if they were American citizens. Survivors of Japanese internment say they're seeing the Trump Administration embracing similar policies that led to one of the darkest chapters of the United States in the 20th century. A non-partisan policy analyst is recommending that California lawmakers reject Governor Gavin Newsom's latest electric vehicle rebate proposal, citing cost concerns.",
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"headline": "Elderly Japanese Americans Warn Same Threats Rising That Led to Internment",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the headline stories in the state for Friday, February 20th, 2026:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>This week marks the 84th anniversary of the United States, under president Franklin D. Roosevelt, enacting Executive Order 9066, which led to U.S. residents of Japanese descent being dispossessed and interned, even if they were American citizens. Survivors of Japanese internment say they’re seeing the Trump Administration embracing similar policies that led to one of the darkest chapters of the United States in the 20th century.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A non-partisan policy analyst is recommending that California lawmakers reject Governor Gavin Newsom’s latest electric vehicle rebate proposal, citing cost concerns.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Japanese Internment Survivors Say White House Could Repeat History With Current Immigration Policy\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Franklin Delano Roosevelt ushered in one of the darkest stains on the legacy of the United States when he signed \u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-9066\">Executive Order 9066 on February 19th, 1942.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese air force on Pearl Harbor Military Base in Hawaii left the country bewildered and clamoring for reprisals; \u003ca href=\"https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/pearl-harbor-december-7-1941\">that was on December 7th, 1941\u003c/a>. A day later, the U.S. was officially at war with Japan–and Roosevelt used the Alien Enemies Act put a \u003ca href=\"https://densho.org/catalyst/the-alien-enemies-act-paved-the-way-for-japanese-american-incarceration-lets-keep-it-in-the-past/\">target on the backs of anyone that had Japanese ancestry in the country.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Japanese communities that had emerged in the United States were no strangers to bigotry and discrimination, but\u003ca href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Anti-Japanese%20exclusion%20movement/?_gl=1*1u6npbn*_gcl_au*NjIwNjYyMzYwLjE3NzE2MDc5MzA.\"> anti-Japanese sentiment sky-rocketed after the Pearl Harbor attack\u003c/a>. Federal agents conducted raids on Japanese neighborhoods to detain “enemy aliens” without any search warrant or probably cause outside of a person’s ethnicity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two months after the Pearl Harbor attack, Roosevelt’s order 9066 empowered the Secretary of War to set up “military zones” anywhere in the United States, and exclude anybody from these areas for reasons of national security. In practice, it led to the de-facto reclassification of people of Japanese descent living in the as enemies of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then a resident of San Francisco, Sam Mihara, and his family were among more than 125,000 people of Japanese descent that were forced from their homes on the West Coast by the U.S. government, and moved to one of internment camps set up across the United States. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/rori/learn/historyculture/incarceration-of-japanese-americans.htm\">At least half of those interned were U.S. citizens.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kiyo Sato and her family grappled with a similar fate. Back then, she was removed from her home in Sacramento and placed in an internment camp in Poston, Arizona.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two say that there are unnerving parallels between Roosevelt’s policies that led to Japanese internment, and the Trump Administration’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/invocation-of-the-alien-enemies-act-regarding-the-invasion-of-the-united-states-by-tren-de-aragua/\">immigration enforcement\u003c/a>–and if nothing is done to stop or curtail the White House’s draconian immigration policies–the country is due to repeat its past mistakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nonpartisan Group Says Lawmakers Should Pump Brakes on Newsom’s Clean Car Rebates\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Legislative Analyst’s Office (L.A.O.) is calling on California legislatures to oppose the electric vehicle rebate plan that has been proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom, because it’s unclear just how the incoming funds would be allocated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Governor Newsom proposed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072633/californias-instant-ev-rebates-would-require-automakers-to-match-state-funds\">$200-million-dollar rebate plan for prospective electric vehicle buyers in the state\u003c/a> earlier this year. The plan came after the Trump Administration refused to renew the federal program that gave E.V. buyers \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/credits-for-new-clean-vehicles-purchased-in-2023-or-after\">a tax rebate of up to $7,500 on their car purchases. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plan still needs to be approved by the state legislature, but the L.A.O. is calling for lawmakers to reject the proposal. The group says that California has bigger budget concerns, and Newsom’s rebate program isn’t likely to move the needle when it comes to funding key health and public safety initiatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "a-japanese-american-legacy-how-a-bay-area-residents-family-inspired-my-patriotism",
"title": "A Japanese American Legacy: How a Bay Area Resident’s Family Inspired My Patriotism",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Editor’s note:\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cem> This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/youthtakeover\">\u003cem>KQED’s Youth Takeover\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Throughout the month, we’re publishing content by high school students from all over the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ted Iijima presented me with two of the best gifts of my life in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, a Ziploc bag of six \u003cem>hoshigaki,\u003c/em> which are candy-sweet, Japanese-style dried persimmons. Second, a rich history about how his Japanese American family has lived in — and served — the United States for generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iijima is a third-generation Japanese American and son of Shori Iijima, a World War II veteran who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an infantry unit made up almost entirely of American-born sons of Japanese immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four of Iijima’s uncles also served in the 442nd, and a fifth served in the top-secret \u003ca href=\"https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/military-intelligence-service-translators-interpreters\">Military Intelligence Service\u003c/a>. Iijima honors their service by volunteering as a docent at the USS Hornet’s 442nd Nisei Exhibit in Alameda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iijima, 75, guided me through the exhibit’s diverse artifacts. For example, the back room of the museum boasts six garlands of origami cranes folded from paper American flags. In Japanese culture, origami cranes came to symbolize peace, resilience and healing after a young survivor of the World War II atomic bombing developed leukemia and folded 1,300 paper birds before her death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting near the cranes for our interview, Iijima was decked out in an American battleship baseball cap and his Friends and Family of Nisei Veterans sweater vest. He spoke passionately about his family’s history with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion that preceded it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038997\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038997\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The USS Hornet Museum in Alameda on May 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As he spoke and I listened, I was stunned to learn that 14,000 men became the most highly decorated military unit in U.S. history — according to the Army — in just four years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The soldiers, who averaged 5-foot-3 and 125 pounds, were swift fighters and emerged victorious from battles once thought impossible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Japanese American families like Iijima’s inspired me to create a documentary film that explored the unique past of the 100th and 442nd soldiers. I learned that the 100th was originally a segregated unit of second-generation Japanese American men, or \u003cem>Nisei\u003c/em>, from Hawaii.[aside postID=news_12021919 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-47-1020x680.jpg']After witnessing the success of the 100th, then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the formation of the 442nd, a larger unit of Nisei soldiers. As the Nisei fought, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">over 120,000 people with Japanese ancestry were incarcerated\u003c/a>, mainly on the West Coast in remote camps with harsh climes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iijima’s Oakland-born father, as well as other Japanese Americans, were accused of spying for the Japanese Empire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality was all these places were terrible. They were miles from the closest town. It was below freezing in the winter. It was near 100 every day in the summertime, and there was dust everywhere,” Iijima said, describing what his parents had shared with him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many Japanese Americans felt blindsided and developed complex feelings about patriotism. Few Japanese American men initially volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, so the U.S. military issued a loyalty questionnaire to second-generation Nisei.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty, wherever ordered?” was question No. 27 on the survey. The subsequent question: “Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any and all attacks by foreign and domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or disobedience to the Japanese Emperor, or any other foreign government, power, or organization?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038994\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ted Iijima, 75, holds a photo of four out of the eight remaining soldiers of World War II’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese American unit, in the Nisei exhibit at the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda on May 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Iijima, most Nisei were unaware of who the emperor of Japan even was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young men who answered “no” to questions No. 27 and 28 on the survey were dubbed the “\u003ca href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/No-no_boys/\">no-no boys\u003c/a>” and sent to the Tule Lake Segregation Center, while those who answered “yes” were drafted into the military.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 100th and 442nd fought with great intensity, demonstrating their loyalty and patriotism. Many, tragically, sacrificed their lives, earning the 100th the title of “The Purple Heart Battalion.”[aside postID=news_12037263 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/030_KQED_JFKHighSchoolRichmond_05182023_qed-1020x680.jpg']“Many of [the Japanese American soldiers] came back with either mental injuries or physical injuries that prevented them from living a full life. Today, we call it PTSD. Many of them [had] missing legs, arms, eyesight, ears, whatever the case may be,” Iijima told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But that’s what it took to prove their loyalty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While working on my documentary, I interviewed several descendants of 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team soldiers. The Nisei soldiers’ service and sacrifice should be an inspirational story for all Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But just days after finishing the first draft of my 10-minute film, President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034699/racial-justice-advocates-stay-course-dei-faces-mounting-attacks\">anti-DEI executive order\u003c/a> resulted in the United States Army removing the Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Heritage page from its website. The story of the 442nd seemed to have vanished from America’s official military history, including images and video clips that I had included in my film that were suddenly inaccessible online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, after advocacy work from Japanese American organizations and politicians from Hawaii, the page was restored a day later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12038999 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ted Iijima, a docent with the Friends and Family of Nisei Veterans, walks onto the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda on May 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Deleting important history \u003cem>was\u003c/em> harmful — not just for Japanese Americans, but for all Americans. Not many know about the Nisei soldiers. As I worked on the documentary, I would tell people at my high school about my research, and just one person knew about the 100th or 442nd before I explained it to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was my U.S. history teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of how important diverse stories are for our nation, I am concerned about Trump’s attempt to criminalize and demonize DEI initiatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Trump has asserted that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are discriminatory and problematic, I believe that my experience learning about the 442nd provides a counterexample.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of this story, I realized that being an American is more than waving a flag. As a young, third-generation American of Taiwanese descent, I sometimes feel disconnected from my American nationality. Yet, the 100th and 442nd have inspired me to demonstrate my deep love for my country by dedicating myself to tangible, serious actions that uplift my fellow citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038990\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038990\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Uniforms of soldiers with World War II’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese American unit, are displayed at the Nisei exhibit inside the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda on May 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The most patriotic action, I have learned, is fighting for the American ideals of liberty and justice for all. For Iijima’s relatives, this fight meant physically putting themselves on the battlefields of Italy, France and Germany. Today, pursuing this task can take many forms — from volunteering and voting to self-education and social activism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The men of the 100th and 442nd — and their families who stayed behind — remind me to love my country even when it doesn’t love me back, to serve when its leaders fail my loved ones and to trust that future generations may learn about today’s fight for social progress in a museum exhibit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iijima told me that his relatives dedicated themselves to defending America in spite of being stripped of their freedoms back home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re fighting for America, even if you don’t like what America has done to your people or to you personally,” he said. “You’re an American, and so you’re going to fight for America even if you don’t like [it]. It’s the only country that you have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "High school student Kayla Ling was inspired to create a documentary film by Japanese American families like that of Ted Iijima, a descendant of World War II veterans.\r\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Editor’s note:\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cem> This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/youthtakeover\">\u003cem>KQED’s Youth Takeover\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. Throughout the month, we’re publishing content by high school students from all over the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ted Iijima presented me with two of the best gifts of my life in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, a Ziploc bag of six \u003cem>hoshigaki,\u003c/em> which are candy-sweet, Japanese-style dried persimmons. Second, a rich history about how his Japanese American family has lived in — and served — the United States for generations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iijima is a third-generation Japanese American and son of Shori Iijima, a World War II veteran who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an infantry unit made up almost entirely of American-born sons of Japanese immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four of Iijima’s uncles also served in the 442nd, and a fifth served in the top-secret \u003ca href=\"https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/military-intelligence-service-translators-interpreters\">Military Intelligence Service\u003c/a>. Iijima honors their service by volunteering as a docent at the USS Hornet’s 442nd Nisei Exhibit in Alameda.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iijima, 75, guided me through the exhibit’s diverse artifacts. For example, the back room of the museum boasts six garlands of origami cranes folded from paper American flags. In Japanese culture, origami cranes came to symbolize peace, resilience and healing after a young survivor of the World War II atomic bombing developed leukemia and folded 1,300 paper birds before her death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting near the cranes for our interview, Iijima was decked out in an American battleship baseball cap and his Friends and Family of Nisei Veterans sweater vest. He spoke passionately about his family’s history with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion that preceded it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038997\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038997\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-34-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The USS Hornet Museum in Alameda on May 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As he spoke and I listened, I was stunned to learn that 14,000 men became the most highly decorated military unit in U.S. history — according to the Army — in just four years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The soldiers, who averaged 5-foot-3 and 125 pounds, were swift fighters and emerged victorious from battles once thought impossible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Japanese American families like Iijima’s inspired me to create a documentary film that explored the unique past of the 100th and 442nd soldiers. I learned that the 100th was originally a segregated unit of second-generation Japanese American men, or \u003cem>Nisei\u003c/em>, from Hawaii.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After witnessing the success of the 100th, then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the formation of the 442nd, a larger unit of Nisei soldiers. As the Nisei fought, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">over 120,000 people with Japanese ancestry were incarcerated\u003c/a>, mainly on the West Coast in remote camps with harsh climes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iijima’s Oakland-born father, as well as other Japanese Americans, were accused of spying for the Japanese Empire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality was all these places were terrible. They were miles from the closest town. It was below freezing in the winter. It was near 100 every day in the summertime, and there was dust everywhere,” Iijima said, describing what his parents had shared with him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many Japanese Americans felt blindsided and developed complex feelings about patriotism. Few Japanese American men initially volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, so the U.S. military issued a loyalty questionnaire to second-generation Nisei.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty, wherever ordered?” was question No. 27 on the survey. The subsequent question: “Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any and all attacks by foreign and domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or disobedience to the Japanese Emperor, or any other foreign government, power, or organization?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038994\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038994\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-16-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ted Iijima, 75, holds a photo of four out of the eight remaining soldiers of World War II’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese American unit, in the Nisei exhibit at the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda on May 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Iijima, most Nisei were unaware of who the emperor of Japan even was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young men who answered “no” to questions No. 27 and 28 on the survey were dubbed the “\u003ca href=\"https://encyclopedia.densho.org/No-no_boys/\">no-no boys\u003c/a>” and sent to the Tule Lake Segregation Center, while those who answered “yes” were drafted into the military.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 100th and 442nd fought with great intensity, demonstrating their loyalty and patriotism. Many, tragically, sacrificed their lives, earning the 100th the title of “The Purple Heart Battalion.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Many of [the Japanese American soldiers] came back with either mental injuries or physical injuries that prevented them from living a full life. Today, we call it PTSD. Many of them [had] missing legs, arms, eyesight, ears, whatever the case may be,” Iijima told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But that’s what it took to prove their loyalty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While working on my documentary, I interviewed several descendants of 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team soldiers. The Nisei soldiers’ service and sacrifice should be an inspirational story for all Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But just days after finishing the first draft of my 10-minute film, President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034699/racial-justice-advocates-stay-course-dei-faces-mounting-attacks\">anti-DEI executive order\u003c/a> resulted in the United States Army removing the Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Heritage page from its website. The story of the 442nd seemed to have vanished from America’s official military history, including images and video clips that I had included in my film that were suddenly inaccessible online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thankfully, after advocacy work from Japanese American organizations and politicians from Hawaii, the page was restored a day later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12038999 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-1-KQED-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ted Iijima, a docent with the Friends and Family of Nisei Veterans, walks onto the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda on May 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Deleting important history \u003cem>was\u003c/em> harmful — not just for Japanese Americans, but for all Americans. Not many know about the Nisei soldiers. As I worked on the documentary, I would tell people at my high school about my research, and just one person knew about the 100th or 442nd before I explained it to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was my U.S. history teacher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of how important diverse stories are for our nation, I am concerned about Trump’s attempt to criminalize and demonize DEI initiatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Trump has asserted that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are discriminatory and problematic, I believe that my experience learning about the 442nd provides a counterexample.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of this story, I realized that being an American is more than waving a flag. As a young, third-generation American of Taiwanese descent, I sometimes feel disconnected from my American nationality. Yet, the 100th and 442nd have inspired me to demonstrate my deep love for my country by dedicating myself to tangible, serious actions that uplift my fellow citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038990\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038990\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250505_YTCOMMENTARY_GC-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Uniforms of soldiers with World War II’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese American unit, are displayed at the Nisei exhibit inside the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda on May 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The most patriotic action, I have learned, is fighting for the American ideals of liberty and justice for all. For Iijima’s relatives, this fight meant physically putting themselves on the battlefields of Italy, France and Germany. Today, pursuing this task can take many forms — from volunteering and voting to self-education and social activism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The men of the 100th and 442nd — and their families who stayed behind — remind me to love my country even when it doesn’t love me back, to serve when its leaders fail my loved ones and to trust that future generations may learn about today’s fight for social progress in a museum exhibit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Iijima told me that his relatives dedicated themselves to defending America in spite of being stripped of their freedoms back home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re fighting for America, even if you don’t like what America has done to your people or to you personally,” he said. “You’re an American, and so you’re going to fight for America even if you don’t like [it]. It’s the only country that you have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "bay-area-japanese-americans-condemn-trumps-use-of-alien-enemies-act",
"title": "Bay Area Japanese Americans Condemn Trump’s Use of Alien Enemies Act",
