Monday, August 1
This week we were back under Reiko. On Monday, we started the day at Kubota's for a lunch meeting with Lloyd LaCuesta, a news reporter for KTVU. Lloyd has has an interesting career in the media, at one time reporting the military news out of Korea. He told us that as a reporter, it is important that he maintains a reputation free of bias. Lloyd said that this is especially important for him because e doesn't want to be labeled as "the Asian reporter" who can only do Asian stories. Lloyd told us that many times the Asian American community would approach him with their stories and expect him to report on them becaue he is an Asian American reporter. I found it interesting but understandable that Lloyd didn't take these kinds of stories. He said that as a reporter, he needs to remain unbiased and report on stories that will print. After our interview with Lloyd, we put up some flyers for Reiko and then worked on our website project.
Tuesday, August 2
On Tuesday, Kyle and I met with Robert Honda, a news reporter for KTVU. Robert's perspective was quite different from Lloyd's, in that he told us that he doesn't mind reporting for the Asian American community. He then told us that as a reporter, it is impossible to eliminate bias completely, so it isn't bias that you have to worry about--it's fairness. It is important to report fairly so that neither side of the story is favored. Robert even told us that sometimes he is biased in the stories he chooses, but he is never biased on the actual coverage of the story.
After our meeting with Robert, we headed over to city hall for a meeting with Ed Shikada, one of the Deputy City Managers for San Jose. Ed explained to us that San Jose Japantown is considered a jewel and cultural asset to the city of San Jose. As such, it makes allocating funds to its preservation easier. Ed also told us that he is heavily involved with CYS, which he explained, is more of an organization dedicated to serving youth, rather than a youth organization.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Week 6: Governance and Advocacy
The way this week was set up, the majority of our meetings were at night. So, throughout the week, we spent the day working at Lotus Preschool. This week was probably the most interesting and fun week for me.
Lotus Preschool
Due to the shortened week on education, we were unable to volunteer at Lotus during Week 3. Originally we had planned to come back and work here during the last week of the internship, but we ended up here this week instead. It worked out for the better because this week, Lotus Preschool was celebrating their 25th anniversary with a reunion at the Children's Discovery Museum in downtown San Jose. We spent half of our time helping out with the kids, playing with and supervising them, and the rest of our time helping prepare for the reunion which took place on Saturday, July 29th. The reunion turned out to be a big success, with around 600 people attending. Our time at Lotus Preschool was definitely my favorite part of the internship thus far, partly because it was fun working with the kids and staff there, but also because it felt good to actually give back and do something for the community.
Fred Buzo
Due to a scheduling mishap, we were unable to meet with Councilman Sam Liccardo. Instead, we met with Councilman Liccardo's assistant, Fred Buzo, who also happened to be the Japantown liaison. Fred told us that Councilman Liccardo's office serves as a troubleshooter for the community regarding general issues or specific issues with policies. He was very complimentary of how organized San Jose's Japantown is, saying that the multiple organizations within the community work together to ensure no one is left out.
Asian Pacific Islander Justice Coalition
The APIJC is an organization created in hopes of advancing social justice issues facing the Asian Pacific Islander community. It also serves to give timely responses to issues directly affecting the community. On Monday night, Kyle and I attended the APIJC meeting held at the Issei Memorial Building. It was interesting to see how many organizations were involved in the coalition. At the meeting, they talked about what a non-profit can and cannot do politically.
Japantown Community Congress of San Jose
On Tuesday, Kyle and I went to a JCC meeting to talk about our internship and get feedback on the website we created. At the meeting, a number of topics were discussed, including the mural project that will take place at the corp yard and the unfinished bench project. We also planned out this week's intern day as it will take place in San Jose rather than SF. I found it interesting to see how much of the community was represented at the meeting.
Anne Im
On Wednesday we met with Anne Im, the Director of Community Programs and Advocacy at AACI. She talked to us about the need for social services in the Asian American community and gave us background information on the API Justice Coalition. According to Anne, the Asian American in the bay area suffers from multiple stereotypes. The model minority myth and our location in the Silicon Valley cause many to overlook the Asian American community's need for social services. Our meeting with Anne was particularly interesting to me because she told us exactly what it means to support something politically.
Helen Hayashi
Our meeting with Helen was held at Cafe Too located in the San Jose Museum of Art. Tamon and Jerry also joined us for lunch. Helen told us that she works for the San Jose Downtown Association and connects Japantown to the city through her position. She has previously worked on Norman Mineta's staff, and as such, has a great wealth of knowledge on politics. Through our conversation with Helen, I learned how important it is to make connections with the politicians who are representing you.
