Week 7

(Alex gazing off into the distance)

Monday July 25th marked the start of week 7 of our internship which had the topic of Government and Advocacy with Helen Hayashi. To start the week we meet with Helen at the IMB and discussed Japantown issues as well as different levels of government. After our lunch break we made a trip down to YWCA in downtown on 3rd street where Helen spent many years of her career. We were greeted by Adriana Caldera, the Chief Program Officer. She gave us a tour of the second floor of the building and explained the services and programs the YWCA offers. She sat down with us and we discussed these services further. After this meeting we were down for the day.

On Tuesday Helen had personal agenda items and could not meet with us so we had the day off until the JCCsj meeting. However, before the meeting Roy wanted to meet with us to discuss the closing session of NCI in San Jose. During the meeting we got to display our work on our final project and get reactions and feedback from the congress. They seemed to like our work.

(Raul Peralez, Helen and us)

(Scott Green, Helen and us)

On Wednesday we had many meeting set up throughout the day. We started our day with an interview with Steve Doi which, is my former boss at Jimbos ice cream and an Asian American Studies teacher at SJSU. He explained his background to us and why Asian
American studies interested him. We later asked an on going question of ours which is, "how do we preserve Japantown?" He answered us honestly with, "It is unavoidable to change and do not let government get their hands on property." We had lunch after this interview and waited for our meeting with Duane Kubo another former Asian American studies professor. He explained the changing diversity in Japantown and how Japantown might change in the future. After these two meetings we headed down to city hall for two more meeting with Raul Peralez and Scott Green. Raul is a city council member who had an extreme career path. Starting as first from his family to graduate college. He graduated with a math degree and substitute taught high school. He decided he did not want to teach for the rest of his life so he became a San Jose police officer. After receiving a pink slip and almost being laid off during the recession he was curios why and was interested in politics. He was his office spot and became the youngest councilmen and is only one of two latinos in office. Scott Green was the policy advisor for the mayor. He also had a interesting career path. He gave us college/career advice which was helpful. What i learned through these two people was that it was rare to stick with one job your whole career and the job you will have for the rest of your career is unexpected. After our 4 interviews from the day we finally got to go home.

(Interns with Kenji Taguma)

Thursday was our final intern day in San Francisco before our closing retreat next week. In the morning, we met with the interns in SF and went over the program for the closing retreat. After going over numerous options, we decided that the final theme was going to be "Ichi go ichi e," which translates into "one opportunity, one encounter" or "an opportunity of a lifetime." NCI was an incredible opportunity that allowed all of the interns to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the Japanese American community, and we thought that this phrase was fitting in describing our experiences. (It is also perfect because ichi-go, or 1-5, represents the 15 year anniversary of the NCI program). We also organized speakers, intern reflections for the program, and the decorations for the event. In the afternoon, we meet with Aya Ino, the Director of Development and Communications at the JCCCNC. She led us through a personality test where we learned about our workplace personalities and ways to work alongside people with different personalities. Indeed, each of the categories have pros and cons, but all personalities are needed to have a harmonious workplace. All of the Norcal interns have very different workplace personalities, and I think that contributes to how we are all able to get along. Afterwards, we met with Kenji Taguma, the Editor in Chief of the Nichi Bei Foundation. We went through a general overview of the organization, and we watched several videos about the organization and other Japantown events. It was great to learn about how the newspaper is able to preserve Japanese American culture by featuring organizations and events from all around San Francisco and San Jose Japantown, as well as the greater Nikkei community. All in all, although the drives to SF were always long, I appreciate getting to learn about the history and community organizations in SF Japantown and spending time with the SF interns every week.