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"content": "\u003cp>More than 70 passionate community members, activists and organizational leaders gathered at the Japanese Cultural Community Center of Northern California in San Francisco’s Japantown to rebuke the use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The room buzzed with a sense of urgency after Trump invoked the centuries-old law to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/16/g-s1-54154/alien-enemies-el-salvador-trump\">deport more than 200 people\u003c/a> with alleged ties to a notorious Venezuelan gang last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many at the cultural center on Thursday, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown carried troubling echoes of history. The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked was 84 years ago, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The act, which led to the detention of Japanese, German and Italian nationals, was the precursor to the incarceration of over 120,000 people with Japanese ancestry during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It authorized then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt to detain any Japanese national who was suspected of sabotage or espionage and allowed the FBI to raid Japanese homes and businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In 1941, our religious leaders, our community leaders, our school teachers were branded criminals,” Jon Osaki, executive director of the Japanese Community Youth Council, said at the event. “We need to make sure that those who are targeted in this country right now know that there are people who support them and are looking out for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the weeks leading up to Trump’s inauguration, many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">Bay Area Japanese American community members had been on edge\u003c/a>, fearing he would follow through on his campaign promise to resurrect the dormant law — which has been used only three times during wartime — as a tool for mass deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032501\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032501\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Lee (center), from Chinese for Affirmative Action, speaks at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A week ago, those fears became reality. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify removing alleged Venezuelan gang members, likening them to a foreign invasion despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5246028/trump-alien-enemies-act-tren-de-aragua-deportation\">a federal court order\u003c/a> to halt the deportations and the use of wartime powers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Japanese American community members say the stakes couldn’t be any clearer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re no longer in the place where we’re bracing,” Carl Takei of the Asian Law Caucus, told KQED. “This is the point where fundamental aspects of our freedoms are very clearly at risk.”[aside postID=news_12021919 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-47-1020x680.jpg']A panel that included representatives from social justice organizations such as Tsuru for Solidarity, Chinese for Affirmative Action and the San Francisco Labor Council drew parallels between Trump’s anti-immigration policies and the injustices Japanese Americans endured years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some audience members were moved to tears. Others cheered as speakers urged people to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mano Raju, one of the panelists and San Francisco’s Public Defender, underscored the troubling scope of Trump’s power grab. By invoking the Alien Enemies Act, he asserted, Trump had effectively stripped immigrants of their right to due process — critical protections for anyone accused of criminal activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some of the people — who were essentially kidnapped by the U.S. government and shipped off to El Salvador in violation of a federal court order — have pending civil court dates in order to obtain their immigration status,” Raju said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having represented individuals accused of gang affiliation, Raju called the mass deportations without a day in court “terrifying and outrageous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I were representing any of those individuals, I would actually be digging deep to understand the dynamics of who they are, and I bet you a lot of times we’re going to find that these allegations against them are actually not true,” Raju told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032493\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032493\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju speaking at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Takei noted the chilling similarities between the deportations and the targeting of Japanese immigrants during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These initial roundups of Japanese immigrants who were not U.S. citizens were based on very thin evidence,” said Takei, who shared how the FBI targeted his great-grandfather for speaking to civilian ship captains who were mistaken for Japanese naval officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Takei said last weekend’s deportations could be the first step in a dangerous progression that mirrors the blueprint of the gradual expansion of arrests and detentions during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The first stage is the one that looks very much like what is happening right now — that is the roundups of the Issei (immigrant) generation on the basis of the Alien Enemies invocation, and the phase that came after that was a much bigger roundup of everybody, citizens and noncitizens alike,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032498\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032498\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That second phase came when Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. A majority of the Japanese people sent to prison camps were American citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Knowing that progression took place during World War II is one of the reasons why Japanese Americans are so angered and afraid by what is going on right now,” said Takei, who warned that if the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act stands in the courts, the implications could be serious for other immigrant groups since it blurs the line between state and non-state actors who can be deemed an invasive enemy of the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Derrlyn Tom, a resident of San Francisco’s Mission District, said she attended the meeting because she wants to be an ally to vulnerable immigrant groups. She said that sense of responsibility came from her time as a science teacher at Mission High School, where she taught for over 25 years, and the majority of the student population was Latino. Many students were refugees and had minimal connections or access to resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032495\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032495\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attendees clap for speaker Joyce Nakamura. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tom told KQED that she also attended to connect more deeply with her Japanese heritage by witnessing how the Japanese American community was mobilizing on behalf of others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel it’s an honor to just be here, to see that this is happening,” Tom, 67, said. “I feel like I can and should be proud of this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rev. Deborah Lee of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity emphasized that Japanese Americans speaking up now will be crucial to resisting the Trump administration’s efforts to upend the nation’s immigration system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their history is a marker on the U.S. It’s one of the few times the United States has ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906015/how-japanese-americans-in-the-bay-area-are-carrying-forward-the-legacy-of-reparations\">admitted doing wrong and apologized\u003c/a>,” Lee said. “It’s so powerful to see the way they’re using their experience. Each community in the United States has some piece of the story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032497\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032497\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derrlyn Tom (right) speaks with friends at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Satsuki Ina, co-founder of Tsuru for Solidarity, a group that seeks to eliminate detention centers, said Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act should be a last-straw moment for Japanese Americans, a wake-up call to speak out on behalf of others facing the same fate their families once did — and to be the kind of allies that the Japanese community needed and did not have during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, she said, Japanese American community members, including elderly survivors of World War II incarceration, have increasingly stepped forward to resist Trump’s immigration policies. Some have joined her group and are participating in know-your-rights training to take action, such as serving as witnesses to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her co-founder, Mike Ishii, echoed that call to resistance, emphasizing that standing up against injustice is a long-standing tradition in the Japanese American community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This moment may feel especially fraught with anxiety, but our community has risen to the occasion many times,” he said. “We are strong, powerful, loving and resilient people. And you should not make us angry. Because when our righteous indignation is activated, we become a force to be reckoned with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>More than 70 passionate community members, activists and organizational leaders gathered at the Japanese Cultural Community Center of Northern California in San Francisco’s Japantown to rebuke the use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The room buzzed with a sense of urgency after Trump invoked the centuries-old law to \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/16/g-s1-54154/alien-enemies-el-salvador-trump\">deport more than 200 people\u003c/a> with alleged ties to a notorious Venezuelan gang last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many at the cultural center on Thursday, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown carried troubling echoes of history. The last time the Alien Enemies Act was invoked was 84 years ago, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The act, which led to the detention of Japanese, German and Italian nationals, was the precursor to the incarceration of over 120,000 people with Japanese ancestry during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It authorized then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt to detain any Japanese national who was suspected of sabotage or espionage and allowed the FBI to raid Japanese homes and businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In 1941, our religious leaders, our community leaders, our school teachers were branded criminals,” Jon Osaki, executive director of the Japanese Community Youth Council, said at the event. “We need to make sure that those who are targeted in this country right now know that there are people who support them and are looking out for them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the weeks leading up to Trump’s inauguration, many \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">Bay Area Japanese American community members had been on edge\u003c/a>, fearing he would follow through on his campaign promise to resurrect the dormant law — which has been used only three times during wartime — as a tool for mass deportation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032501\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032501\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-09-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Lee (center), from Chinese for Affirmative Action, speaks at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A week ago, those fears became reality. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify removing alleged Venezuelan gang members, likening them to a foreign invasion despite \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5246028/trump-alien-enemies-act-tren-de-aragua-deportation\">a federal court order\u003c/a> to halt the deportations and the use of wartime powers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Japanese American community members say the stakes couldn’t be any clearer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re no longer in the place where we’re bracing,” Carl Takei of the Asian Law Caucus, told KQED. “This is the point where fundamental aspects of our freedoms are very clearly at risk.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A panel that included representatives from social justice organizations such as Tsuru for Solidarity, Chinese for Affirmative Action and the San Francisco Labor Council drew parallels between Trump’s anti-immigration policies and the injustices Japanese Americans endured years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some audience members were moved to tears. Others cheered as speakers urged people to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mano Raju, one of the panelists and San Francisco’s Public Defender, underscored the troubling scope of Trump’s power grab. By invoking the Alien Enemies Act, he asserted, Trump had effectively stripped immigrants of their right to due process — critical protections for anyone accused of criminal activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some of the people — who were essentially kidnapped by the U.S. government and shipped off to El Salvador in violation of a federal court order — have pending civil court dates in order to obtain their immigration status,” Raju said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Having represented individuals accused of gang affiliation, Raju called the mass deportations without a day in court “terrifying and outrageous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If I were representing any of those individuals, I would actually be digging deep to understand the dynamics of who they are, and I bet you a lot of times we’re going to find that these allegations against them are actually not true,” Raju told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032493\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032493\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-01-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju speaking at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Takei noted the chilling similarities between the deportations and the targeting of Japanese immigrants during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These initial roundups of Japanese immigrants who were not U.S. citizens were based on very thin evidence,” said Takei, who shared how the FBI targeted his great-grandfather for speaking to civilian ship captains who were mistaken for Japanese naval officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Takei said last weekend’s deportations could be the first step in a dangerous progression that mirrors the blueprint of the gradual expansion of arrests and detentions during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The first stage is the one that looks very much like what is happening right now — that is the roundups of the Issei (immigrant) generation on the basis of the Alien Enemies invocation, and the phase that came after that was a much bigger roundup of everybody, citizens and noncitizens alike,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032498\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032498\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That second phase came when Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. A majority of the Japanese people sent to prison camps were American citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Knowing that progression took place during World War II is one of the reasons why Japanese Americans are so angered and afraid by what is going on right now,” said Takei, who warned that if the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act stands in the courts, the implications could be serious for other immigrant groups since it blurs the line between state and non-state actors who can be deemed an invasive enemy of the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Derrlyn Tom, a resident of San Francisco’s Mission District, said she attended the meeting because she wants to be an ally to vulnerable immigrant groups. She said that sense of responsibility came from her time as a science teacher at Mission High School, where she taught for over 25 years, and the majority of the student population was Latino. Many students were refugees and had minimal connections or access to resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032495\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032495\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-05-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Attendees clap for speaker Joyce Nakamura. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tom told KQED that she also attended to connect more deeply with her Japanese heritage by witnessing how the Japanese American community was mobilizing on behalf of others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel it’s an honor to just be here, to see that this is happening,” Tom, 67, said. “I feel like I can and should be proud of this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rev. Deborah Lee of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity emphasized that Japanese Americans speaking up now will be crucial to resisting the Trump administration’s efforts to upend the nation’s immigration system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their history is a marker on the U.S. It’s one of the few times the United States has ever \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906015/how-japanese-americans-in-the-bay-area-are-carrying-forward-the-legacy-of-reparations\">admitted doing wrong and apologized\u003c/a>,” Lee said. “It’s so powerful to see the way they’re using their experience. Each community in the United States has some piece of the story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032497\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032497\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250320-JAPANESEAMERICANSDENOUNCE-18-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Derrlyn Tom (right) speaks with friends at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Satsuki Ina, co-founder of Tsuru for Solidarity, a group that seeks to eliminate detention centers, said Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act should be a last-straw moment for Japanese Americans, a wake-up call to speak out on behalf of others facing the same fate their families once did — and to be the kind of allies that the Japanese community needed and did not have during World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, she said, Japanese American community members, including elderly survivors of World War II incarceration, have increasingly stepped forward to resist Trump’s immigration policies. Some have joined her group and are participating in know-your-rights training to take action, such as serving as witnesses to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her co-founder, Mike Ishii, echoed that call to resistance, emphasizing that standing up against injustice is a long-standing tradition in the Japanese American community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This moment may feel especially fraught with anxiety, but our community has risen to the occasion many times,” he said. “We are strong, powerful, loving and resilient people. And you should not make us angry. Because when our righteous indignation is activated, we become a force to be reckoned with.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "j-sei-home-closes-after-30-years-leaving-bay-area-japanese-seniors-in-need",
"title": "J-Sei Home Closes After 30 Years, Leaving Bay Area Japanese Seniors in Need",
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"headTitle": "J-Sei Home Closes After 30 Years, Leaving Bay Area Japanese Seniors in Need | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>[This is the second story of a two-part project that explores the influence and importance of culture in end-of-life care. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027418/japanese-american-seniors-caregivers-say-goodbye-j-sei-home\">Part one was published Sunday\u003c/a>.]\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late January, about a hundred people — mostly East Bay \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">Japanese American\u003c/a> community members — gathered at Sycamore Congregational Church in El Cerrito to honor Ruth Sato Fukuchi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi, a former microbiologist, was remembered for her youthful spirit and for being a consummate learner, even late in life. When she was in her mid-70s, she picked up the ukulele and played with the Sentimental Strummers band for seven years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi was 90 when she passed away in December at J-Sei Home, a small, tight-knit senior residential care facility in Hayward where she had performed with her ukulele group before she moved in herself in 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, Bay Area Japanese American families have sought culturally sensitive senior care facilities like J-Sei Home for aging loved ones. Community members said that about a decade ago, there were approximately 10 Japanese senior care homes in the region. Today, that number has declined by about half.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most recent closure came in January, when the last residents of J-Sei Home moved out, and the facility permanently closed its doors after 30 years of operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030308\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030308\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregiver Hiroko Okamoto wheels Ruth Fukuchi away as she waves goodbye to the birds in the yard at J-Sei Home in Hayward in February 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A majority of the displaced residents were Japanese Americans in their 90s and had cognitive impairment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“J-Sei Home was a very special place. The caregivers treated each resident like family,” said Matt Fukuchi, Fukuchi’s son, during his closing remarks at the memorial. “The quality of life that she had the last couple of years, she couldn’t have gotten that anywhere else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families like the Fukuchis appreciated how their loved ones were cared for at J-Sei Home. They had tender caregivers who spoke Japanese. They ate familiar comfort foods like miso soup and pickled vegetables, and they participated in daily activities such as drum circles and singing Japanese songs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027414\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027414\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Aikawa looks around at her empty room at her new care facility in Castro Valley in December. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Diane Wong, the executive director of J-Sei, an Emeryville-based Japanese American community organization that primarily serves seniors, said the decision to close their Hayward facility, one of its core services, was difficult but necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the past 13, 14 years, we could never break even,” she said. “We weren’t getting enough people into the facility, costs are rising, and so we could see the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to financial challenges — notably, increased costs in staffing — Wong said that J-Sei Home’s closure could be attributed to significant demographic changes as the Japanese American population has become more diverse and acculturated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030305\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030305\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Aikawa eats a turkey sandwich for lunch at the dining hall of her new care facility in Castro Valley. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030309\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030309\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) A plate of Osechi Ryori is on the menu for Oshogatsu, or Japanese New Year, at J Sei Home in January 2024. Each part of the osechi meal symbolizes good fortune and luck for the coming year. (Right) Sawako Issacs guides Kazue Granich’s hand to her mug at J Sei Home. At J-Sei Home residents would often look after the other residents when caregivers were busy. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After World War II, Bay Area Japanese American organizations formed to serve first-generation Japanese immigrants or the Issei generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, they’re at a crossroads because the needs of the community have shifted, forcing some organizations to adapt their original missions and shrinking certain services that used to be critical lifelines for the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A comfortable place to age\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>J-Sei Home’s origin traces back to two youth-led organizations that later merged to become J-Sei: East Bay Japanese for Action and East Bay Issei Housing, which were founded in the 1970s by the Sansei, or second-generation Japanese Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young Japanese American student activists in the Bay Area recognized the need for targeted social services for their immigrant elders. They were inspired by the community activism of the late 1960s when the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11830384/how-the-longest-student-strike-in-u-s-history-created-ethnic-studies\">Third World Liberation Front student strikes\u003c/a> established ethnic studies departments at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030268\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030268\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">East Bay Japanese for Action organizers meet with community leaders to discuss needs of seniors, organizing of future events, community support and how to proceed with an organization in Oakland in 1971. From left are: Murayo Sawai, Tad Hirota, Dennis Yotsuya, Peter Horikoshi and Janice Nakao. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of J-Sei Home)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There was still a lot of racism and distrust,” Wong said. “A lot of young people involved saw their family members who needed help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peter Horikoshi said that learning Asian American history as a UC Berkeley undergraduate and witnessing the groundswell of student movements opened his eyes to his own community’s needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We clearly saw that we had a lot in common with African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans,” said Horikoshi, a 73-year-old Alameda resident, adding that he and his peers particularly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13867337/the-black-panther-partys-free-breakfast-program-a-50-year-old-blueprint\">drew inspiration from the Black Panther Party\u003c/a>. “They were offering free [breakfast] for kids and really trying to help out their communities, and we thought that’s a good model to follow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030269\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Berkeley-Center-Ribbon-Fish-L.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Berkeley-Center-Ribbon-Fish-L.