Intern Day
Today was the first intern day held in San Jose! We started off the day by meeting Mike Inouye at the NBC studio off of First Street. Mike is NBC11's morning traffic anchor, and when we met with him, we were able to watch him do the actual report. I had never been inside a recording studio before, so it was a really neat opportunity for me! After that, Mike gave us a tour of the studio, and some of the staff talked to us about what the technical tasks they do. We also met Rob Mayeda, the meteorologist and weekend weather reporter. Mike talked to us about his experience as a JA in the media, explaining that he has been very fortunate in the opportunities given to him.
Next, we had lunch at the IMB with Roy, the San Jose Taiko staff, and their interns. It was a good chance to mix with other interns and compare experiences.
After lunch, we headed over to Roy's Station to meet with Tamiko Rast, co-owner of Rasteroids Designs company. Tamiko has deep roots within the Japantown community, something she takes pride in and shows through service to the community. Tamiko designed the Japantown banners and website, and she said that she tries to help out in Japantown whenever she can.
Lotus Preschool
Due to the shortened week on education, we were unable to volunteer at Lotus during Week 3. Originally we had planned to come back and work here during the last week of the internship, but we ended up here this week instead. It worked out for the better because this week, Lotus Preschool was celebrating their 25th anniversary with a reunion at the Children's Discovery Museum in downtown San Jose. We spent half of our time helping out with the kids, playing with and supervising them, and the rest of our time helping prepare for the reunion which took place on Saturday, July 29th. The reunion turned out to be a big success, with around 600 people attending. Our time at Lotus Preschool was definitely my favorite part of the internship thus far, partly because it was fun working with the kids and staff there, but also because it felt good to actually give back and do something for the community.
Fred Buzo
Due to a scheduling mishap, we were unable to meet with Councilman Sam Liccardo. Instead, we met with Councilman Liccardo's assistant, Fred Buzo, who also happened to be the Japantown liaison. Fred told us that Councilman Liccardo's office serves as a troubleshooter for the community regarding general issues or specific issues with policies. He was very complimentary of how organized San Jose's Japantown is, saying that the multiple organizations within the community work together to ensure no one is left out.
Asian Pacific Islander Justice Coalition
The APIJC is an organization created in hopes of advancing social justice issues facing the Asian Pacific Islander community. It also serves to give timely responses to issues directly affecting the community. On Monday night, Kyle and I attended the APIJC meeting held at the Issei Memorial Building. It was interesting to see how many organizations were involved in the coalition. At the meeting, they talked about what a non-profit can and cannot do politically.
Japantown Community Congress of San Jose
On Tuesday, Kyle and I went to a JCC meeting to talk about our internship and get feedback on the website we created. At the meeting, a number of topics were discussed, including the mural project that will take place at the corp yard and the unfinished bench project. We also planned out this week's intern day as it will take place in San Jose rather than SF. I found it interesting to see how much of the community was represented at the meeting.
Anne Im
On Wednesday we met with Anne Im, the Director of Community Programs and Advocacy at AACI. She talked to us about the need for social services in the Asian American community and gave us background information on the API Justice Coalition. According to Anne, the Asian American in the bay area suffers from multiple stereotypes. The model minority myth and our location in the Silicon Valley cause many to overlook the Asian American community's need for social services. Our meeting with Anne was particularly interesting to me because she told us exactly what it means to support something politically.
Helen Hayashi
Our meeting with Helen was held at Cafe Too located in the San Jose Museum of Art. Tamon and Jerry also joined us for lunch. Helen told us that she works for the San Jose Downtown Association and connects Japantown to the city through her position. She has previously worked on Norman Mineta's staff, and as such, has a great wealth of knowledge on politics. Through our conversation with Helen, I learned how important it is to make connections with the politicians who are representing you.
Intern Day
Today was the first intern day held in San Jose! We started off the day by meeting Mike Inouye at the NBC studio off of First Street. Mike is NBC11's morning traffic anchor, and when we met with him, we were able to watch him do the actual report. I had never been inside a recording studio before, so it was a really neat opportunity for me! After that, Mike gave us a tour of the studio, and some of the staff talked to us about what the technical tasks they do. We also met Rob Mayeda, the meteorologist and weekend weather reporter. Mike talked to us about his experience as a JA in the media, explaining that he has been very fortunate in the opportunities given to him.
Next, we had lunch at the IMB with Roy, the San Jose Taiko staff, and their interns. It was a good chance to mix with other interns and compare experiences.
