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Nikkei Heritage • Spring 1999
Volume XI, Number 2 • Spring 1999
Coram Nobis
and the Continuum of Activism
Two articles in this issue are devoted to the historic Coram Nobis court cases.
Kenji Murase contributes " Coram Nobis: The Error Before Us," a summary of
the legal issues and a detailed timeline. "It Was Bigger Than All of Us: the Coram
Nobis Teams" describes the teamwork and personal sacrifice required to challenge
the Supreme Court decisions. Several dozen lawyers and researchers donated hundreds of hours over a five-year period. More than a dozen were interviewed for this
issue. Themes that still seem very much alive for all of them are: a passion for social justice and public education, a feeling of closeness and cooperation which
exemplifies the true meaning of community, and a heart-felt connection with all
Japanese Americans past, present and future. Karen Kai, one of the lawyers, says,
"I've come to realize that when it comes to a matter of principle - an issue that's
important to them - the quiet Japanese American people you see at meetings are
very strong. They do not back down and they do not give up."
An abiding sense of interconnection, gratitude, responsibility and perseverance
distinguishes the Nikkei traditions of activism. Individuals see themselves as part
of a greater whole, and do not rest so long as any among us suffers. In related articles, Isao Fujimoto recalls the Issei roots of these values in a story about pre-war
community and cooperation in a Washington farm community. Rev. Michael
Yoshitake writes about the experiences that led one young Nisei to pick up the
torch and shine its light beyond the Nikkei community. Sansei Gen Fujioka writes
about the continuing activism of the Asian Law Caucus, and Robert Rusky discusses the continuing legal battle over the YWCA Building in San Francisco's
Japantown, which was founded by Issei and is still used by Yonsei and Gosei.
"Injustice affects all of us, not just the targeted group," says Karen Kai. "Everyone
has the responsibility to be vigilant. Otherwise, in a time of crisis it's easy to justify an infringement of human rights because the groundwork of prejudicial
assumptions gets laid slowly in tiny increments. This is our community legacy -
what we can pass on to others." This is our true Nikkei heritage. We hope this issue
inspires you as much as it has inspired us to produce it.
Shizue Seigel
Managing Editor
PS. How are we doing? Give us your feedback
on the magazine - visual appeal, quality of
writing, topical relevance, etc. Your views,
positive or negative, are very important to us.
(Letters may be edited for clarity, and to fit
available space.) Write to us at Nikkei
Heritage, NIAHS, 1684 Post Street, San
Francisco, CA 94115. Or email us:
njahs@njahs. org.
2 National Japanese American Historical Society
NJAHS Board of Directors
Andrew Urushima, CPA, President
Steve Hirnboynshi, V.P., Operations
Notsuko Irei, Co-V.P. Membership
Elisa Komimoto, Co-V.R, Programs
Tsuyako "Sox" Kitashima, Co-V.P. Membership
Gayle Nishikawa, Co-V.P., Programs
Steven Nakashima, Treasurer
Susan Obayashi,Pharm.D, Secretary.
Chizu liyama, Chair, Oral History
Sue Kunitomi Embrey
Tom Fujimoto
In Km MA
Richard Kishimoto
Gary Kono, DOS
Kenji Murase, Ph.D.
Robert Otsuka
Gerald Takano, AiA
Hiro Takusagawa, Vet. Affairs
Executive Director
Rosa
NJAHS Staff
Sathya Seigel, Program Manager
Gary Otake, Website Developer
Susan Jo Morohashi, Collections Manager
Shizue Seigel, Managing Editor
Pefer Yamamofo, Oisfribn
Meredith Oda, Collections Assistant
Advisory Council
Roger Daniels, Ph.D.
Steven Doi, J.D.
William Hirose, JD, CPA
Jerrold Hiura, D.D.S.
Ernest liyama
Mike Iwasaki
Mas Kawaguchi
Edward Kawahara
Horry Mono, M.
James P. McNaughton, Ph.D.
Frank Miriam!
Noby Nakamura, FAIA
Phi
Rose C
Mall Senzaki
Wlism Sfrobridp, Col. (ret)
Hiroki Sugihara
Cheryl Lynn Sullivan, Ph.D.
Kenji Taguma
Jerold Takahashi, Ph.D.
Toshio Tsukahira, Ph.D.
Itsuo Uenaka
J. K. Yamamoto
George Yamasaki, J.D.
Michael Yoshikami, Ph.D., CPA
Noby Yoshimura
NJAHS Capital Fund Committee
William Hirose, CPA, Chair
Clifford Uyeda, M.D. (ret.)