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Berkeley-Center-Ribbon-Fish-L-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dennis Yotsuya, left, leads a craft session on making ribbon fish at the Berkeley Senior Center in 1971. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of J-Sei Home)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12030270 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-800x266.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-1020x339.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-1536x511.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-1920x638.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) PJ Hirabayashi (then Nakanishi), center, stands with Peter Horikoshi, left, playing a guitar wearing an anti-nuclear weapons headband that reads, “No More Hiroshima Nagasaki,” circa 1970s. (Right) A picnic of the Japanese American Issei community. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Tets Maniwa)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Horikoshi was a founding member of EBJA, which began planning field trips for seniors in 1971, including ferry rides to Angel Island and picnics at Lake Temescal in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the elders who participated were survivors of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">World War II incarceration\u003c/a>. Some were war brides, Japanese immigrant women who had married American servicemen and left their country and families behind. The women faced language barriers and social isolation, even within the Japanese community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We heard these stories over and over about how they worked so hard when they first came over,” Horikoshi said. “The Japanese American-established organizations at that time were really not doing that much for them either, and so we thought, ‘We’re young, and we have the time.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The East Bay Japanese American population was much more spread out compared to San Francisco, where Japantown served as a community anchor. In the East Bay, Japanese temples and churches were the community’s key congregation points until student activists united the organizations around the common cause of helping immigrant seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030323\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-800x553.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-1020x705.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-1536x1061.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-1920x1327.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The East Bay Issei Terrace dedication ceremony was held in Hayward in November 1984. The project was a collaboration of East Bay Japanese for Action, East Bay Issei Housing and Eden Housing, Inc. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of J-Sei Home)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The young organizers established Japanese American senior community centers in Berkeley, El Cerrito and Hayward. EBJA organizers also created bilingual services to help Japanese seniors navigate health and social programs. They began a meal program where seniors would enjoy lunches and socialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, the students turned to another critical need: housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1978, EBIH was formed to address housing security for Japanese seniors. Wong said community members complained that while there were some senior homes available, “the language, food and activities just didn’t mesh or feel comfortable for people.” Having lived through the racism of World War II, the seniors sought a safe and comfortable place to age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whole approach of the work is to create something where people’s histories are celebrated, their sense of being is honored,” Wong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japanese-imported roof at J-Sei Home in Hayward, California, on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Robert Sakai, one of EBIH’s co-founders, became aware of the lack of community housing for Japanese seniors when his mother’s friend had a hard time finding a place to live. As a young real estate lawyer, he met with other concerned organizers and formed EBIH to consolidate resources to establish a senior housing program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We felt that we needed to recruit the JACL chapters and Japanese American churches in Alameda and Contra Costa counties,” Sakai said, referring to the Japanese American Citizens League. “As far as I know, that was the first time that the East Bay Japanese American community was united to work on anything, much less a single real estate project.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sakai and others recruited 23 Japanese American organizations to raise money to purchase a property in Hayward, which became an affordable senior housing site that was designed and tailored for low-income Japanese elders. Years later, the group purchased a smaller ranch-style home across the street to address the needs of Japanese seniors who could not live independently. In 1994, the building that became J-Sei Home opened.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘The family’s getting smaller’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When vascular dementia and other medical issues led Fukuchi to require extensive assisted living services in 2021, J-Sei Home was an obvious choice. Multiple generations of the Fukuchi family had already been active in the J-Sei community. Fukuchi participated in the organization’s social activities, and her husband, Tak, was a driver for J-Sei’s meal delivery program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exorbitant costs and burden of round-the-clock senior caregiving can be overwhelming for any family member, especially when the senior’s quality of life depends on access to familiar cultural comforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030312\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030312\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The onset of dementia and other medical issues required Ruth Fukuchi’s family to seek an assisted living alternative for her. Her family was already connected to the J-Sei community. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cathy Fukuchi-Wong, Fukuchi’s daughter, said she’s eternally grateful that the J-Sei Home caregivers could provide for her mother in ways she could not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My mom did express several times that she wanted to come live with me. But the reality is, there’s no way we could’ve done that because she needed so much care,” Fukuchi-Wong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi lived at J-Sei Home for three years. Her daughter said the personalized caregiving provided by the staff allowed her to enjoy her mother and be present. Fukuchi had almost daily visits from her son, Matt Fukuchi, and Fukuchi-Wong, who commuted to Hayward from their respective homes in San Ramon and Marin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he sympathizes with J-Sei Home’s financial concerns, Matt Fukuchi said he was upset initially when he learned of the decision to close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030314\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030314\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cathy Fukuchi-Wong reads Vogue with her mother, Ruth, at J-Sei Home in February 2024. Fukuchi-Wong said that the J-Sei Home caregivers could provide for her mother in ways she could not. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I was wondering why they didn’t try to find someone else to operate it because it seemed like there were families that were interested in having their parents go to J-Sei,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Wong asserts there’s been declining interest in J-Sei Home in recent years. She cited an organizational survey that was sent to over 550 active J-Sei members in 2024, which gauged whether they needed a facility like J-Sei Home in the future. A majority said no.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wong said J-Sei is now focusing on home delivery meals to address food security for Asian seniors in the East Bay and providing more support for family caregivers. She said the shift makes sense to meet the community’s current needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11952398 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/Screen-Shot-2023-05-30-at-4.19.34-PM-1020x571.png']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The cost factor is going to be a big challenge for society in general,” Wong said, referring to senior care. “How are we going to do this at home? What’s the role of the family? We know that public systems of funding aren’t really keeping up with the need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families said that J-Sei Home’s costs were significantly more affordable compared to other traditional care homes. Fukuchi-Wong told KQED that the direct, culturally sensitive care her mother received was “a steal” for what they paid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After J-Sei announced the closure, residents and their families were given about five months to find an alternate facility. Before her mother’s death, Fukuchi-Wong anxiously toured homes around the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hit the bricks,” said Fukuchi-Wong, who described the search to find a facility similar to J-Sei Home as a struggle. “Some of those places are pretty ragged and so it was hard to see some of the conditions where these people lived.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030315\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregiver Amparo Chow helps Kazue Granich rise from her seat at J-Sei Home in Hayward on Nov. 14, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi-Wong said her mother needed to engage in social activities and eat traditional foods that would suit her appetite. Fukuchi-Wong’s first choice was Kimochi Home in San Mateo, another Japanese culturally sensitive senior care home, but there was a 40-person waiting list.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi noticed that her J-Sei Home friends were starting to move out. Caregivers and families shared emotional and tearful goodbyes as residents left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The family’s getting smaller,” Fukuchi, who began eating less and sleeping more, said to her daughter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was one of the last residents at the facility before she passed away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charles Granich, right, shows his mother, Kazue Granich, left, her room at her new care home, RN3 Loving Care Homes, a senior assisted living facility in the El Cerrito hills in December 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ron Salvador, the former administrator of J-Sei Home, spoke to KQED about a week after J-Sei announced the home’s closure. He expressed concern about the future care of the residents. He said that at J-Sei Home, the caregiver-to-resident ratio was almost one-to-one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just sad when you see a specialty facility like this close down. It affects the whole community,” Salvador told KQED in October. “We’re worried about [the residents] because they became a family here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>J-Sei assisted residents as they searched for new facilities and navigated moving logistics. By January, most of them had moved into traditional assisted living facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 101, Kazue Granich was J-Sei Home’s oldest resident and lived there for over seven years. Though she was mostly quiet, she was known for being the loudest karaoke singer. She relocated to RN3 Loving Care Homes, a senior assisted living facility in the El Cerrito hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While visiting her mother’s new home from out of town, Granich’s daughter, Sandy Granich, told a KQED reporter that Granich appeared to be skinnier and not as talkative as she used to be. One of her brothers, who is local and visits more often, had warned Sandy that their mother had grown quieter and more listless since leaving J-Sei Home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked how the facility compared to J-Sei Home, Sandy Granich said, “I feel like there was more camaraderie over there,” as she scanned RN3’s living room where other nearby residents sat quietly and alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A niche in the world of senior care\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On a recent morning in San Francisco, a dozen seniors — most of them in their 90s — played a bean bag toss game, cheering for one another as part of their daily 10 a.m. activity at Kimochi Home’s Japantown location. The Japanese senior care facility opened in 1983, about a decade before J-Sei Home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The seniors sat in a circle, and one by one — with the help of staff members and a volunteer — they shuffled or pushed their walkers to the center of the circle to play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028194\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028194\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents participate in a game at Kimochi Home, a senior living community in San Francisco’s Japantown neighborhood, February 2025. Established in 1971, Kimochi provides programs and services to Bay Area seniors, honoring the Japanese tradition of respect and care for elders. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Rooting each other on during the activities and building that sense of community … that’s really important and the foundation of what Kimochi Home wanted to be,” said Linda Ishii, the home’s director of residential services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ishii is a San Francisco Japantown native who has worked with Kimochi for over two decades. She said the seniors at Kimochi Home are mostly Nisei, or second generation, and Shin-Issei, Japanese immigrants who arrived in the U.S. after World War II. The oldest Kimochi resident is 106.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-story building is cozy and light-filled. There is a dedicated space for activities and exercise, TV lounges play Japanese-language programming and the walls are adorned with traditional Japanese decorations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028199\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimochi Home is located in San Francisco’s Japantown neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Most of the residents are Japanese, but Ishii said Kimochi occasionally has residents who are Black, Latino, Filipino and other races and ethnicities. Though the focus of Kimochi Home is providing care for Japanese and Japanese Americans, Ishii said any senior can benefit from their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is our niche in the whole world of senior care,” Ishii said. “It is focused on the care their loved one is receiving and if they’re going to feel comfortable within the space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she was saddened to learn of J-Sei Home’s recent closure and provided tours to a few of the families looking for a new home for their seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s always a loss to the community as a whole to have such a well-established home close,” Ishii said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028196\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028196\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents participate in Radio Taiso, an exercise routine practiced in Japan, at Kimochi Home where the focus is providing care for Japanese and Japanese Americans. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After their morning activity, the seniors transitioned to chair exercises, where they watched \u003cem>Radio Taiso\u003c/em>, a Japanese exercise program on TV. The residents alternated between seated stretches and raising their arms in unison until it was time for lunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The residents slowly made their way to the dining room, shuffling down a hallway in a line, some with their walkers, as staff members waited patiently nearby to assist as needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nothing moves fast around here,” Ishii said with a laugh. “There will come a time when they can no longer do it, so it takes them a while to get down the hall, but they’re doing it. That’s the most important thing, to let them have the ability to know that they can do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028198\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028198\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Linda Ishii, director of residential services, speaks with a resident at Kimochi Home, where “[n]othing moves fast,” she said. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Like J-Sei Home, Kimochi Home also faces rising costs and staffing challenges that were accelerated during the pandemic. She said keeping the home afloat is a balancing act because the facility is dedicated to keeping rates low to remain accessible to the community. Costs are out-of-pocket at Kimochi Home, as they were for J-Sei Home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ishii said that she still fields calls daily from families who are looking for a place for their Japanese elders. There are dozens of people on waitlists for both Kimochi Home locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ishii remains committed to her work, which she said is her way of giving back to elders who “paved the way for us to be here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She considers it her responsibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we see that we’re not getting contacted by families and seniors anymore, then it’s time to look at something else or try to transform to a different program … but I’m hoping that’s many, many, many years down the road.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Photographer \u003ca href=\"https://www.julianayamada.com/\">Juliana Yamada\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Sensitive senior care options for Bay Area Japanese American families are dwindling. A decade ago, there were about 10 facilities in the region. Only half remain. ",
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"title": "J-Sei Home Closes After 30 Years, Leaving Bay Area Japanese Seniors in Need | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>[This is the second story of a two-part project that explores the influence and importance of culture in end-of-life care. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027418/japanese-american-seniors-caregivers-say-goodbye-j-sei-home\">Part one was published Sunday\u003c/a>.]\u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In late January, about a hundred people — mostly East Bay \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">Japanese American\u003c/a> community members — gathered at Sycamore Congregational Church in El Cerrito to honor Ruth Sato Fukuchi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi, a former microbiologist, was remembered for her youthful spirit and for being a consummate learner, even late in life. When she was in her mid-70s, she picked up the ukulele and played with the Sentimental Strummers band for seven years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi was 90 when she passed away in December at J-Sei Home, a small, tight-knit senior residential care facility in Hayward where she had performed with her ukulele group before she moved in herself in 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, Bay Area Japanese American families have sought culturally sensitive senior care facilities like J-Sei Home for aging loved ones. Community members said that about a decade ago, there were approximately 10 Japanese senior care homes in the region. Today, that number has declined by about half.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most recent closure came in January, when the last residents of J-Sei Home moved out, and the facility permanently closed its doors after 30 years of operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030308\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030308\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_086-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregiver Hiroko Okamoto wheels Ruth Fukuchi away as she waves goodbye to the birds in the yard at J-Sei Home in Hayward in February 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A majority of the displaced residents were Japanese Americans in their 90s and had cognitive impairment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“J-Sei Home was a very special place. The caregivers treated each resident like family,” said Matt Fukuchi, Fukuchi’s son, during his closing remarks at the memorial. “The quality of life that she had the last couple of years, she couldn’t have gotten that anywhere else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families like the Fukuchis appreciated how their loved ones were cared for at J-Sei Home. They had tender caregivers who spoke Japanese. They ate familiar comfort foods like miso soup and pickled vegetables, and they participated in daily activities such as drum circles and singing Japanese songs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027414\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027414\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-917-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Aikawa looks around at her empty room at her new care facility in Castro Valley in December. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Diane Wong, the executive director of J-Sei, an Emeryville-based Japanese American community organization that primarily serves seniors, said the decision to close their Hayward facility, one of its core services, was difficult but necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For the past 13, 14 years, we could never break even,” she said. “We weren’t getting enough people into the facility, costs are rising, and so we could see the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to financial challenges — notably, increased costs in staffing — Wong said that J-Sei Home’s closure could be attributed to significant demographic changes as the Japanese American population has become more diverse and acculturated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030305\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030305\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241215-JSEI-JY-1224-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Aikawa eats a turkey sandwich for lunch at the dining hall of her new care facility in Castro Valley. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030309\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030309\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_036_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) A plate of Osechi Ryori is on the menu for Oshogatsu, or Japanese New Year, at J Sei Home in January 2024. Each part of the osechi meal symbolizes good fortune and luck for the coming year. (Right) Sawako Issacs guides Kazue Granich’s hand to her mug at J Sei Home. At J-Sei Home residents would often look after the other residents when caregivers were busy. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After World War II, Bay Area Japanese American organizations formed to serve first-generation Japanese immigrants or the Issei generation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, they’re at a crossroads because the needs of the community have shifted, forcing some organizations to adapt their original missions and shrinking certain services that used to be critical lifelines for the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A comfortable place to age\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>J-Sei Home’s origin traces back to two youth-led organizations that later merged to become J-Sei: East Bay Japanese for Action and East Bay Issei Housing, which were founded in the 1970s by the Sansei, or second-generation Japanese Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young Japanese American student activists in the Bay Area recognized the need for targeted social services for their immigrant elders. They were inspired by the community activism of the late 1960s when the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11830384/how-the-longest-student-strike-in-u-s-history-created-ethnic-studies\">Third World Liberation Front student strikes\u003c/a> established ethnic studies departments at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030268\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030268\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Community-Meeting-Tad-Hirota-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">East Bay Japanese for Action organizers meet with community leaders to discuss needs of seniors, organizing of future events, community support and how to proceed with an organization in Oakland in 1971. From left are: Murayo Sawai, Tad Hirota, Dennis Yotsuya, Peter Horikoshi and Janice Nakao. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of J-Sei Home)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There was still a lot of racism and distrust,” Wong said. “A lot of young people involved saw their family members who needed help.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peter Horikoshi said that learning Asian American history as a UC Berkeley undergraduate and witnessing the groundswell of student movements opened his eyes to his own community’s needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We clearly saw that we had a lot in common with African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans,” said Horikoshi, a 73-year-old Alameda resident, adding that he and his peers particularly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13867337/the-black-panther-partys-free-breakfast-program-a-50-year-old-blueprint\">drew inspiration from the Black Panther Party\u003c/a>. “They were offering free [breakfast] for kids and really trying to help out their communities, and we thought that’s a good model to follow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030269\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Berkeley-Center-Ribbon-Fish-L.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Berkeley-Center-Ribbon-Fish-L.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Berkeley-Center-Ribbon-Fish-L-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dennis Yotsuya, left, leads a craft session on making ribbon fish at the Berkeley Senior Center in 1971. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of J-Sei Home)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12030270 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"665\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-800x266.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-1020x339.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-1536x511.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/PICT1424_duo-1920x638.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) PJ Hirabayashi (then Nakanishi), center, stands with Peter Horikoshi, left, playing a guitar wearing an anti-nuclear weapons headband that reads, “No More Hiroshima Nagasaki,” circa 1970s. (Right) A picnic of the Japanese American Issei community. