Identity
Description
Content Warning: a derogatory term for Vietnamese people (“g**k”) commonly used during the War is spoken. While we have not censored the clip for the historical accuracy of the story, please use your judgement before listening as it may be offensive to hear.
show moreRon Tanaka was a professor at the University of British Colombia that played a major role in the start of the Asian Rights Movement in Canada. In this segment, Glen Nagano describes meeting him on campus and the strong impression Ron made.
Speakers: Glen Nagano
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Katari Taiko was formed in 1979 and was the first modern Taiko group in Canada. Its creation was catalyzed by Taiko performances by Japanese group Ondekoza and American group San Jose Taiko in the late 70s at Powell Street Festival.
show moreIn this segment one member, Lisa Mah, describes her experiences joining the group in the late 80s and how it changed her life.
Speakers: Lisa Mah
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Here, a Japanese Canadian activist, Glen Nagano, speaks on the difficulty of mobilizing his friends to join the Asian Canadian activist movement
show morein the early 1970s due to their assertion that they didn’t have an “identity problem.”
Speakers: Glen Nagano, Izumi Sakamoto
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In this segment, Izumi Sakamoto and activist Glen Nagano discuss shikata ga nai (“it can’t be helped”) sentiments and the loss of family history.
show moreIzumi speaks to how artists respond to the loss of family history using their creativity and imagination.
Speakers: Glen Nagano, Izumi Sakamoto
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In the early 70s Japanese Canadian activists began to gather together at conferences and art exhibits to promote the growing Asian Rights Movement in Canada.
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Before the rise of social media, activists had to come up with creative solutions to reach others in their community.
show moreIn this segment activist Glen Nagano talks about using a phone book in the early 1970s to find participants for his survey about experiences of being Japanese Canadian.
Speakers: Glen Nagano, Izumi Sakamoto
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Taiko groups in Canada provide a unique space for many to explore their Japanese Canadian identity.
show moreHere, Shinobu Homma describes how taiko allowed him to realize his own Japanese Canadian identity, after experiencing a sense of un-belonging in both Japan and Canada.
Speakers: Shinobu Homma
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In 1972, the Asian Canadian Experience Conference brought together young Asian Canadians from across Canada.
show moreHere, conference attendee Lucy Komori discusses the strong impact the conference had on her.
Speakers: Martin Kobayakawa, Lucy Komori, Izumi Sakamoto, Mayumi Takasaki
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After the war, survivors of mass incarceration were scattered across Canada. For many, the trauma of incarceration led them to resist forming place-based community with other
show moreJapanese Canadians as they feared they would become a target once again. In this segment, Glen Nagano describes why older generations felt that they could not return to Powell Street.
Speakers: Glen Nagano, Izumi Sakamoto
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While for some taiko was a way to show pride in their Japanese Canadian identity, for others it was a way of discovering it.
show moreIn this segment, taiko leader John Endo Greenaway speaks about how taiko allowed him to connect to his Japanese Canadian heritage.
Speakers: John Endo Greenaway
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Taiko drumming is art form that has allowed many to explore, express, and connect with their Japanese Canadian identity.
show moreIn this clip, Kathy Shimizu discusses how her involvement with taiko fostered a sense of pride in her Japanese Canadian identity after many years of feeling embarrassed about her heritage.
Speakers: Kathy Shimizu
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While some survivors of the mass incarceration of Japanese Canadians did not talk about their experiences during that time, others communicated them in in a myriad of ways.
show moreIn this clip Sansei activists discuss how their families talked about their history of incarceration.
Speakers: Lucy Komori, Martin Kobayakawa, Connie Kadota, Izumi Sakamoto
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