Yoshimi Shibata
Capital Fund Drive Honorary Committee
U.S. Senators
Hon. Barbara Boxer, CA
Hon. Dianne Feinstein, CA
Hon. Daniel Inouye, HI
U.S. House of Representatives
Hon. Robert T. Matsui, Sac, CA
Hon. Patsy T. Mink, Hon., HI
Object Description
| Title | Coram Nobis and the Continuum of Activism |
| Description | The Seasonal Magazine, Nikkei Heritage, publishes another volume of their magazine. |
| Subjects | Redress and reparations--Legal petitions/coram nobis cases |
| Type | image |
| Genre | Periodicals |
| Language | eng |
| Collection | Hirasuna Family Papers |
| Collection Description | 27 items |
| Project Name | California State University Japanese American Digitization Project |
| Rights | Rights not yet transferred |
Description
| Local ID | csufr_hfp_0657 |
| Project ID | csufr_hfp_0657 |
| Title | Page 2 |
| Creator | National Japanese American Historical Society |
| Date Created | 1999 - 00 - 00 |
| Subjects | Redress and reparations--Legal petitions/coram nobis cases |
| Type | image |
| Genre | Periodicals |
| Language | eng |
| Collection | Hirasuna Family Papers |
| Collection Description | 8.52 x 10.86in |
| Rights | Rights not yet transferred |
| Transcript | Nikkei Heritage • Spring 1999 Volume XI, Number 2 • Spring 1999 Coram Nobis and the Continuum of Activism Two articles in this issue are devoted to the historic Coram Nobis court cases. Kenji Murase contributes " Coram Nobis: The Error Before Us," a summary of the legal issues and a detailed timeline. "It Was Bigger Than All of Us: the Coram Nobis Teams" describes the teamwork and personal sacrifice required to challenge the Supreme Court decisions. Several dozen lawyers and researchers donated hundreds of hours over a five-year period. More than a dozen were interviewed for this issue. Themes that still seem very much alive for all of them are: a passion for social justice and public education, a feeling of closeness and cooperation which exemplifies the true meaning of community, and a heart-felt connection with all Japanese Americans past, present and future. Karen Kai, one of the lawyers, says, "I've come to realize that when it comes to a matter of principle - an issue that's important to them - the quiet Japanese American people you see at meetings are very strong. They do not back down and they do not give up." An abiding sense of interconnection, gratitude, responsibility and perseverance distinguishes the Nikkei traditions of activism. Individuals see themselves as part of a greater whole, and do not rest so long as any among us suffers. In related articles, Isao Fujimoto recalls the Issei roots of these values in a story about pre-war community and cooperation in a Washington farm community. Rev. Michael Yoshitake writes about the experiences that led one young Nisei to pick up the torch and shine its light beyond the Nikkei community. Sansei Gen Fujioka writes about the continuing activism of the Asian Law Caucus, and Robert Rusky discusses the continuing legal battle over the YWCA Building in San Francisco's Japantown, which was founded by Issei and is still used by Yonsei and Gosei. "Injustice affects all of us, not just the targeted group," says Karen Kai. "Everyone has the responsibility to be vigilant. Otherwise, in a time of crisis it's easy to justify an infringement of human rights because the groundwork of prejudicial assumptions gets laid slowly in tiny increments. This is our community legacy - what we can pass on to others." This is our true Nikkei heritage. We hope this issue inspires you as much as it has inspired us to produce it. Shizue Seigel Managing Editor PS. How are we doing? Give us your feedback on the magazine - visual appeal, quality of writing, topical relevance, etc. Your views, positive or negative, are very important to us. (Letters may be edited for clarity, and to fit available space.) Write to us at Nikkei Heritage, NIAHS, 1684 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115. Or email us: njahs@njahs. org. 2 National Japanese American Historical Society NJAHS Board of Directors Andrew Urushima, CPA, President Steve Hirnboynshi, V.P., Operations Notsuko Irei, Co-V.P. Membership Elisa Komimoto, Co-V.R, Programs Tsuyako "Sox" Kitashima, Co-V.P. Membership Gayle Nishikawa, Co-V.P., Programs Steven Nakashima, Treasurer Susan Obayashi,Pharm.D, Secretary. Chizu liyama, Chair, Oral History Sue Kunitomi Embrey Tom Fujimoto In Km MA Richard Kishimoto Gary Kono, DOS Kenji Murase, Ph.D. Robert Otsuka Gerald Takano, AiA Hiro Takusagawa, Vet. Affairs Executive Director Rosa NJAHS Staff Sathya Seigel, Program Manager Gary Otake, Website Developer Susan Jo Morohashi, Collections Manager Shizue Seigel, Managing Editor Pefer Yamamofo, Oisfribn Meredith Oda, Collections Assistant Advisory Council Roger Daniels, Ph.D. Steven Doi, J.D. William Hirose, JD, CPA Jerrold Hiura, D.D.S. Ernest liyama Mike Iwasaki Mas Kawaguchi Edward Kawahara Horry Mono, M. James P. McNaughton, Ph.D. Frank Miriam! Noby Nakamura, FAIA Phi Rose C Mall Senzaki Wlism Sfrobridp, Col. (ret) Hiroki Sugihara Cheryl Lynn Sullivan, Ph.D. Kenji Taguma Jerold Takahashi, Ph.D. Toshio Tsukahira, Ph.D. Itsuo Uenaka J. K. Yamamoto George Yamasaki, J.D. Michael Yoshikami, Ph.D., CPA Noby Yoshimura NJAHS Capital Fund Committee William Hirose, CPA, Chair Clifford Uyeda, M.D. (ret.) Yoshimi Shibata Capital Fund Drive Honorary Committee U.S. Senators Hon. Barbara Boxer, CA Hon. Dianne Feinstein, CA Hon. Daniel Inouye, HI U.S. House of Representatives Hon. Robert T. Matsui, Sac, CA Hon. Patsy T. Mink, Hon., HI |