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Tets Maniwa)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Horikoshi was a founding member of EBJA, which began planning field trips for seniors in 1971, including ferry rides to Angel Island and picnics at Lake Temescal in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the elders who participated were survivors of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12021919/bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats\">World War II incarceration\u003c/a>. Some were war brides, Japanese immigrant women who had married American servicemen and left their country and families behind. The women faced language barriers and social isolation, even within the Japanese community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We heard these stories over and over about how they worked so hard when they first came over,” Horikoshi said. “The Japanese American-established organizations at that time were really not doing that much for them either, and so we thought, ‘We’re young, and we have the time.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The East Bay Japanese American population was much more spread out compared to San Francisco, where Japantown served as a community anchor. In the East Bay, Japanese temples and churches were the community’s key congregation points until student activists united the organizations around the common cause of helping immigrant seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030323\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-800x553.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-1020x705.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-1536x1061.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Issei-Terrace-Dedication-2-Nov-4-1984-1920x1327.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The East Bay Issei Terrace dedication ceremony was held in Hayward in November 1984. The project was a collaboration of East Bay Japanese for Action, East Bay Issei Housing and Eden Housing, Inc. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of J-Sei Home)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The young organizers established Japanese American senior community centers in Berkeley, El Cerrito and Hayward. EBJA organizers also created bilingual services to help Japanese seniors navigate health and social programs. They began a meal program where seniors would enjoy lunches and socialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, the students turned to another critical need: housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1978, EBIH was formed to address housing security for Japanese seniors. Wong said community members complained that while there were some senior homes available, “the language, food and activities just didn’t mesh or feel comfortable for people.” Having lived through the racism of World War II, the seniors sought a safe and comfortable place to age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The whole approach of the work is to create something where people’s histories are celebrated, their sense of being is honored,” Wong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_317-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Japanese-imported roof at J-Sei Home in Hayward, California, on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Robert Sakai, one of EBIH’s co-founders, became aware of the lack of community housing for Japanese seniors when his mother’s friend had a hard time finding a place to live. As a young real estate lawyer, he met with other concerned organizers and formed EBIH to consolidate resources to establish a senior housing program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We felt that we needed to recruit the JACL chapters and Japanese American churches in Alameda and Contra Costa counties,” Sakai said, referring to the Japanese American Citizens League. “As far as I know, that was the first time that the East Bay Japanese American community was united to work on anything, much less a single real estate project.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sakai and others recruited 23 Japanese American organizations to raise money to purchase a property in Hayward, which became an affordable senior housing site that was designed and tailored for low-income Japanese elders. Years later, the group purchased a smaller ranch-style home across the street to address the needs of Japanese seniors who could not live independently. In 1994, the building that became J-Sei Home opened.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘The family’s getting smaller’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When vascular dementia and other medical issues led Fukuchi to require extensive assisted living services in 2021, J-Sei Home was an obvious choice. Multiple generations of the Fukuchi family had already been active in the J-Sei community. Fukuchi participated in the organization’s social activities, and her husband, Tak, was a driver for J-Sei’s meal delivery program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The exorbitant costs and burden of round-the-clock senior caregiving can be overwhelming for any family member, especially when the senior’s quality of life depends on access to familiar cultural comforts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030312\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030312\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_083-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The onset of dementia and other medical issues required Ruth Fukuchi’s family to seek an assisted living alternative for her. Her family was already connected to the J-Sei community. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Cathy Fukuchi-Wong, Fukuchi’s daughter, said she’s eternally grateful that the J-Sei Home caregivers could provide for her mother in ways she could not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My mom did express several times that she wanted to come live with me. But the reality is, there’s no way we could’ve done that because she needed so much care,” Fukuchi-Wong said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi lived at J-Sei Home for three years. Her daughter said the personalized caregiving provided by the staff allowed her to enjoy her mother and be present. Fukuchi had almost daily visits from her son, Matt Fukuchi, and Fukuchi-Wong, who commuted to Hayward from their respective homes in San Ramon and Marin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he sympathizes with J-Sei Home’s financial concerns, Matt Fukuchi said he was upset initially when he learned of the decision to close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030314\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030314\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_099-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cathy Fukuchi-Wong reads Vogue with her mother, Ruth, at J-Sei Home in February 2024. Fukuchi-Wong said that the J-Sei Home caregivers could provide for her mother in ways she could not. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I was wondering why they didn’t try to find someone else to operate it because it seemed like there were families that were interested in having their parents go to J-Sei,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Wong asserts there’s been declining interest in J-Sei Home in recent years. She cited an organizational survey that was sent to over 550 active J-Sei members in 2024, which gauged whether they needed a facility like J-Sei Home in the future. A majority said no.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wong said J-Sei is now focusing on home delivery meals to address food security for Asian seniors in the East Bay and providing more support for family caregivers. She said the shift makes sense to meet the community’s current needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The cost factor is going to be a big challenge for society in general,” Wong said, referring to senior care. “How are we going to do this at home? What’s the role of the family? We know that public systems of funding aren’t really keeping up with the need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families said that J-Sei Home’s costs were significantly more affordable compared to other traditional care homes. Fukuchi-Wong told KQED that the direct, culturally sensitive care her mother received was “a steal” for what they paid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After J-Sei announced the closure, residents and their families were given about five months to find an alternate facility. Before her mother’s death, Fukuchi-Wong anxiously toured homes around the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hit the bricks,” said Fukuchi-Wong, who described the search to find a facility similar to J-Sei Home as a struggle. “Some of those places are pretty ragged and so it was hard to see some of the conditions where these people lived.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030315\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/jsei_JY_326-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregiver Amparo Chow helps Kazue Granich rise from her seat at J-Sei Home in Hayward on Nov. 14, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi-Wong said her mother needed to engage in social activities and eat traditional foods that would suit her appetite. Fukuchi-Wong’s first choice was Kimochi Home in San Mateo, another Japanese culturally sensitive senior care home, but there was a 40-person waiting list.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fukuchi noticed that her J-Sei Home friends were starting to move out. Caregivers and families shared emotional and tearful goodbyes as residents left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The family’s getting smaller,” Fukuchi, who began eating less and sleeping more, said to her daughter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was one of the last residents at the facility before she passed away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20241219-JSEI-JY-314-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charles Granich, right, shows his mother, Kazue Granich, left, her room at her new care home, RN3 Loving Care Homes, a senior assisted living facility in the El Cerrito hills in December 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ron Salvador, the former administrator of J-Sei Home, spoke to KQED about a week after J-Sei announced the home’s closure. He expressed concern about the future care of the residents. He said that at J-Sei Home, the caregiver-to-resident ratio was almost one-to-one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s just sad when you see a specialty facility like this close down. It affects the whole community,” Salvador told KQED in October. “We’re worried about [the residents] because they became a family here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>J-Sei assisted residents as they searched for new facilities and navigated moving logistics. By January, most of them had moved into traditional assisted living facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 101, Kazue Granich was J-Sei Home’s oldest resident and lived there for over seven years. Though she was mostly quiet, she was known for being the loudest karaoke singer. She relocated to RN3 Loving Care Homes, a senior assisted living facility in the El Cerrito hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While visiting her mother’s new home from out of town, Granich’s daughter, Sandy Granich, told a KQED reporter that Granich appeared to be skinnier and not as talkative as she used to be. One of her brothers, who is local and visits more often, had warned Sandy that their mother had grown quieter and more listless since leaving J-Sei Home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked how the facility compared to J-Sei Home, Sandy Granich said, “I feel like there was more camaraderie over there,” as she scanned RN3’s living room where other nearby residents sat quietly and alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A niche in the world of senior care\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On a recent morning in San Francisco, a dozen seniors — most of them in their 90s — played a bean bag toss game, cheering for one another as part of their daily 10 a.m. activity at Kimochi Home’s Japantown location. The Japanese senior care facility opened in 1983, about a decade before J-Sei Home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The seniors sat in a circle, and one by one — with the help of staff members and a volunteer — they shuffled or pushed their walkers to the center of the circle to play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028194\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028194\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-07-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents participate in a game at Kimochi Home, a senior living community in San Francisco’s Japantown neighborhood, February 2025. Established in 1971, Kimochi provides programs and services to Bay Area seniors, honoring the Japanese tradition of respect and care for elders. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Rooting each other on during the activities and building that sense of community … that’s really important and the foundation of what Kimochi Home wanted to be,” said Linda Ishii, the home’s director of residential services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ishii is a San Francisco Japantown native who has worked with Kimochi for over two decades. She said the seniors at Kimochi Home are mostly Nisei, or second generation, and Shin-Issei, Japanese immigrants who arrived in the U.S. after World War II. The oldest Kimochi resident is 106.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-story building is cozy and light-filled. There is a dedicated space for activities and exercise, TV lounges play Japanese-language programming and the walls are adorned with traditional Japanese decorations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028199\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-26-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kimochi Home is located in San Francisco’s Japantown neighborhood. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Most of the residents are Japanese, but Ishii said Kimochi occasionally has residents who are Black, Latino, Filipino and other races and ethnicities. Though the focus of Kimochi Home is providing care for Japanese and Japanese Americans, Ishii said any senior can benefit from their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is our niche in the whole world of senior care,” Ishii said. “It is focused on the care their loved one is receiving and if they’re going to feel comfortable within the space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she was saddened to learn of J-Sei Home’s recent closure and provided tours to a few of the families looking for a new home for their seniors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s always a loss to the community as a whole to have such a well-established home close,” Ishii said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028196\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028196\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-17-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents participate in Radio Taiso, an exercise routine practiced in Japan, at Kimochi Home where the focus is providing care for Japanese and Japanese Americans. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After their morning activity, the seniors transitioned to chair exercises, where they watched \u003cem>Radio Taiso\u003c/em>, a Japanese exercise program on TV. The residents alternated between seated stretches and raising their arms in unison until it was time for lunch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The residents slowly made their way to the dining room, shuffling down a hallway in a line, some with their walkers, as staff members waited patiently nearby to assist as needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nothing moves fast around here,” Ishii said with a laugh. “There will come a time when they can no longer do it, so it takes them a while to get down the hall, but they’re doing it. That’s the most important thing, to let them have the ability to know that they can do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028198\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028198\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250220-ClosingJSei-20-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Linda Ishii, director of residential services, speaks with a resident at Kimochi Home, where “[n]othing moves fast,” she said. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Like J-Sei Home, Kimochi Home also faces rising costs and staffing challenges that were accelerated during the pandemic. She said keeping the home afloat is a balancing act because the facility is dedicated to keeping rates low to remain accessible to the community. Costs are out-of-pocket at Kimochi Home, as they were for J-Sei Home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ishii said that she still fields calls daily from families who are looking for a place for their Japanese elders. There are dozens of people on waitlists for both Kimochi Home locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ishii remains committed to her work, which she said is her way of giving back to elders who “paved the way for us to be here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She considers it her responsibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we see that we’re not getting contacted by families and seniors anymore, then it’s time to look at something else or try to transform to a different program … but I’m hoping that’s many, many, many years down the road.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Photographer \u003ca href=\"https://www.julianayamada.com/\">Juliana Yamada\u003c/a> contributed to this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "japanese-american-seniors-caregivers-say-goodbye-j-sei-home",
"title": "‘Like Family’: Japanese American Seniors and Caregivers Say Goodbye to J-Sei Home",
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"headTitle": "‘Like Family’: Japanese American Seniors and Caregivers Say Goodbye to J-Sei Home | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>[This is the first story of a two-part project that explores the influence and importance of culture in end-of-life care. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025613/j-sei-home-closes-after-30-years-leaving-bay-area-japanese-seniors-in-need\">Part two will be published Monday\u003c/a>.] \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>J-Sei Home was a 14-bed residential care facility for the elderly geared toward \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/japanese-americans\">Japanese Americans\u003c/a> in Hayward, California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The residents ate Japanese meals, walked through the Japanese garden, watched Japanese TV programs, celebrated Japanese holidays and spoke Japanese with the staff. Residents were embraced by the tight-knit community of caregivers and staff, whether they lived there for seven years or nine months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October 2024, J-Sei Home announced that it was closing because of financial instability. Families had five months to find new facilities for their loved ones. By the end of January, J-Sei Home was empty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Photographer \u003ca href=\"https://www.julianayamada.com/\">Juliana Yamada\u003c/a> spent 13 months documenting the lives of the facility’s residents and staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Grace Aikawa, 96\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027417 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Aikawa poses for a portrait in the garden at J-Sei Home in Hayward, California, last October. That month, the board announced they were closing the facility due to financial instability. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Grace Aikawa was born in 1928 in San José, California, but grew up more than 100 miles north in the town of Loomis, a commercial and cultural center for Japanese families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Executive Order 9066 was signed during World War II, Aikawa and her family were forcibly relocated, and she spent her high school years at the Granada War Relocation Center, commonly known as Camp Amache, in eastern Colorado. Aikawa and her husband raised four children in the Oakland hills, where she lived until moving to J-Sei Home in March 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027416\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027416 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Administrator Ron Salvador shows new resident Grace Aikawa the view from her room as she moves into J-Sei Home in Hayward, California, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Aikawa quickly made friends at J-Sei Home and settled into her activities and habits. She and her next-door neighbor Emiko Roaden, 93, took walks in the yard together after each meal, feeding the stray cats kibble and scraps of meat or fish. Aikawa spent days working on puzzles or crocheting in front of the TV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She spent most evenings with fellow resident Sawako Issacs, watching \u003cem>Jeopardy\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Wheel of Fortune\u003c/em> while the rest of the house got ready for bed. Aikawa’s daughter, Kim Aikawa-Olin, said her mom loved living in the community and was fortunate to move into the same new facility as Roaden — once again as next-door neighbors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027421\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027421\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) Caregivers Nida Maagma, left, and Imelda Merritt, center, cry as resident Aikawa, right, moves out of J-Sei Home in December 2024. Aikawa lived at J-Sei Home for only about nine months. (Right) Aikawa’s family helps move her into her new care facility in the Castro Valley. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027411\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027411\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left to right: Karen Aikawa-Simkover, Kim Aikawa-Olin and Mark Aikawa prepare to move the final boxes of their mother’s belongings out of J-Sei Home. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027412\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027412 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aikawa holds hands with her friend and neighbor Sawako Issacs, 91, as they watch TV together for the last time before Aikawa moved out of J-Sei Home. The two watched TV together nightly, often being the last two residents awake. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Kazue Granich, 101\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027424\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027424\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregiver Amparo Chow helps Kazue Granich, 101, eat lunch at J-Sei Home on Friday, March 15, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kazue Granich was J-Sei Home’s oldest resident and, possibly, the shortest at just shy of 5 feet tall. She lived there for over seven years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, Granich obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii before earning a master’s degree at Columbia University. She and her husband, Michael, had three children and moved to the Bay Area in the early 1950s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027426\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027426\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregiver Rose Velasco, left, and son Charles Granich, right, help Kazue Granich to the car as she moves out of J-Sei Home in December 2024. Granich lived at J-Sei Home for seven years but had to find a new home when the facility announced its closure. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Granich was a special education teacher for the majority of her career and loved teaching and learning new arts and crafts. She was an avid swimmer at the Berkeley YMCA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While at J-Sei Home, Granich was normally in her designated recliner in the living room, watching the other residents or resting. In the past few years, she has become less conversational. However, she would become instantly animated during visits with her children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027425\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027425\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kazi Okamoto, 9, and Momo Okamoto, 8, play with a recliner chair next to Granich in the living room at J-Sei Home. The Okamotos’ mother, Hiroko, is one of the caregivers at J-Sei Home. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While Granich isn’t a woman of many words, she was J-Sei Home’s loudest karaoke singer. Once or twice a week, caregiver Fumi Tsuchiya would lead the residents in karaoke through the J-Sei songbook. Granich would belt the lyrics to “You are My Sunshine” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027422\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027422 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-2048x676.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) Caregiver Fumi Tsuchiya sings karaoke with Granich at J-Sei Home last year. Granich preferred singing karaoke to conversations most days. (Right) Granich is helped into the car by caregiver Hiroko Okamoto, left, and her son Charles, right, as she moves out of J-Sei Home. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027423\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027423 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sandy Granich, right, sits with her mother, Kazue Granich, at RN Loving Care Home in El Cerrito, California, in January 2025. Her mother has been less engaged and talkative since leaving J-Sei Home. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Emiko Roaden, 93\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027429\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027429 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-1536x1028.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-1920x1285.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Clockwise from top left) Emiko Roaden’s old photos are displayed in her room. Roaden holds a photo of her younger self, wearing a dress she made. Roaden was a skilled seamstress, making many clothes for herself throughout her life. Photos from Roaden’s past are on display on a wooden shelf. A wedding day photograph of Roaden and her late husband Don circa 1963. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Emiko Roaden was the fashionista of J-Sei Home. Originally from Hakata, a ward in Fukuoka, Japan, Roaden moved to the United States in 1938.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12021919 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-47-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1963, she married her husband, Don, and they bought a house in San Leandro, where they lived for more than 50 years. Roaden was a skilled seamstress and homemaker, keeping a meticulous home and garden, according to Craig Wenger, her best friend’s son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She moved to J-Sei Home in 2023 after Don passed away. Her closet was filled with sweaters she had knitted and crocheted and a jewelry collection that spanned decades, much of which her husband had carved and polished. Photos from her life decorated her room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was always proud to show photos of her husband and her younger self, including photographs showcasing her handmade clothing. Roaden loved taking walks in the yard at J-Sei Home and was thrilled to gain a walking partner when Grace Aikawa moved in. She and Aikawa became close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When J-Sei Home announced its closure, the two were lucky enough to move into a new care facility together in Castro Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Ruth Fukuchi, 90\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027444\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027444 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Resident Ruth Fukuchi, 90, poses for a portrait at J-Sei Home in October 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ruth Fukuchi was 8 when her family was incarcerated at the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona during World War II. Fukuchi earned a degree in microbiology from UC Berkeley, becoming a successful microbiologist in Berkeley and Richmond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her husband, Tak, raised two children, Cathy Fukuchi-Wong and Matt Fukuchi. Fukuchi developed vascular dementia in her later years and eventually needed more care than her family could offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027438\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027438\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) Cathy Fukuchi-Wong speaks to her mother, Ruth Fukuchi, during a visit at J Sei Home in May 2024. Fukuchi-Wong drove from Marin almost every day to visit her mother because she said she knew she wasn’t “getting more days with her, but less.” (Right) Fukuchi flips through a book of tulips at J-Sei Home. While other residents watch TV, Fukuchi often reads newspapers, magazines and books. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>J-Sei Home was an obvious choice for Fukuchi’s children, as their family has been involved with the organization for generations. Fukuchi moved to J-Sei Home in 2021 and remained there until her death on Dec. 29, 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The caregivers and staff compassionately helped Fukuchi with her basic needs. Fukuchi-Wong said the care meant everything to their family. “I don’t think you can get this sort of family feeling anywhere else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027442\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027442\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">J-Sei Home caregiver Fumi Tsuchiya helps Ruth Fukuchi out of her wheelchair before bed on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Fukuchi relied completely on the J-Sei staff for daily tasks. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027437\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027437\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-2048x676.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) Sonata Hospice licensed vocational nurse Danilo Valle changes a dressing on Fukuchi’s leg at J-Sei Home. (Right) Tsuchiya helps Fukuchi brush her teeth after dinner. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027441\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027441\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fukuchi-Wong offers her mom tea as she lies in bed at J-Sei Home on Christmas Day 2024. In Fukuchi’s final days, she only wanted to eat Japanese arare, rice crackers, beef donburi or rice bowls, and drink green tea. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027440\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mourners lined up to offer flowers and pay their respects to Fukuchi and her family at Sycamore Congregational Church in El Cerrito in January. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027439\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027439\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A “Dear Grammy” sash decorates a wreath of flowers at the memorial service. Fukuchi is survived by three grandchildren: Lauren, Rex and Vanessa. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This piece was made possible by the help of \u003ca href=\"https://www.womenphotograph.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Women Photograph\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "For more than a year, KQED documented the closure of J-Sei Home, a residential care facility for elderly Japanese Americans in Hayward.",