On Friday we had our weekly check in with Ellen at Roy's station and Ryan was there also. We expressed how busy we were feeling because of our final brochure/project and the closing retreat luncheon. She understood where we were coming from and told us we could postpone our brochure and focus on closing. She offered to take time out of her schedule to meet with us again on Monday. Ellen and Ryan both are trying to contribute as much as they can to us for closing and we acknowledge that. After our meeting we met with Roy to catch up and discuss closing. We explained we felt lost about instructions and after our hour long discussion we felt we had everyone on the same page and a clear understanding of what to do. For the rest of the day we had two meeting/interviews set up with Scott Strickland and Jim Beall. Scott met with us at IMB and he explained his career path. Later we drove to the Jim Beall's office off of Bascom Ave. He was exciting to know he took time out of his busy schedule to meet with us. He told us that he went to school with Rich Saito and Roy Hirabayashi. Unfortunately he did not have much time to talk to us due to his busy schedule. After this meeting it was the end of our Government and Advocacy week.

(Alec, Lina, Helen, Jim, Alex)

(Scott Strickland and us)

Week 6

(Yu-Ai Kai)

On Monday July 18th we started our week with Yu Ai Kai Senior Center. We were told to wear to comfortable clothing prior to starting on Monday. When we arrived at Yu Ai Kai we met Julie Hubbard the activities director. She quickly put us to work. The first thing we did was move art pieces that did not sell from their recent art sale from Yu Ai Kai to Akiyama down the street. We put the pieces in a shed outside Akiyama and organized material that was already inside. After we completed that we organized tables and chairs on the top floor for multiple purposes during the week. When we finished this we had no more tasks from Julie until the administrative office called with a job for us to do. The job was for us to look through their time cards and make sure it was signed by both the employee and a manager. The purpose of the task was for auditors for the up coming tax season. After Ryan showed up and took us out to lunch at Sushi Maru. After our lunch break Ryan gave us a tour of the Yu Ai Kai and Akiyama. He described what happens at Yu Ai Kai daily and his role as Executive Director. After our tour we ended our day.

(Tonkatsu meal)

On Tuesday we met with Ryan first thing in the morning. He assigned us a little project for Yu Ai Kai. The project was to make a flyer to promote volunteer/community service opportunity for teenagers at Yu Ai Kai. We worked on our flyer for an hour and then started helping for lunch. Lunch for the day was Tonkatsu. We served milk and salad to the seniors before the entree. When the main meal was ready to be served they prepared the togo meals first. When they were packing togo meals we did not do much besides take up space and watch the amazing process. When they final started the for here meals we waited for them to make enough for a whole table on brought it out the the seniors. After the entree they got dessert which was a red apple. After we finished serving the senior we got to sit down and eat. After our nice Tonkatsu and brown rice meal we bussed the tables and washed and put away the dishes. After this we went back to finishing the flyer. We showed Ryan a draft and he seemed really excited.

(sitting exercises) 

On Wednesday we helped with the Senior day service (SDS) which is a day care for seniors. They have volunteers lead exercise classes and games. They did sitting exercises to the beat of music which helped with blood circulation and the stretching of muscles. After the exercises the seniors played a fishing game. A fish is drawn on multiple papers and each fish has paper clips attached to its head. a fish pole has a strong magnet at the tip of the line to catch the fish. The seniors play this game sitting down while we scattered the fishes around them close enough for them to catch it. Three seniors catch the fish with the magnet while three others catch it in the basket. They rotate until everyone has a chance to do both roles. After these activities they went upstairs for lunch in the Yu Ai Cafe while we went out to lunch with Mike Inouye at Hukkilau. After lunch we continued with the SDS. They played indoor bowling on top of tables and a mini basketball. The seniors had as many opportunities to knock down all the pins as possible with our assistance as we guide the ball into the pins when they were close. After everyone had two go arounds they constructed puzzles and wait for their rides home. After all the seniors went home we too got to go home.

