Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1789/

Standing up for social justice

If you are not indignant about what's going on out there, you got a problem. More than that, you are the problem. You know, I get on talking with people sometimes and I always like to say that complacency, is complicity. And apathy enables our enemies. There's a lot of different ways to say it. But I believe that we can't sit silent and not say something, we can’t stay where we are when there's a march outside our window. We can't stay silent in opportunities like this. We know that whatever we're saying right now will be viewed by other people and we should be judged by what we say. So I have no problem with that, but I do have a problem with people that don't see anything wrong. I do have a problem with that because that just enables injustice, it absolutely allows it to continue. The status quo has to be challenged. It has to be opposed. It has to be changed. It just doesn't happen from an armchair. You know, I am active because I believe it's my duty. I am an educated privileged Asian American, Japanese American, who has reaped the benefits of this society, of the American education system.


activism communities equality justice law social action social justice

Date: July 14, 2020

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Matthew Saito

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum; Japanese American Bar Association

Interviewee Bio

Mia Yamamoto is a Sansei transgender attorney and civil rights activist. She was born in the Poston concentration camp in Arizona in 1943 where her parents were incarcerated. She joined the Army and served in the Vietnam War. Inspired by her father's courage to speak out against the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, she attended the University of California Los Angeles's School of Law and has been a leader in the field of social justice, including working with the Japanese American Bar Association. (March 2021)

*This is one of the main projects completed by The Nikkei Community Internship (NCI) Program intern each summer, which the Japanese American Bar Association and the Japanese American National Museum have co-hosted.

Sakane,Hiroshi

The Nikkei community that didn't support Former President Fujimori's election (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Sakane,Hiroshi

The differences in attitude of pre-war and post war in terms of the President Fujimori presidency (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Sakane,Hiroshi

President Fujimori as elected by Peru's general public (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Sakane,Hiroshi

The Nikkei community's view toward Former President Fujimori (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

Taoka,Isao

Views on Japanese Youth (Japanese)

(b. 1943) Paraguayan Ambassador to Japan

Taoka,Isao

The Grand Duty left to the Issei (Japanese)

(b. 1943) Paraguayan Ambassador to Japan

Onchi,Toshiko Elena

How I became a volunteer at the International Association of Yamato (Spanish)

Japanese Peruvian in Japan

Onchi,Toshiko Elena

Several ways to participate and integrate into Japanese society (Spanish)

Japanese Peruvian in Japan

Mineta,Norman Yoshio

How he got into politics

(b. 1931) U.S. Former Secretary of Transportation

Mineta,Norman Yoshio

Citizen participation

(b. 1931) U.S. Former Secretary of Transportation

Todd,Kathryn Doi

Opening Up Shop in Little Tokyo

(b. 1942) The first Asian American woman judge

Todd,Kathryn Doi

JABA: On Engaging Students and Community

(b. 1942) The first Asian American woman judge

Todd,Kathryn Doi

On Justice Todd’s Involvement with the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center

(b. 1942) The first Asian American woman judge