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"title": "‘Like Family’: Japanese American Seniors and Caregivers Say Goodbye to J-Sei Home | KQED",
"description": "For more than a year, KQED documented the closure of J-Sei Home, a residential care facility for elderly Japanese Americans in Hayward.",
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"headline": "‘Like Family’: Japanese American Seniors and Caregivers Say Goodbye to J-Sei Home",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cstrong>[This is the first story of a two-part project that explores the influence and importance of culture in end-of-life care. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025613/j-sei-home-closes-after-30-years-leaving-bay-area-japanese-seniors-in-need\">Part two will be published Monday\u003c/a>.] \u003c/strong>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>J-Sei Home was a 14-bed residential care facility for the elderly geared toward \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/japanese-americans\">Japanese Americans\u003c/a> in Hayward, California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The residents ate Japanese meals, walked through the Japanese garden, watched Japanese TV programs, celebrated Japanese holidays and spoke Japanese with the staff. Residents were embraced by the tight-knit community of caregivers and staff, whether they lived there for seven years or nine months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In October 2024, J-Sei Home announced that it was closing because of financial instability. Families had five months to find new facilities for their loved ones. By the end of January, J-Sei Home was empty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Photographer \u003ca href=\"https://www.julianayamada.com/\">Juliana Yamada\u003c/a> spent 13 months documenting the lives of the facility’s residents and staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Grace Aikawa, 96\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027417\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027417 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_278-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grace Aikawa poses for a portrait in the garden at J-Sei Home in Hayward, California, last October. That month, the board announced they were closing the facility due to financial instability. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Grace Aikawa was born in 1928 in San José, California, but grew up more than 100 miles north in the town of Loomis, a commercial and cultural center for Japanese families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Executive Order 9066 was signed during World War II, Aikawa and her family were forcibly relocated, and she spent her high school years at the Granada War Relocation Center, commonly known as Camp Amache, in eastern Colorado. Aikawa and her husband raised four children in the Oakland hills, where she lived until moving to J-Sei Home in March 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027416\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027416 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_147-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Administrator Ron Salvador shows new resident Grace Aikawa the view from her room as she moves into J-Sei Home in Hayward, California, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Aikawa quickly made friends at J-Sei Home and settled into her activities and habits. She and her next-door neighbor Emiko Roaden, 93, took walks in the yard together after each meal, feeding the stray cats kibble and scraps of meat or fish. Aikawa spent days working on puzzles or crocheting in front of the TV.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She spent most evenings with fellow resident Sawako Issacs, watching \u003cem>Jeopardy\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Wheel of Fortune\u003c/em> while the rest of the house got ready for bed. Aikawa’s daughter, Kim Aikawa-Olin, said her mom loved living in the community and was fortunate to move into the same new facility as Roaden — once again as next-door neighbors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027421\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027421\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-966_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) Caregivers Nida Maagma, left, and Imelda Merritt, center, cry as resident Aikawa, right, moves out of J-Sei Home in December 2024. Aikawa lived at J-Sei Home for only about nine months. (Right) Aikawa’s family helps move her into her new care facility in the Castro Valley. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027411\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027411\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-026-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left to right: Karen Aikawa-Simkover, Kim Aikawa-Olin and Mark Aikawa prepare to move the final boxes of their mother’s belongings out of J-Sei Home. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027412\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027412 size-medium\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241215-JSEI-JY-528.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aikawa holds hands with her friend and neighbor Sawako Issacs, 91, as they watch TV together for the last time before Aikawa moved out of J-Sei Home. The two watched TV together nightly, often being the last two residents awake. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Kazue Granich, 101\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027424\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027424\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_126-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregiver Amparo Chow helps Kazue Granich, 101, eat lunch at J-Sei Home on Friday, March 15, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kazue Granich was J-Sei Home’s oldest resident and, possibly, the shortest at just shy of 5 feet tall. She lived there for over seven years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, Granich obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii before earning a master’s degree at Columbia University. She and her husband, Michael, had three children and moved to the Bay Area in the early 1950s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027426\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027426\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241219-JSEI-JY-130-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregiver Rose Velasco, left, and son Charles Granich, right, help Kazue Granich to the car as she moves out of J-Sei Home in December 2024. Granich lived at J-Sei Home for seven years but had to find a new home when the facility announced its closure. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Granich was a special education teacher for the majority of her career and loved teaching and learning new arts and crafts. She was an avid swimmer at the Berkeley YMCA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While at J-Sei Home, Granich was normally in her designated recliner in the living room, watching the other residents or resting. In the past few years, she has become less conversational. However, she would become instantly animated during visits with her children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027425\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027425\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_133-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kazi Okamoto, 9, and Momo Okamoto, 8, play with a recliner chair next to Granich in the living room at J-Sei Home. The Okamotos’ mother, Hiroko, is one of the caregivers at J-Sei Home. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While Granich isn’t a woman of many words, she was J-Sei Home’s loudest karaoke singer. Once or twice a week, caregiver Fumi Tsuchiya would lead the residents in karaoke through the J-Sei songbook. Granich would belt the lyrics to “You are My Sunshine” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027422\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027422 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-2048x676.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_173_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) Caregiver Fumi Tsuchiya sings karaoke with Granich at J-Sei Home last year. Granich preferred singing karaoke to conversations most days. (Right) Granich is helped into the car by caregiver Hiroko Okamoto, left, and her son Charles, right, as she moves out of J-Sei Home. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027423\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027423 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-711-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sandy Granich, right, sits with her mother, Kazue Granich, at RN Loving Care Home in El Cerrito, California, in January 2025. Her mother has been less engaged and talkative since leaving J-Sei Home. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Emiko Roaden, 93\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027429\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027429 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-800x536.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-1020x683.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-1536x1028.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_195_duo-1920x1285.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Clockwise from top left) Emiko Roaden’s old photos are displayed in her room. Roaden holds a photo of her younger self, wearing a dress she made. Roaden was a skilled seamstress, making many clothes for herself throughout her life. Photos from Roaden’s past are on display on a wooden shelf. A wedding day photograph of Roaden and her late husband Don circa 1963. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Emiko Roaden was the fashionista of J-Sei Home. Originally from Hakata, a ward in Fukuoka, Japan, Roaden moved to the United States in 1938.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1963, she married her husband, Don, and they bought a house in San Leandro, where they lived for more than 50 years. Roaden was a skilled seamstress and homemaker, keeping a meticulous home and garden, according to Craig Wenger, her best friend’s son.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She moved to J-Sei Home in 2023 after Don passed away. Her closet was filled with sweaters she had knitted and crocheted and a jewelry collection that spanned decades, much of which her husband had carved and polished. Photos from her life decorated her room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was always proud to show photos of her husband and her younger self, including photographs showcasing her handmade clothing. Roaden loved taking walks in the yard at J-Sei Home and was thrilled to gain a walking partner when Grace Aikawa moved in. She and Aikawa became close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When J-Sei Home announced its closure, the two were lucky enough to move into a new care facility together in Castro Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Ruth Fukuchi, 90\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027444\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12027444 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_270-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Resident Ruth Fukuchi, 90, poses for a portrait at J-Sei Home in October 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ruth Fukuchi was 8 when her family was incarcerated at the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona during World War II. Fukuchi earned a degree in microbiology from UC Berkeley, becoming a successful microbiologist in Berkeley and Richmond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her husband, Tak, raised two children, Cathy Fukuchi-Wong and Matt Fukuchi. Fukuchi developed vascular dementia in her later years and eventually needed more care than her family could offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027438\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027438\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_167_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) Cathy Fukuchi-Wong speaks to her mother, Ruth Fukuchi, during a visit at J Sei Home in May 2024. Fukuchi-Wong drove from Marin almost every day to visit her mother because she said she knew she wasn’t “getting more days with her, but less.” (Right) Fukuchi flips through a book of tulips at J-Sei Home. While other residents watch TV, Fukuchi often reads newspapers, magazines and books. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>J-Sei Home was an obvious choice for Fukuchi’s children, as their family has been involved with the organization for generations. Fukuchi moved to J-Sei Home in 2021 and remained there until her death on Dec. 29, 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The caregivers and staff compassionately helped Fukuchi with her basic needs. Fukuchi-Wong said the care meant everything to their family. “I don’t think you can get this sort of family feeling anywhere else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027442\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027442\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_223-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">J-Sei Home caregiver Fumi Tsuchiya helps Ruth Fukuchi out of her wheelchair before bed on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Fukuchi relied completely on the J-Sei staff for daily tasks. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027437\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027437\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-800x264.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-1020x337.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-2048x676.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/jsei_JY_212_duo-1920x634.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Left) Sonata Hospice licensed vocational nurse Danilo Valle changes a dressing on Fukuchi’s leg at J-Sei Home. (Right) Tsuchiya helps Fukuchi brush her teeth after dinner. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027441\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027441\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20241225-JSEI-JY-058-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fukuchi-Wong offers her mom tea as she lies in bed at J-Sei Home on Christmas Day 2024. In Fukuchi’s final days, she only wanted to eat Japanese arare, rice crackers, beef donburi or rice bowls, and drink green tea. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027440\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1742-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mourners lined up to offer flowers and pay their respects to Fukuchi and her family at Sycamore Congregational Church in El Cerrito in January. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027439\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027439\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250130-JSeiHome-JY-1708-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A “Dear Grammy” sash decorates a wreath of flowers at the memorial service. Fukuchi is survived by three grandchildren: Lauren, Rex and Vanessa. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This piece was made possible by the help of \u003ca href=\"https://www.womenphotograph.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Women Photograph\u003c/a>.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "bay-area-japanese-americans-draw-on-wwii-trauma-resist-deportation-threats",
"title": "Bay Area Japanese Americans Draw on WWII Trauma to Resist Deportation Threats",
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"headTitle": "Bay Area Japanese Americans Draw on WWII Trauma to Resist Deportation Threats | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Sadako Kashiwagi is haunted by the memory of her family scrambling to leave their home as her father discarded books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We could take only what we could carry. And I remember him pitching his books — he loved his books — into the fireplace because it had Japanese written on it,” said Kashiwagi, who was 8 when the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacked Pearl Harbor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The surprise bombing launched the United States into World War II. Beginning in December 1941, the U.S. government used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to authorize the immediate imprisonment of Japanese nationals, claiming that wartime incarceration was necessary to prevent sabotage and spying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law was used alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-9066\">Executive Order 9066\u003c/a> to force the removal and relocation of an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906015/how-japanese-americans-in-the-bay-area-are-carrying-forward-the-legacy-of-reparations\">estimated 120,000 people of Japanese descent\u003c/a>. Most of those incarcerated under the executive order were American citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the Alien Enemies Act, a president can authorize the arrest, relocation or deportation of any citizen of a foreign country deemed an enemy. In addition to World War II, it has been used two other times in American history: the War of 1812 and World War I.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could soon be used for massive deportation operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023316\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A drawing of Tule Lake concentration camp, made by artist Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani, who was also incarcerated at Tule Lake, is displayed at Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi’s home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the campaign trail, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> vowed to use the centuries-old law to expedite the removal of undocumented migrants. During his inaugural speech on Monday, he said the obscure law would be used to target drug cartels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gang criminal networks, bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and inner cities,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric has mobilized Japanese Americans in the Bay Area. They are forming a multigenerational resistance effort that includes building solidarity efforts with ally organizations, planning rapid response teams and doubling down on a campaign to educate the public about their community’s incarceration history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This brings back all kinds of memories, even tears,” said Kashiwagi, a 91-year-old Berkeley resident. “You don’t think I’d remember much, but it’s amazing how much I do remember.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023312\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023312\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi, 91, points to the bunker that her and her family lived in, at Tule Lake concentration camp, for four years, at her home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025. Tule Lake became the largest of the 10 War Relocation Authority (WRA) camps. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One week before Inauguration Day, Kashiwagi and a group of Japanese American seniors gathered at J-Sei, a cultural center in Emeryville, to share musubis, baked goods and fruit — and discuss ways to prevent history from repeating. Since 2017, the group, mostly in their 80s and 90s, has met monthly as part of Let’s Talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many, like Kashiwagi, are survivors of World War II incarceration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As usual, they shared their families’ prison camp stories and the lasting impacts of family separations and detention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Albany resident Geri Handa’s family, like many other families of Japanese ancestry, was separated during the war. She said family separation is relatable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That parents will be separated from their children, or they have to make the difficult decision of having to leave here and go back to Mexico, or wherever it may be, and start again,” Handa, 76, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023318\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023318\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An altar of Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi’s family members at her home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Let’s Talk is led by Satsuki Ina, who was born at the Tule Lake Segregation Center, which was near the Oregon border and the largest of the 10 relocation camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2019, she co-founded \u003ca href=\"https://tsuruforsolidarity.org/\">Tsuru for Solidarity\u003c/a>, a Japanese American social justice advocacy group that works to end immigrant detention sites and support communities targeted by anti-immigration policies. The group started holding protests outside of immigrant detention centers during Trump’s first term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group, along with other Japanese American community advocates and organizers, has been vocal about the parallels between current-day anti-immigration rhetoric and wartime incarceration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Ina, the incarceration of Japanese families burdened the community with long-lasting intergenerational trauma, something she specializes in as a licensed psychotherapist. A central part of her community work is helping Japanese American elders feel safe enough to unearth their family’s stories of detention, long a source of quiet shame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023571\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"848\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism-800x663.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism-1020x845.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shizuko Ina and others wait in line to register for relocation in April 1942 in San Francisco, California. Shizuko Ina is the mother of Bay Area resident Satsuki Ina, who was born in an incarceration camp. \u003ccite>(Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress 1942)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ina has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979430/the-poet-and-the-silk-girl-a-japanese-american-story-of-love-imprisonment-and-protest\">published a memoir about her family’s survival\u003c/a>. Her mother was \u003ca href=\"https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2021/05/her-name-is-shizuko-a-mothers-influence/\">photographed waiting in line\u003c/a> for a registration number by the famous documentary photographer Dorothea Lange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve done many things to now get the fourth and fifth generation [of Japanese Americans] to recognize that there have been long-term impacts and that they have a stake in stopping the same injustice that was perpetrated against us back then,” said Ina, 80.