(fishing game)

(Indoor bowling)

On Thursday, the San Francisco Interns came down to San Jose for a San Jose Intern Day. Roy was our main host for the entire day. In the morning, we went through introductions, introducing another intern instead of our own selves. After lunch plans were set, Roy gave a general introduction to San Jose Japantown. We watched several short videos, including the one former NCI interns Iszac and Alec made for the Issei Memorical Building last summer. As Roy is heavily involved in the arts, he made the arts and culture the main focus of his presentation, explaining how the multiethnic art scene in San Jose Japantown greatly shapes the community. We then took everyone on a tour of San Jose Japantown, pointing out organizations like Yu-Ai-Kai, stopping by the granite benches, observing the murals and art boxes, and strolling through the shops. We picked up lunch from Santo Market (which was a big hit) and walked back to the Issei Memorial Building. As it was Alex’s birthday, Roy and I also surprised Alex with a birthday cake.

(Alex cutting the cake)

In the afternoon, all of us went over to the San Jose Taiko studio for a taiko workshop. Franco Imperial, the current director of San Jose Taiko, led us through a taiko basics workshop, where we learned the four principles of San Jose Taiko—musical technique, kata, attitude and ki—and talked about how we could apply them to our own lives. We then went through fundamentals of the beta style of playing (hitting the drum vertically). For the next hour, Roy took us through various exercises, which involved team building, cooperation, critical thinking skills, and more. One activity focused on improvisation and getting out of one’s comfort zone; it was very challenging, but this activity was one that I hope to improve upon and bring back to my taiko group in college. All in all, it was so nice to have all of the SF interns come and learn about San Jose Jtown.

(Suzume no Gakko Performance)

On Friday, I went to our weekly meeting with Ellen and Ryan at Roy’s. We talked about all of the events that happened throughout the week. We also were able to talk about various topics ranging from APA mental health to youth in the Bay Area. After the meeting, we went to Yu-Ai Kai, which was organizing their annual performance by the students in Suzume no Gakko.  I was in charge of taking photos for Yu-Ai Kai. The program started with the San Jose Junior Taiko members from the school performing a taiko piece. Afterwards, each grade from the school came up and performed. Performances included dances, songs, speeches, and skits, and all of them were associated with Japanese culture. At the end, the Yu-Ai Kai Karaoke Dancers performed various songs. Their last song was the Pokemon Ondo, and the Suzume students joined the Dancers.

(Suzume no Gakko Performance)

After the event, I had lunch with Julie and Sara and a wrap up discussion with Ryan. Julie and Sara talked about how much they enjoy working at Yu-Ai Kai because they get to work with wonderful people. Ryan also talked about how he loves the work environment, because a positive atmosphere is what keeps the seniors happy and thus healthy. Indeed, from what I have noticed, the people at Yu-Ai Kai love to work with one another, and are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others. I could witness this warmth not only in the smiles on seniors faces, but also in the laughter heard throughout the building. Truly, Yu-Ai Kai is an incredible place.

Week 5

(At the studio)

(The main mural facing the rode at the plaza)

This week was a little different because we were still with Roy for a continuation of Arts and Culture week. On Monday July 11th we drove over to the East side of San Jose to visit the Mexican Heritage Plaza. It was a fairly new beautiful plaza with a theatre, classrooms and offices. We met with Nelly Torres, Program Developer and Event Coordinator. She gave us a tour of the plaza and an overview of what happens at the plaza on a daily basis. They offer summer programs for youth and classes for all ages to enjoy. It was interesting to visit the plaza because it may be what the corporation yard can become. After we came back and debriefed on our thoughts and feelings about the plaza. After about an hour of discussing we called it a day.

(On the screen)

(Live broadcast)

On Tuesday morning, we met Mike Inouye, the weekday morning traffic anchor for NBC Bay Area. Mike first took us to the studio floor, where we learned about all of the various screens, cameras, and teleprompters in the room. We even got to see a live broadcast! We also toured the Production Control room and learned about how it operates during recordings and live broadcasts. During our tour of the news room, we met Robert Handa and Lance Lew; they were responsible for launching Asian Pacific America, the only Asian cultural affairs television show in the Bay Area. They offered us a chance to come back to the studio to learn more about their program. At the end of the tour, Mike talked to us about how he became a news reporter for the Bay Area, and the importance of Asian American representation, especially in the media. He advised us that in the end, treating people right and expressing confidence is what will get us far in life. All in all, the trip to NBC will definitely be one of the highlights of this internship. I grew up watching the local news, and it was really amazing to have the chance to meet some of the people I see on TV in real life.