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carl Takei, a lawyer and program director of civil liberties and community safety at the Asian Law Caucus, a San Francisco-based legal nonprofit organization, said the Alien Enemies Act spurred the vilification of Japanese immigrants like his great-grandfather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12015449 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241119_BirthrightCitizenshipExplainer_GC-16_qed-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Alien Enemies Act was used to target the\u003cem> Issei \u003c/em>generation, the immigrant generation, who had come to the United States and raised families here,” Takei said. “It creates specific authority, under certain circumstances, to detain and deport people who are designated alien enemies based purely on their ancestry in the country that they were born in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/alien-enemies-act\">paper published in October\u003c/a> by the Brennan Center for Justice, a law and policy institute in New York, warned that the Alien Enemies Act is “an authority that permits summarily detaining and deporting civilians merely on the basis of their ancestry.” The paper argues that repealing the act “is crucial to preventing presidential overreach” and “ancestry-based internment and expulsion in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Repeated attempts to repeal it by civil rights groups and Democratic politicians have been unsuccessful. South Bay congressman Mike Honda introduced a bill in 2010 that stalled. In recent years, he has supported efforts by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D–Minnesota) and Sen. Mazie Hirano (D–Hawaii), though their bill hasn’t gained traction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Alien Enemies Act has only been used in the context of declared wars, but Takei said it is also permissible to use in the event of “any invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States. Legal experts told KQED that if it is invoked, it would be challenged in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023314\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023314\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi’s husband’s ashes rest at her home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025.\u003cbr>Hiroshi was also incarcerated at Tule Lake. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A lot of this is centered around [Trump’s] rhetoric, where he talks about people coming to the United States — to build a better life here — as being invaders,” Takei said. “Whether or not it is a legally valid way of invoking the act, it certainly relies on the language of the Alien Enemy Act.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gabriel “Jack” Chin, a law professor at UC Davis, believes Trump’s reference to the Alien Enemies Act is a strategic move to rally his anti-immigration supporters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you are trying to sell the message that immigrants are coming here and stealing your jobs or immigrants are coming here and eating your pets — if you’re trying to wave the bloody shirt, then it’s a good title to get people riled up,” he said. “The argument that we’re being invaded and we need to take war-like measures to respond seems to be the point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The inflammatory rhetoric has stirred strong emotions among many Japanese Americans, including Berkeley resident Alan Maeda. At Let’s Talk, he shared that learning more than half the country voted for such divisiveness left him fearful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel unsafe with people that don’t look like me,” Maeda, 77, said, as tears formed at the corner of his eyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maeda’s grandfather was relocated because he was a religious leader. During his incarceration, his son — Maeda’s father — fought in the 100th Infantry Battalion, the first Japanese American soldiers to fight in World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like dad had to prove himself, but that’s not enough,” Maeda said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Japanese elders, who have stepped out of their comfort zones to speak up and protest during the late stages of their lives, have inspired young people such as KC Mukai, a Yonsei or fourth-generation Japanese American. Mukai, a volunteer with Tsuru for Solidarity, is also co-chair of the Japanese American Youth Alliance, which works to empower and unite young Japanese Americans in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023190\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023190\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KC Mukai, of Berkeley, a young Japanese American activist and organizer, poses at the Japan Center Malls in San Francisco’s Japantown on Jan. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our Bay Area hub has been hard at work, leaning into education and activation of our community here,” Mukai said. “We really want to rally all Japanese Americans to come together and educate themselves on know-your-rights training, how to be a sanctuary people or a sanctuary organization, and start really thinking about our role in this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mukai is helping plan the National Japanese American Historical Society’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.njahs.org/events/dor25\">2025 Bay Area Day of Remembrance\u003c/a> event, the annual commemoration of World War II incarceration. Each year, the event takes place at the AMC Kabuki 8 theater in San Francisco’s Japantown, and this year’s theme is “Carrying the Light for Justice: Neighbors Not Enemies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeffery Matsuoka, chair of the event’s organizing committee, said the theme is a direct response to Trump’s threat to invoke the Alien Enemies Act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted to play off of that, to indicate that immigrants are not our enemies … they’re our neighbors who are embedded throughout our society,” Matsuoka said. “The great majority of immigrants are trying to seek a better life, as did our ancestors who came from Japan.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023193\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023193\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KC Mukai, of Berkeley, organizes a Japanese American Youth Alliance conference at the Japan Center Malls in San Francisco’s Japantown, Jan. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Takei believes the demonization of immigrants is an American tradition that needs to be challenged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we bend to this kind of xenophobic rhetoric — if we accept it — then it means that any ethnic group is at risk,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tsuru for Solidarity is working with Latinx, Black and Indigenous community groups to prepare in case there’s an immediate call to action. In response to Trump’s day-one executive orders, group members are coordinating with local counties to ensure rapid response systems are in place. They are also offering their homes as safe spaces for undocumented immigrants during ICE raids and holding resiliency training to provide mental health strategies for activists and organizers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12023560 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/250122-OaklandImmigrants-28-BL-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, Tsuru for Solidarity and the Japanese Community Youth Council will host a gathering in San Francisco’s Japantown to equip Japanese Americans with concrete strategies to protect vulnerable immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re talking about connecting with people ahead of time so that …if we need a rapid response, we already have an established communication process,” Ina said. “What often happens is the administration makes efforts to divide us and to work against each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tsuru for Solidarity is also working with other Bay Area organizations, including the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants and New Light Wellness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we started, we lit the flame, and the flame’s been burning since,” Ina said, recalling Trump’s first administration when many Japanese Americans were reluctant to protest because of cultural taboos. “When us old folk showed up with our canes and hearing aids and walkers and all of our necessary equipment that drew the press, it gave us an opportunity to say why this is so important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the past couple of years, Kashiwagi, a former librarian, has visited students at Oakland’s Roosevelt Middle School to share her family’s history. She told KQED that being vulnerable and telling her family’s incarceration story in public isn’t easy, but she wants to continue her family’s legacy of activism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023315\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi, 91, poses for a photo at her home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During a recent visit to her Berkeley home, Kashiwagi walked carefully with a cane. She carries emotional and physical scars from being incarcerated. To prove it, she pulled up her shirt sleeve, revealing a scar on her wrist. It’s a reminder of when her hand accidentally went through a window while she played with her brothers during recess at Tule Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She received 20 stitches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I look at it and I say, ‘Well, you know, don’t tell me I didn’t go to camp. I have proof that I did,’” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kashiwagi said it didn’t hurt much when she injured her wrist as a child but that her scar has become oddly sensitive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s starting to itch, and it just hurts through here,” she said, tracing the white lines against the paper-thin skin of her wrist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here we go again,” she muttered. “Here we go again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite deportations has rekindled trauma for Japanese Americans who were relocated and imprisoned during World War II.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Sadako Kashiwagi is haunted by the memory of her family scrambling to leave their home as her father discarded books.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We could take only what we could carry. And I remember him pitching his books — he loved his books — into the fireplace because it had Japanese written on it,” said Kashiwagi, who was 8 when the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacked Pearl Harbor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The surprise bombing launched the United States into World War II. Beginning in December 1941, the U.S. government used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to authorize the immediate imprisonment of Japanese nationals, claiming that wartime incarceration was necessary to prevent sabotage and spying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law was used alongside \u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-9066\">Executive Order 9066\u003c/a> to force the removal and relocation of an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11906015/how-japanese-americans-in-the-bay-area-are-carrying-forward-the-legacy-of-reparations\">estimated 120,000 people of Japanese descent\u003c/a>. Most of those incarcerated under the executive order were American citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the Alien Enemies Act, a president can authorize the arrest, relocation or deportation of any citizen of a foreign country deemed an enemy. In addition to World War II, it has been used two other times in American history: the War of 1812 and World War I.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It could soon be used for massive deportation operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023316\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023316\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-30-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A drawing of Tule Lake concentration camp, made by artist Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani, who was also incarcerated at Tule Lake, is displayed at Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi’s home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On the campaign trail, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> vowed to use the centuries-old law to expedite the removal of undocumented migrants. During his inaugural speech on Monday, he said the obscure law would be used to target drug cartels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gang criminal networks, bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and inner cities,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric has mobilized Japanese Americans in the Bay Area. They are forming a multigenerational resistance effort that includes building solidarity efforts with ally organizations, planning rapid response teams and doubling down on a campaign to educate the public about their community’s incarceration history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This brings back all kinds of memories, even tears,” said Kashiwagi, a 91-year-old Berkeley resident. “You don’t think I’d remember much, but it’s amazing how much I do remember.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023312\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023312\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi, 91, points to the bunker that her and her family lived in, at Tule Lake concentration camp, for four years, at her home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025. Tule Lake became the largest of the 10 War Relocation Authority (WRA) camps. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One week before Inauguration Day, Kashiwagi and a group of Japanese American seniors gathered at J-Sei, a cultural center in Emeryville, to share musubis, baked goods and fruit — and discuss ways to prevent history from repeating. Since 2017, the group, mostly in their 80s and 90s, has met monthly as part of Let’s Talk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many, like Kashiwagi, are survivors of World War II incarceration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As usual, they shared their families’ prison camp stories and the lasting impacts of family separations and detention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Albany resident Geri Handa’s family, like many other families of Japanese ancestry, was separated during the war. She said family separation is relatable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That parents will be separated from their children, or they have to make the difficult decision of having to leave here and go back to Mexico, or wherever it may be, and start again,” Handa, 76, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023318\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023318\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-10-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An altar of Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi’s family members at her home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Let’s Talk is led by Satsuki Ina, who was born at the Tule Lake Segregation Center, which was near the Oregon border and the largest of the 10 relocation camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2019, she co-founded \u003ca href=\"https://tsuruforsolidarity.org/\">Tsuru for Solidarity\u003c/a>, a Japanese American social justice advocacy group that works to end immigrant detention sites and support communities targeted by anti-immigration policies. The group started holding protests outside of immigrant detention centers during Trump’s first term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group, along with other Japanese American community advocates and organizers, has been vocal about the parallels between current-day anti-immigration rhetoric and wartime incarceration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Ina, the incarceration of Japanese families burdened the community with long-lasting intergenerational trauma, something she specializes in as a licensed psychotherapist. A central part of her community work is helping Japanese American elders feel safe enough to unearth their family’s stories of detention, long a source of quiet shame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023571\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"848\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism-800x663.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism-1020x845.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/JapaneseActivism-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shizuko Ina and others wait in line to register for relocation in April 1942 in San Francisco, California. Shizuko Ina is the mother of Bay Area resident Satsuki Ina, who was born in an incarceration camp. \u003ccite>(Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress 1942)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ina has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979430/the-poet-and-the-silk-girl-a-japanese-american-story-of-love-imprisonment-and-protest\">published a memoir about her family’s survival\u003c/a>. Her mother was \u003ca href=\"https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2021/05/her-name-is-shizuko-a-mothers-influence/\">photographed waiting in line\u003c/a> for a registration number by the famous documentary photographer Dorothea Lange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve done many things to now get the fourth and fifth generation [of Japanese Americans] to recognize that there have been long-term impacts and that they have a stake in stopping the same injustice that was perpetrated against us back then,” said Ina, 80.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carl Takei, a lawyer and program director of civil liberties and community safety at the Asian Law Caucus, a San Francisco-based legal nonprofit organization, said the Alien Enemies Act spurred the vilification of Japanese immigrants like his great-grandfather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Alien Enemies Act was used to target the\u003cem> Issei \u003c/em>generation, the immigrant generation, who had come to the United States and raised families here,” Takei said. “It creates specific authority, under certain circumstances, to detain and deport people who are designated alien enemies based purely on their ancestry in the country that they were born in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/alien-enemies-act\">paper published in October\u003c/a> by the Brennan Center for Justice, a law and policy institute in New York, warned that the Alien Enemies Act is “an authority that permits summarily detaining and deporting civilians merely on the basis of their ancestry.” The paper argues that repealing the act “is crucial to preventing presidential overreach” and “ancestry-based internment and expulsion in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Repeated attempts to repeal it by civil rights groups and Democratic politicians have been unsuccessful. South Bay congressman Mike Honda introduced a bill in 2010 that stalled. In recent years, he has supported efforts by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D–Minnesota) and Sen. Mazie Hirano (D–Hawaii), though their bill hasn’t gained traction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Alien Enemies Act has only been used in the context of declared wars, but Takei said it is also permissible to use in the event of “any invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States. Legal experts told KQED that if it is invoked, it would be challenged in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023314\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023314\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-16-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi’s husband’s ashes rest at her home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025.\u003cbr>Hiroshi was also incarcerated at Tule Lake. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A lot of this is centered around [Trump’s] rhetoric, where he talks about people coming to the United States — to build a better life here — as being invaders,” Takei said. “Whether or not it is a legally valid way of invoking the act, it certainly relies on the language of the Alien Enemy Act.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gabriel “Jack” Chin, a law professor at UC Davis, believes Trump’s reference to the Alien Enemies Act is a strategic move to rally his anti-immigration supporters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you are trying to sell the message that immigrants are coming here and stealing your jobs or immigrants are coming here and eating your pets — if you’re trying to wave the bloody shirt, then it’s a good title to get people riled up,” he said. “The argument that we’re being invaded and we need to take war-like measures to respond seems to be the point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The inflammatory rhetoric has stirred strong emotions among many Japanese Americans, including Berkeley resident Alan Maeda. At Let’s Talk, he shared that learning more than half the country voted for such divisiveness left him fearful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel unsafe with people that don’t look like me,” Maeda, 77, said, as tears formed at the corner of his eyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maeda’s grandfather was relocated because he was a religious leader. During his incarceration, his son — Maeda’s father — fought in the 100th Infantry Battalion, the first Japanese American soldiers to fight in World War II.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like dad had to prove himself, but that’s not enough,” Maeda said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Japanese elders, who have stepped out of their comfort zones to speak up and protest during the late stages of their lives, have inspired young people such as KC Mukai, a Yonsei or fourth-generation Japanese American. Mukai, a volunteer with Tsuru for Solidarity, is also co-chair of the Japanese American Youth Alliance, which works to empower and unite young Japanese Americans in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023190\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023190\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00535-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KC Mukai, of Berkeley, a young Japanese American activist and organizer, poses at the Japan Center Malls in San Francisco’s Japantown on Jan. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our Bay Area hub has been hard at work, leaning into education and activation of our community here,” Mukai said. “We really want to rally all Japanese Americans to come together and educate themselves on know-your-rights training, how to be a sanctuary people or a sanctuary organization, and start really thinking about our role in this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mukai is helping plan the National Japanese American Historical Society’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.njahs.org/events/dor25\">2025 Bay Area Day of Remembrance\u003c/a> event, the annual commemoration of World War II incarceration. Each year, the event takes place at the AMC Kabuki 8 theater in San Francisco’s Japantown, and this year’s theme is “Carrying the Light for Justice: Neighbors Not Enemies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeffery Matsuoka, chair of the event’s organizing committee, said the theme is a direct response to Trump’s threat to invoke the Alien Enemies Act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We wanted to play off of that, to indicate that immigrants are not our enemies … they’re our neighbors who are embedded throughout our society,” Matsuoka said. “The great majority of immigrants are trying to seek a better life, as did our ancestors who came from Japan.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023193\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023193\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250118_Japanese-American-Activist_DMB_00664-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">KC Mukai, of Berkeley, organizes a Japanese American Youth Alliance conference at the Japan Center Malls in San Francisco’s Japantown, Jan. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Takei believes the demonization of immigrants is an American tradition that needs to be challenged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we bend to this kind of xenophobic rhetoric — if we accept it — then it means that any ethnic group is at risk,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tsuru for Solidarity is working with Latinx, Black and Indigenous community groups to prepare in case there’s an immediate call to action. In response to Trump’s day-one executive orders, group members are coordinating with local counties to ensure rapid response systems are in place. They are also offering their homes as safe spaces for undocumented immigrants during ICE raids and holding resiliency training to provide mental health strategies for activists and organizers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, Tsuru for Solidarity and the Japanese Community Youth Council will host a gathering in San Francisco’s Japantown to equip Japanese Americans with concrete strategies to protect vulnerable immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re talking about connecting with people ahead of time so that …if we need a rapid response, we already have an established communication process,” Ina said. “What often happens is the administration makes efforts to divide us and to work against each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tsuru for Solidarity is also working with other Bay Area organizations, including the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants and New Light Wellness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we started, we lit the flame, and the flame’s been burning since,” Ina said, recalling Trump’s first administration when many Japanese Americans were reluctant to protest because of cultural taboos. “When us old folk showed up with our canes and hearing aids and walkers and all of our necessary equipment that drew the press, it gave us an opportunity to say why this is so important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the past couple of years, Kashiwagi, a former librarian, has visited students at Oakland’s Roosevelt Middle School to share her family’s history. She told KQED that being vulnerable and telling her family’s incarceration story in public isn’t easy, but she wants to continue her family’s legacy of activism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12023315\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12023315\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250115_JapaneseAmericanActivism_GC-28-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sadako Nimura Kashiwagi, 91, poses for a photo at her home in Berkeley on Jan. 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During a recent visit to her Berkeley home, Kashiwagi walked carefully with a cane. She carries emotional and physical scars from being incarcerated. To prove it, she pulled up her shirt sleeve, revealing a scar on her wrist. It’s a reminder of when her hand accidentally went through a window while she played with her brothers during recess at Tule Lake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She received 20 stitches.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I look at it and I say, ‘Well, you know, don’t tell me I didn’t go to camp. I have proof that I did,’” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kashiwagi said it didn’t hurt much when she injured her wrist as a child but that her scar has become oddly sensitive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s starting to itch, and it just hurts through here,” she said, tracing the white lines against the paper-thin skin of her wrist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here we go again,” she muttered. “Here we go again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "rare-japanese-american-farm-in-san-jose-makes-its-final-persimmon-harvest",