(From left to right: Reiko, Lance, Robert, Alex, Lina, Mike, Ellen)

After the tour, we ate lunch with Jerry Hiura and Reiko Iwanaga, the current Board of Directors for the Contemporary Asian Theater Scene, or CATS. We learned more about CATS, and the importance of keeping Asian American art. We also discussed what the future of the Asian Arts Scene for younger generations. The rise of technology, especially in the Capital of the Silicon Valley, will definitely affect the various local arts organizations and how youth interpret art. At the end of the day, we met with Roy to do more planning for the final project and the NCI closing retreat. Indeed, I am constantly in awe of how many amazing people I have gotten the chance to meet during this internship, and how so many have offered other opportunities to talk and learn more about what they do.

On Wednesday July 13th Roy decided to give us an option of when to come in because we had nothing planned until 11am. At 11 we met with Duane Kubo one of the main figures of the Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene (CATS). He explained to us his background and how he became so interested and involved in asian arts. After he showed us clips of different films he has produced and different videos from his youtube channel (Japantown Community TV). After he took us out to lunch at Kumako and we all ordered Hiyashi Chuka. After lunch we immediately went on a walking tour with Kim Powell a professor at Penn State. It was a different tour because we led the tour by talking about different things that drew us toward Japantown. We walked to Jimbos, Empire 7, Cukui and Yurika's art box on 7th and Taylor. We thought it was a neat tour and enjoyed it a lot and cannot wait until the finished project. After we called it a day.

(Duane Kubo and us)

(Kim Powell and us)

(Interns with JCCCNC staff)

On Thursday, we went up to San Francisco and met with Paul Osaki, the Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, or the JCCCNC. He talked about the history of the JCCCNC and his involvement in Japantown; he was integral in the effort to pass Senate Bill 307, which was the first legislation passed for the historical and cultural preservation of the last three Japantowns. We also watched a documentary about the history of San Francisco Japantown, which was very interesting. The redevelopment of San Francisco to be like “another New York City” led to the displacement of many individuals, and these once residential areas are now filled with the shopping districts. The people of San Francisco are constantly working hard to keep Japantown a community oriented place. After lunch, we met other members of the JCCCNC, and had Staff versus Intern Olympics. Games included cup stacking and a relay race for collecting rice with chopsticks. Even though the interns lost, I think it was a great bonding experience for all of us.

(Interns with Alice)

            Later in the day, we visited the Japantown Task Force, where we met Jeremy Chan (a former NCI intern) and Alice Kawahastu, the President of the organization. Alex and I thought that the Task Force was very similar to the JCCsj. Jeremy gave an overview of the task force, and the various things they do for the community. We also discussed the Task Force’s idea of opening a visitor center for people to learn more about the cultural offerings in SF Jtown. All of the interns offered their perspectives and ideas. It was another worthwhile day in SF!

(Jimi in the middle left and Roy on the very right)

On Friday July 15, we met with Ellen and Ryan Kawamoto for our weekly check up. Usually it is just Ellen and us but Ryan dropped in to inform us about next week since we will be working with him at Yu ai Kai. During the check in we told Ellen about our week and our trip down to San Francisco. We also showed our final project brochure draft and JCCsj logo to them and they seemed really excited about both. We discussed activities we planned during our intern day next Thursday. After we went to IMB to meet with Roy to check in with him and inform him about our SF day. After we checked out the summer program held at the Methodist church where San Jose Junior Taiko was teaching campers the basics of playing. We had lunch next and then sat down and had a discussion with Jimi Yamaichi. We heard so much about him through other Jtown people but never had the chance to meet him until today. He is 93 years young and is the first Nissei we have met with during our internship. He has been through a lot during his life going through the Great Depression and internment. He has helped create Japantown to what is today. After our discussion we called it a week. We had a fun and memorable two weeks with Roy and we look forward to our week with Ryan and Yu ai Kai!