"title": "Rare Japanese American Farm in San José Makes Its Final Persimmon Harvest",
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"headTitle": "Rare Japanese American Farm in San José Makes Its Final Persimmon Harvest | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>At this point in the season, James Tsukuda begins his days in the persimmon grove, harvesting the bounty of bright orange-red fruits, dangling like ornaments from dozens of trees that have already shed their leaves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He climbs a thin, wooden orchard ladder to reach for the Fuyu persimmons among the branches. The ladder is “older than me,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s no surprise. A lot of the tools and equipment on this land are old because it’s been continuously farmed by Japanese American families for nearly 120 years, persisting through world wars, racist land laws and forced incarcerations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crisp fall mornings at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in North San José start slowly and mostly quietly, save for the trucks rumbling by along nearby Montague Expressway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the farm itself will soon be paved over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This persimmon harvest, coming to a close in just about a week, marks what will likely be the last farm work to ever take place on this land, as a developer plans to build nearly 1,500 apartments and townhomes here, along with a public park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another Japanese American family with a rich farming history in the South Bay, the Sakauyes, has decided to sell the 22-acre plot their family has owned since 1907, and on which the Tsukudas have operated their stand for the last four decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While plans for development have long loomed over the property, an air of finality and resignation has settled over the land in the last several months after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000118/san-jose-council-oks-development-of-historic-japanese-american-farm-for-housing\">San José City Council approved the housing plans in August\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hanover Company, the Houston-based developer, expects to begin work in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018179\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12018179 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432.jpg\" alt=\"Many persimmons in the back of a van\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Tsukuda carries an electric fruit scale to the stand before opening up for business in San José, CA, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. The boxes of persimmons were harvested from the orchard this season. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Saying goodbye to more than a farm\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“Now that we’re finally at the end, it’s kind of sad,” James Tsukuda said while standing at the base of a persimmon tree last week. “A lot of our long-time customers are heartbroken,” he said. “They’re still hoping for a chance that the sale won’t go through. It’s been tough for a lot of them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the past several weeks, customers, new and old, have been stopping by to buy the daily haul of persimmons piled high in white crates at the stand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several people purchased more than 20 pounds, a testament to the quality and their desire to hold onto a little bit more of what they’ll soon no longer have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wenyu Li, an engineer who lives in Milpitas and used to live in North San José, has been frequenting the stand for nearly 20 years and came by on a recent Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish we could’ve done something to save it,” Li said. “It always held a special place in my heart. It’s really sad to know they will be gone.”[aside postID=news_11999500]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other customers lamented the trope of bucolic settings being continually swapped out for blocks of housing, warehouses and office parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Silicon Valley is like a concrete jungle. And finding a farm in the middle of it, finding nice produce in the middle of it, is very comforting,” said Heral Lakhani, of Fremont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many customers said they buy their fruits and veggies at the stand because of the quality of the produce, the affordable prices and, most importantly, for the friendly relationships they form with the Tsukuda family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018178\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12018178\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702.jpg\" alt=\"Two people sit in sun and shade at a farm stand with a white board behind them.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inez Lismonde sits with Miyo Tsukuda and her son John Tsukuda at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Tsukuda Family\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda’s mother, Miyo Tsukuda, has long been one of the smiling faces customers see at the stand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, she has started asking customers to take photos with her that she prints out and puts in a scrapbook to help her remember everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My face is starting to get a lot of wrinkles,” she said with a laugh while reviewing some of the photos last week. “I said, ‘My goodness, when did I get old?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was born in a concentration camp in Arkansas, where her family was sent during World War II. They were among the thousands of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during the war and lost possessions and property, such as homes and farmland. Her late husband, Eiji Tsukuda, originally farmed a plot of land nearby, growing strawberries and raspberries until a forced eminent domain sale to make way for the Orchard School District pushed them off the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s when the family started leasing farmland from the Sakauyes. After he fell ill with cancer, Eiji Tsukuda handed off the farming duties at the current stand to James about 20 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018176\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12018176\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843.jpg\" alt=\"A person with white hair and glasses, smiles while wearing a maroon top. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miyo Tsukuda smiles while talking with a friend at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Miyo Tsukuda said the “most enjoyable” thing for her has been talking with all the customers, and she’ll miss coming to the stand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You get up in the morning, every morning, you tell yourself, ‘I have to get ready to go to work.’ I’m not going to have that anymore,” she said. “In a way, maybe it’s a good time to retire. But I’ll miss this place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda said while his mom may have been looking forward to retiring just a few years ago, now that the fruit stand is being forced to shut down, she’s reluctant to let go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been such a big part of her life for such a long time,” he said. “She’s made a lot of friends here. And so have I.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda said he’ll probably take his own tools with him when he leaves the farm for the last time but isn’t interested in any other keepsakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know about taking anything to remember the place by. That might actually be depressing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018177\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12018177\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a brown hat in the background and many ripe persimmons in the foreground.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda harvests persimmons in the orchard at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Next steps for development\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In preparation for the development, most everything left on the land will be leveled, including rows of crops, planters, historic barns, buildings and pump houses. However, preservationists have managed to work out a plan with the developer to preserve one house to serve as a link to the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The home that once belonged to Eiichi Sakauye — a prominent farmer and civic figure in Santa Clara County for decades — will eventually be relocated 10 miles south to History Park, where it will be restored and used as a showcase to tell his story and the story of Japanese American histories in the South Bay.[aside postID=news_12000118]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill Schroh Jr., the head of History San Jose, which operates History Park, said the plan is estimated to cost $1 million, and about $800,000 in donations has been pledged so far from a handful of donors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A coalition of organizations and individuals, including the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, the Preservation Action Council of San Jose, Hanover Company, Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, Councilmember David Cohen, members of the Sakauye family and History San Jose, collaborated to ensure the house won’t be flattened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Kamei and others pushed during an August council meeting to see the home restored on the site where it currently sits, that didn’t pan out, in part due to the city’s parks department not having enough funding to sustain it there. The developer and Eiichi Sakauye’s daughters also didn’t support preserving the home on the land but were willing to back a plan to have it relocated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those involved in the plan to save the home say that even though it will be relocated, its preservation is a big win.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we were looking at even a few months ago was this possibility that the entire site would be leveled, the house would be demolished, and nobody would speak up against it,” said Ben Leech, the president of the Preservation Action Council. “So the fact now that the house looks like it’s being saved and moved to History Park, it’s a sea change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vanessa Hatakeyama, the director of the Japanese American Museum, said the partnerships and work that went into the plan have yielded more than just the preservation of a historic house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really helped strengthen the fabric of San Jose’s historic preservation community. And so that’s something that we’re incredibly proud of,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018173\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12018173\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248.jpg\" alt=\"A person carries boxes as he walks through several trees full of persimmons.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda carries plastic boxes through the orchard at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. The farm stand is offering up its last haul of persimmons to customers old and new in the last week of business before the land they farm is developed with apartments and townhomes. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hanover plans to temporarily relocate the home onto another portion of the Sakauye farm to allow construction work to begin, and the home could be moved to History Park by the summer of next year, Hatakeyama said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Okkes Gozdas, a resident of the area near the farm, said he comes to the stand almost every day during the summer for fresh produce, and frequents during the fall for persimmons, as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he’s happy Eiichi Sakauye’s home will be preserved but feels the community is suffering a big loss with farming on the land coming to an end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the place. When you come here, you feel different,” Gozdas said. “The sad part is the new generations cannot experience coming here.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "With development plans solidified for a 22-acre patch of land in North San José, a Japanese American farming operation is coming to a close with its final persimmon harvest. ",
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"title": "Rare Japanese American Farm in San José Makes Its Final Persimmon Harvest | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>At this point in the season, James Tsukuda begins his days in the persimmon grove, harvesting the bounty of bright orange-red fruits, dangling like ornaments from dozens of trees that have already shed their leaves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He climbs a thin, wooden orchard ladder to reach for the Fuyu persimmons among the branches. The ladder is “older than me,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s no surprise. A lot of the tools and equipment on this land are old because it’s been continuously farmed by Japanese American families for nearly 120 years, persisting through world wars, racist land laws and forced incarcerations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crisp fall mornings at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in North San José start slowly and mostly quietly, save for the trucks rumbling by along nearby Montague Expressway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the farm itself will soon be paved over.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This persimmon harvest, coming to a close in just about a week, marks what will likely be the last farm work to ever take place on this land, as a developer plans to build nearly 1,500 apartments and townhomes here, along with a public park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another Japanese American family with a rich farming history in the South Bay, the Sakauyes, has decided to sell the 22-acre plot their family has owned since 1907, and on which the Tsukudas have operated their stand for the last four decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While plans for development have long loomed over the property, an air of finality and resignation has settled over the land in the last several months after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12000118/san-jose-council-oks-development-of-historic-japanese-american-farm-for-housing\">San José City Council approved the housing plans in August\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hanover Company, the Houston-based developer, expects to begin work in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018179\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12018179 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432.jpg\" alt=\"Many persimmons in the back of a van\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1432-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Tsukuda carries an electric fruit scale to the stand before opening up for business in San José, CA, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. The boxes of persimmons were harvested from the orchard this season. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Saying goodbye to more than a farm\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“Now that we’re finally at the end, it’s kind of sad,” James Tsukuda said while standing at the base of a persimmon tree last week. “A lot of our long-time customers are heartbroken,” he said. “They’re still hoping for a chance that the sale won’t go through. It’s been tough for a lot of them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the past several weeks, customers, new and old, have been stopping by to buy the daily haul of persimmons piled high in white crates at the stand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several people purchased more than 20 pounds, a testament to the quality and their desire to hold onto a little bit more of what they’ll soon no longer have.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wenyu Li, an engineer who lives in Milpitas and used to live in North San José, has been frequenting the stand for nearly 20 years and came by on a recent Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish we could’ve done something to save it,” Li said. “It always held a special place in my heart. It’s really sad to know they will be gone.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other customers lamented the trope of bucolic settings being continually swapped out for blocks of housing, warehouses and office parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Silicon Valley is like a concrete jungle. And finding a farm in the middle of it, finding nice produce in the middle of it, is very comforting,” said Heral Lakhani, of Fremont.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many customers said they buy their fruits and veggies at the stand because of the quality of the produce, the affordable prices and, most importantly, for the friendly relationships they form with the Tsukuda family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018178\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12018178\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702.jpg\" alt=\"Two people sit in sun and shade at a farm stand with a white board behind them.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1702-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inez Lismonde sits with Miyo Tsukuda and her son John Tsukuda at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The Tsukuda Family\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda’s mother, Miyo Tsukuda, has long been one of the smiling faces customers see at the stand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent weeks, she has started asking customers to take photos with her that she prints out and puts in a scrapbook to help her remember everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My face is starting to get a lot of wrinkles,” she said with a laugh while reviewing some of the photos last week. “I said, ‘My goodness, when did I get old?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was born in a concentration camp in Arkansas, where her family was sent during World War II. They were among the thousands of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during the war and lost possessions and property, such as homes and farmland. Her late husband, Eiji Tsukuda, originally farmed a plot of land nearby, growing strawberries and raspberries until a forced eminent domain sale to make way for the Orchard School District pushed them off the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s when the family started leasing farmland from the Sakauyes. After he fell ill with cancer, Eiji Tsukuda handed off the farming duties at the current stand to James about 20 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018176\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12018176\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843.jpg\" alt=\"A person with white hair and glasses, smiles while wearing a maroon top. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0843-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Miyo Tsukuda smiles while talking with a friend at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Miyo Tsukuda said the “most enjoyable” thing for her has been talking with all the customers, and she’ll miss coming to the stand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You get up in the morning, every morning, you tell yourself, ‘I have to get ready to go to work.’ I’m not going to have that anymore,” she said. “In a way, maybe it’s a good time to retire. But I’ll miss this place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda said while his mom may have been looking forward to retiring just a few years ago, now that the fruit stand is being forced to shut down, she’s reluctant to let go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been such a big part of her life for such a long time,” he said. “She’s made a lot of friends here. And so have I.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>James Tsukuda said he’ll probably take his own tools with him when he leaves the farm for the last time but isn’t interested in any other keepsakes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know about taking anything to remember the place by. That might actually be depressing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018177\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12018177\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969.jpg\" alt=\"A person in a brown hat in the background and many ripe persimmons in the foreground.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_0969-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda harvests persimmons in the orchard at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Next steps for development\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In preparation for the development, most everything left on the land will be leveled, including rows of crops, planters, historic barns, buildings and pump houses. However, preservationists have managed to work out a plan with the developer to preserve one house to serve as a link to the past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The home that once belonged to Eiichi Sakauye — a prominent farmer and civic figure in Santa Clara County for decades — will eventually be relocated 10 miles south to History Park, where it will be restored and used as a showcase to tell his story and the story of Japanese American histories in the South Bay.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill Schroh Jr., the head of History San Jose, which operates History Park, said the plan is estimated to cost $1 million, and about $800,000 in donations has been pledged so far from a handful of donors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A coalition of organizations and individuals, including the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, the Preservation Action Council of San Jose, Hanover Company, Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, Councilmember David Cohen, members of the Sakauye family and History San Jose, collaborated to ensure the house won’t be flattened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Kamei and others pushed during an August council meeting to see the home restored on the site where it currently sits, that didn’t pan out, in part due to the city’s parks department not having enough funding to sustain it there. The developer and Eiichi Sakauye’s daughters also didn’t support preserving the home on the land but were willing to back a plan to have it relocated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those involved in the plan to save the home say that even though it will be relocated, its preservation is a big win.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we were looking at even a few months ago was this possibility that the entire site would be leveled, the house would be demolished, and nobody would speak up against it,” said Ben Leech, the president of the Preservation Action Council. “So the fact now that the house looks like it’s being saved and moved to History Park, it’s a sea change.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vanessa Hatakeyama, the director of the Japanese American Museum, said the partnerships and work that went into the plan have yielded more than just the preservation of a historic house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really helped strengthen the fabric of San Jose’s historic preservation community. And so that’s something that we’re incredibly proud of,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12018173\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12018173\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248.jpg\" alt=\"A person carries boxes as he walks through several trees full of persimmons.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/20241211_Tsukuda-Farm-Close_DMB_1248-1920x1279.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">James Tsukuda carries plastic boxes through the orchard at the Tsukuda Fruit Stand in San José on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. The farm stand is offering up its last haul of persimmons to customers old and new in the last week of business before the land they farm is developed with apartments and townhomes. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hanover plans to temporarily relocate the home onto another portion of the Sakauye farm to allow construction work to begin, and the home could be moved to History Park by the summer of next year, Hatakeyama said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Okkes Gozdas, a resident of the area near the farm, said he comes to the stand almost every day during the summer for fresh produce, and frequents during the fall for persimmons, as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he’s happy Eiichi Sakauye’s home will be preserved but feels the community is suffering a big loss with farming on the land coming to an end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the place. When you come here, you feel different,” Gozdas said. “The sad part is the new generations cannot experience coming here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Central Valley Students Find Connection and Belonging Through Japanese Drumming",
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"headTitle": "Central Valley Students Find Connection and Belonging Through Japanese Drumming | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The tiny Central Valley farming community of Ballico in Merced County sits in the middle of acres of almond orchards. Other than farmland, there’s not a whole lot to see: a park, a small Veterans Memorial Building and a mini-mart called Mom and Pops. But head down the street to Ballico Elementary School and you’ll find there’s plenty to hear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the school’s auditorium, which also functions as a gym and a cafeteria, kids practice Taiko — a traditional style of Japanese drumming — year-round. They perform year-round, too, at festivals, schools and just about anywhere they get asked to exhibit their drumming skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this day last spring, about 20 students played for their peers. The drummers jumped up and down as they beat their sticks on handmade Taiko drums. They lifted their sticks high in the air and then hit them hard on the drum heads. They stepped to the left and then to the right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12001898\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12001898\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01.jpg\" alt=\"Several children and an adult woman wearing a blue shirt look at and touch drums in a gymnasium.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taiko teacher Christine Kubo works with students at Ballico Elementary School to set up drums in preparation for a school concert. \u003ccite>(Alice Daniel/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Yassei Yassei” they yelled out — words meant to encourage each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With Taiko, I kind of came out of my shell,” says sixth-grader Edward Souza, who credits Taiko with giving him a sense of belonging. “I got new friends. I actually got more comfortable with performing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eighth-grader Lily Kubo noted how physical the art form is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One thing is that my forearms have about doubled in size since I began, which is always good,” Lily says, “because now I can help my parents bring in the groceries with, like, no problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lily’s family has attended “Ballico school,” as it’s lovingly called since it first opened a century ago. Back then, many of the students were Japanese Americans whose parents grew crops like peaches, grapes and strawberries. Today, the students at this small rural school come from many backgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12001899\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12001899\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02.jpg\" alt=\"Several children and two adults hold and play large drums in a gym.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taiko players at Ballico Elementary School do a pre-concert practice. \u003ccite>(Alice Daniel/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Christine Kubo — who is a distant relative of Lily’s — started the Taiko program 16 years ago when she was a teacher at the school. One of her goals is to give kids from different backgrounds an opportunity to work and play together as a community. Another is to give them context about the agricultural region where they live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a way of having students be able to express themselves and to do that collaboratively and maybe on the side, they can pick up a little Japanese American culture,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kubo grew up near a U.S. Navy base in post-World War II Japan. Her mom is Japanese and her dad was Japanese American.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, we saw festivals in Japan all the time, and so the people who were in these parades, playing in the festivals, people who were playing on drums were always men,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she came to the U.S. for college, she was excited to see women playing Taiko. Eventually, she joined a Taiko group at her Buddhist temple in Stockton. She taught three of her own five children to play, and then other kids at Ballico school begged her to teach them. So she did.[aside postID=\"arts_13954716,arts_13927476,arts_13917790\" label=\"Related Stories\"]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really enjoy it when we get to travel around and teach people about Taiko and Japanese American history,” Lily says. “For me, it means connecting with my family and my heritage as well as, like, getting friends involved into it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lily’s great-grandfather owned a farm that was part of a nearby Japanese American farming community. \u003cspan style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">During World War II, the family was forced to go first to the Merced Assembly Center and then to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/amch/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amache Incarceration Camp\u003c/a> near Granada, Colorado.\u003c/span> They were there for three years before they could return home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the war, the Japanese American farmers near Ballico remained close-knit and gathered for celebrations like Obon to honor their ancestors. That tradition continues today for Ballico Taiko: the kids play at Obon festivals in the summertime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12001901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12001901\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04.jpg\" alt=\"A man and a woman wearing glasses and blue shirts sit facing the camera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christine Kubo (left) started the Taiko program 16 years ago when she was a teacher at Ballico Elementary School. Her husband, Dan, makes some of the drums the students use, including dozens of practice drums. \u003ccite>(Alice Daniel/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dan Kubo, Christine’s husband, has made some of the drums the students use. He learned from the first professional Taiko drummaker in the U.S., Mark Miyoshi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The secret to North American Taiko drums is the fact that we can use wine barrels and rawhide, relatively common materials to build these drums,” says Dan, who grew up here on a farm after World War II. His family had also been sent to Amache.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan has also made dozens of practice drums for the group. The practice drums are made from thick industrial cardboard tubes. The heads are made from packing tape placed in a radial design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether the kids are playing on practice drums or wine barrels, they say they feel a powerful connection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Once you start playing Taiko, you kind of absorb it,” Edward Souza says. “You get absorbed into the song.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Christine Kubo founded the \"Ballico school\" in Merced County that teaches students Taiko, traditional Japanese drumming. Students practice and perform year-round at different events.",
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"title": "Central Valley Students Find Connection and Belonging Through Japanese Drumming | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The tiny Central Valley farming community of Ballico in Merced County sits in the middle of acres of almond orchards. Other than farmland, there’s not a whole lot to see: a park, a small Veterans Memorial Building and a mini-mart called Mom and Pops. But head down the street to Ballico Elementary School and you’ll find there’s plenty to hear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the school’s auditorium, which also functions as a gym and a cafeteria, kids practice Taiko — a traditional style of Japanese drumming — year-round. They perform year-round, too, at festivals, schools and just about anywhere they get asked to exhibit their drumming skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On this day last spring, about 20 students played for their peers. The drummers jumped up and down as they beat their sticks on handmade Taiko drums. They lifted their sticks high in the air and then hit them hard on the drum heads. They stepped to the left and then to the right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12001898\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12001898\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01.jpg\" alt=\"Several children and an adult woman wearing a blue shirt look at and touch drums in a gymnasium.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-01-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taiko teacher Christine Kubo works with students at Ballico Elementary School to set up drums in preparation for a school concert. \u003ccite>(Alice Daniel/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Yassei Yassei” they yelled out — words meant to encourage each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With Taiko, I kind of came out of my shell,” says sixth-grader Edward Souza, who credits Taiko with giving him a sense of belonging. “I got new friends. I actually got more comfortable with performing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eighth-grader Lily Kubo noted how physical the art form is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One thing is that my forearms have about doubled in size since I began, which is always good,” Lily says, “because now I can help my parents bring in the groceries with, like, no problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lily’s family has attended “Ballico school,” as it’s lovingly called since it first opened a century ago. Back then, many of the students were Japanese Americans whose parents grew crops like peaches, grapes and strawberries. Today, the students at this small rural school come from many backgrounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12001899\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12001899\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02.jpg\" alt=\"Several children and two adults hold and play large drums in a gym.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-02-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taiko players at Ballico Elementary School do a pre-concert practice. \u003ccite>(Alice Daniel/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Christine Kubo — who is a distant relative of Lily’s — started the Taiko program 16 years ago when she was a teacher at the school. One of her goals is to give kids from different backgrounds an opportunity to work and play together as a community. Another is to give them context about the agricultural region where they live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a way of having students be able to express themselves and to do that collaboratively and maybe on the side, they can pick up a little Japanese American culture,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kubo grew up near a U.S. Navy base in post-World War II Japan. Her mom is Japanese and her dad was Japanese American.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You know, we saw festivals in Japan all the time, and so the people who were in these parades, playing in the festivals, people who were playing on drums were always men,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she came to the U.S. for college, she was excited to see women playing Taiko. Eventually, she joined a Taiko group at her Buddhist temple in Stockton. She taught three of her own five children to play, and then other kids at Ballico school begged her to teach them. So she did.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really enjoy it when we get to travel around and teach people about Taiko and Japanese American history,” Lily says. “For me, it means connecting with my family and my heritage as well as, like, getting friends involved into it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lily’s great-grandfather owned a farm that was part of a nearby Japanese American farming community. \u003cspan style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">During World War II, the family was forced to go first to the Merced Assembly Center and then to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/amch/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amache Incarceration Camp\u003c/a> near Granada, Colorado.\u003c/span> They were there for three years before they could return home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the war, the Japanese American farmers near Ballico remained close-knit and gathered for celebrations like Obon to honor their ancestors. That tradition continues today for Ballico Taiko: the kids play at Obon festivals in the summertime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12001901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12001901\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04.jpg\" alt=\"A man and a woman wearing glasses and blue shirts sit facing the camera.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/240826-Ballico-Taiko-AD-04-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christine Kubo (left) started the Taiko program 16 years ago when she was a teacher at Ballico Elementary School. Her husband, Dan, makes some of the drums the students use, including dozens of practice drums. \u003ccite>(Alice Daniel/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dan Kubo, Christine’s husband, has made some of the drums the students use. He learned from the first professional Taiko drummaker in the U.S., Mark Miyoshi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The secret to North American Taiko drums is the fact that we can use wine barrels and rawhide, relatively common materials to build these drums,” says Dan, who grew up here on a farm after World War II. His family had also been sent to Amache.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dan has also made dozens of practice drums for the group. The practice drums are made from thick industrial cardboard tubes. The heads are made from packing tape placed in a radial design.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whether the kids are playing on practice drums or wine barrels, they say they feel a powerful connection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Once you start playing Taiko, you kind of absorb it,” Edward Souza says. “You get absorbed into the song.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San José Council OKs Development of Historic Japanese American Farm for Housing",
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"content": "\u003cp>A patch of farmland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11999500/historic-japanese-american-family-farm-is-about-to-fade-into-much-needed-housing-in-san-jose\">deeply linked to the history of Japanese Americans in Santa Clara County\u003c/a> will be torn up to make way for nearly 1,500 apartments and townhomes, retail spaces and a public park after the San José City Council approved a development proposal on Tuesday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 22.8-acre parcel has been owned by the Sakauyes — a Japanese American family with a long farming legacy — for roughly 120 continuous years. It survived through racist laws limiting Asian Americans’ rights and immigration, two World Wars and decades of redevelopment following the region’s tech boom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members of the Sakauye family, like 120,000 other Japanese Americans, were forcibly interned at concentration camps during World War II. They were only able to keep their land by having a white neighbor safeguard it for them until they returned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family now plans to sell the property to Hanover Company, a Houston-based developer, whose representatives said grading of the site could begin as soon as February 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crops are not the only thing that will be uprooted. A fruit stand business will be forced to shutter when development gets underway. The stand has been run for the last four decades by the Tsukudas, another Japanese American farming family, who lease and farm a portion of the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while a host of historic structures such as barns and pump houses — including some dating back to the late 19th century and early 20th century — will be leveled to prepare for the development, a century-old home on the site may be spared from the wrecking ball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_11999500 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240703-JAPANESE-AMERICAN-FAMILY-FARM-MD-15-KQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a victory for preservationists and history advocates, the city council asked city staff to seriously explore ways to preserve the 1920 home where prominent farmer, civic figure and booster of Japanese American history, Eiichi Edward Sakauye, lived almost his entire life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hanover previously proffered a plan to include historic plaques or storyboards on the park site to tell the story of Eiichi Sakauye, but some preservationists, history advocates and councilmembers said more should be done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks in part to an impassioned plea by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, the council’s directions issued Tuesday night include a “preference” to preserve the home near where it currently sits by relocating it into the boundaries of the future public park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, it’s not just about the house, it’s not just about creating a few plaques to tell the Sakauye story. It’s about our San José story and an American story,” Kamei said from the dais, speaking through tears about the internment orders decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really tried not to get emotional, but this is hard because we have many (Asian American and Pacific Islander) communities that have been erased, and we have a chance to do something about this,” Kamei said. “It’s about having the will to preserve a vital piece of history that we can share with future generations …there will be something there, for what was once there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other path the council asked staff to explore would see the home relocated about 10 miles south to History Park, a local nonprofit-run space with a growing collection of original and replica homes, businesses, and once prominent landmarks laid out across a miniature city-like grid to reflect the region’s past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neither option is guaranteed to result in the home being saved, and would depend on hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding that could come from the city, nonprofits, residents or other sources to help pay for the relocation and restoration of the home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City parks officials will come back to the council in the coming months with an evaluation of the two options, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside label='More South Bay Coverage' tag='south-bay']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The possibility of relocating the home to History Park gained support from Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May, who are the daughters of Eiichi Sakauye and own the land. The sisters’ attorney, Sam Farb, previously wrote to city officials to say they didn’t feel their father’s home was worth saving, but that view has apparently shifted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farb, at the meeting on Tuesday, said the sisters “would strongly be in favor of trying to preserve the family farmhouse offsite,” such as History Park. Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May previously declined to be interviewed by KQED for a story about the land, citing advice from their attorney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City parks officials also raised concerns about the ongoing funding needed to maintain another historical home in a public park, which the city already struggles to do at some other sites. The council just last week \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11999166/tax-to-fix-san-joses-dilapidated-parks-wont-appear-on-november-ballot\">scrapped plans\u003c/a> to put a tax measure on the ballot to address a parks maintenance backlog of over $450 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hanover, for its part, has said it will pay $100,000 to help cover some relocation costs if the city or other organizations can secure a place for the home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember Bien Doan suggested that Hanover should consider offering “at least double” that amount to help with the preservation effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a minimal investment for the history of the Japanese Americans right here in the city of San José,” Doan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other council members suggested that more should be done than putting up plaques or storyboards, but the council did not go as far as to require the developer to preserve the home on the site where it currently sits. No part of the council’s approval of the development is contingent on the ultimate outcome for the historic home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember Peter Ortiz questioned Scott Youdall, a development partner at Hanover, about how much engagement and outreach the company did to the Japanese American community when the development process began. Youdall said the company only consulted with the Sakauye family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Which does to me send a message that wasn’t front and center of your guys’ minds,” Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rod Diridon Sr., a longtime former city council member, county supervisor and member of regional boards for transportation, told the council on Tuesday that he supports preserving the home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is a beautiful project, and I hope you do approve it. But you’ve got to save the house,” Diridon said. He mentioned that History Park had recent success taking on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/155-year-old-coyote-train-depot-takes-a-road-trip-to-san-jose/\">historic train depot building\u003c/a>, which was donated to the park, and a county grant helped cover relocation costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s got to be a way to protect that house and to do all the things necessary to remind the world what this family went through and what they provided — after they went through it — to society,” Diridon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking about the generosity of Eiichi Sakauye, Diridon said, “It makes me have goose pimples thinking about how wonderful that quiet, quiet gentleman was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a victory for preservationists and history advocates, the city council asked city staff to seriously explore ways to preserve the 1920 home where prominent farmer, civic figure and booster of Japanese American history, Eiichi Edward Sakauye, lived almost his entire life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hanover previously proffered a plan to include historic plaques or storyboards on the park site to tell the story of Eiichi Sakauye, but some preservationists, history advocates and councilmembers said more should be done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thanks in part to an impassioned plea by Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, the council’s directions issued Tuesday night include a “preference” to preserve the home near where it currently sits by relocating it into the boundaries of the future public park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, it’s not just about the house, it’s not just about creating a few plaques to tell the Sakauye story. It’s about our San José story and an American story,” Kamei said from the dais, speaking through tears about the internment orders decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really tried not to get emotional, but this is hard because we have many (Asian American and Pacific Islander) communities that have been erased, and we have a chance to do something about this,” Kamei said. “It’s about having the will to preserve a vital piece of history that we can share with future generations …there will be something there, for what was once there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other path the council asked staff to explore would see the home relocated about 10 miles south to History Park, a local nonprofit-run space with a growing collection of original and replica homes, businesses, and once prominent landmarks laid out across a miniature city-like grid to reflect the region’s past.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Neither option is guaranteed to result in the home being saved, and would depend on hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding that could come from the city, nonprofits, residents or other sources to help pay for the relocation and restoration of the home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City parks officials will come back to the council in the coming months with an evaluation of the two options, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The possibility of relocating the home to History Park gained support from Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May, who are the daughters of Eiichi Sakauye and own the land. The sisters’ attorney, Sam Farb, previously wrote to city officials to say they didn’t feel their father’s home was worth saving, but that view has apparently shifted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Farb, at the meeting on Tuesday, said the sisters “would strongly be in favor of trying to preserve the family farmhouse offsite,” such as History Park. Carolyn Sakauye and Jane May previously declined to be interviewed by KQED for a story about the land, citing advice from their attorney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City parks officials also raised concerns about the ongoing funding needed to maintain another historical home in a public park, which the city already struggles to do at some other sites. The council just last week \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11999166/tax-to-fix-san-joses-dilapidated-parks-wont-appear-on-november-ballot\">scrapped plans\u003c/a> to put a tax measure on the ballot to address a parks maintenance backlog of over $450 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hanover, for its part, has said it will pay $100,000 to help cover some relocation costs if the city or other organizations can secure a place for the home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember Bien Doan suggested that Hanover should consider offering “at least double” that amount to help with the preservation effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a minimal investment for the history of the Japanese Americans right here in the city of San José,” Doan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other council members suggested that more should be done than putting up plaques or storyboards, but the council did not go as far as to require the developer to preserve the home on the site where it currently sits. No part of the council’s approval of the development is contingent on the ultimate outcome for the historic home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember Peter Ortiz questioned Scott Youdall, a development partner at Hanover, about how much engagement and outreach the company did to the Japanese American community when the development process began. Youdall said the company only consulted with the Sakauye family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Which does to me send a message that wasn’t front and center of your guys’ minds,” Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rod Diridon Sr., a longtime former city council member, county supervisor and member of regional boards for transportation, told the council on Tuesday that he supports preserving the home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is a beautiful project, and I hope you do approve it. But you’ve got to save the house,” Diridon said. He mentioned that History Park had recent success taking on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/05/21/155-year-old-coyote-train-depot-takes-a-road-trip-to-san-jose/\">historic train depot building\u003c/a>, which was donated to the park, and a county grant helped cover relocation costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s got to be a way to protect that house and to do all the things necessary to remind the world what this family went through and what they provided — after they went through it — to society,” Diridon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking about the generosity of Eiichi Sakauye, Diridon said, “It makes me have goose pimples thinking about how wonderful that quiet, quiet gentleman was.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"radiolab": {
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},
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"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
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"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
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