After lunch, we headed over to Roy's Station to meet with Tamiko Rast, co-owner of Rasteroids Designs company. Tamiko has deep roots within the Japantown community, something she takes pride in and shows through service to the community. Tamiko designed the Japantown banners and website, and she said that she tries to help out in Japantown whenever she can.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Week 5: Arts, Culture & Spirituality
Monday, July 18
We kicked off week 5 by meeting with Reiko Iwanaga, one of the directors of CATS, the Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene, and our supervisor for the week. Reiko took us to the Wesley United Methodist Church to meet with Reverend Keith Inouye and visit their week-long Bible Camp, Pandamania. After giving us a tour of the church and summer camp, we talked to Reverend Keith about the church's importance to the Japantown community.
Tuesday, July 19
Wednesday, July 20
Today was another short day, which we started off by visiting the Mexican Heritage Plaza. The Mexican Heritage Plaza (MHP) is a beautiful community building that has been in operation for 12 years. It has classroom facilities, a beautiful garden and pond, as well as its own theater. We met with Tamara Alvarado, the director of the Multicultural Arts Leadership Initiative. She gave us a tour of the MHP, while explaining its history of poor leadership and disappointment to the community. However, under new leadership, it is finally turning its reputation around. The new mission of the Mexican Heritage Plaza is to benefit the children of the community. During our visit, we were honored to have several scenes from Les Miserables performed to us by one of the programs offered at the MHP.
We kicked off week 5 by meeting with Reiko Iwanaga, one of the directors of CATS, the Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene, and our supervisor for the week. Reiko took us to the Wesley United Methodist Church to meet with Reverend Keith Inouye and visit their week-long Bible Camp, Pandamania. After giving us a tour of the church and summer camp, we talked to Reverend Keith about the church's importance to the Japantown community.
Tuesday, July 19
Wednesday, July 20
Today was another short day, which we started off by visiting the Mexican Heritage Plaza. The Mexican Heritage Plaza (MHP) is a beautiful community building that has been in operation for 12 years. It has classroom facilities, a beautiful garden and pond, as well as its own theater. We met with Tamara Alvarado, the director of the Multicultural Arts Leadership Initiative. She gave us a tour of the MHP, while explaining its history of poor leadership and disappointment to the community. However, under new leadership, it is finally turning its reputation around. The new mission of the Mexican Heritage Plaza is to benefit the children of the community. During our visit, we were honored to have several scenes from Les Miserables performed to us by one of the programs offered at the MHP.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Week 4: Business
Monday, July 11
Today, Kyle and I interviewed Peter and Kim Delevett about the businesses in Japantown, talking a lot about what they would like to see move into the empty spaces. Peter told us that the businesses bring people into the community, and serve as a supporting pillar for the survival of Japantown. Kim explained to us that the variety of businesses reflects the multi-ethnic community that has become evident as a result of changing times. According to the Delevetts, a cultural center, a hotel/Japanese-style bath house, a bookstore, or a grill would make a great addition to the business association, as these are things missing in the current Japantown. Talking to the Delevetts gave me a much needed perspective from people who actually live in the Japantown.
Tuesday, July 12
Wednesday, July 13
Thursday, July 14
Today, Kyle and I went to San Francisco again for intern day. It was great to see the rest of the Norcal gang. When we arrived in SF, we met with Kenji Taguma
Friday, July 15
On Friday, Kyle and I spent our day at Kathy's office, working on the website and redoing the change sheet in the Japantown flyer.
Today, Kyle and I interviewed Peter and Kim Delevett about the businesses in Japantown, talking a lot about what they would like to see move into the empty spaces. Peter told us that the businesses bring people into the community, and serve as a supporting pillar for the survival of Japantown. Kim explained to us that the variety of businesses reflects the multi-ethnic community that has become evident as a result of changing times. According to the Delevetts, a cultural center, a hotel/Japanese-style bath house, a bookstore, or a grill would make a great addition to the business association, as these are things missing in the current Japantown. Talking to the Delevetts gave me a much needed perspective from people who actually live in the Japantown.
Tuesday, July 12
Wednesday, July 13
Thursday, July 14
Today, Kyle and I went to San Francisco again for intern day. It was great to see the rest of the Norcal gang. When we arrived in SF, we met with Kenji Taguma
Friday, July 15
On Friday, Kyle and I spent our day at Kathy's office, working on the website and redoing the change sheet in the Japantown flyer.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Week 3: Education
Tuesday, July 5
On Tuesday, Kyle and I started off the day at the Akiyama Wellness Center, asset tagging all of the furniture and objects in the building. It was my first time doing something like this, and it was a good experience for me. We then moved over to the Methodist Church for a meeting with Mary Katagama, the president of Suzume No Gakko.
Suzume No Gakko was started 35 years ago by a group of parents who felt their children were losing opportunities to learn about their cultural roots. It is a three week program that aims to spread awareness of Japanese and Japanese-American culture, as well as an appreciation for the San Jose Japantown community. The school has 1st thru 6th grade classes, each class focusing on a different aspect of JA culture. For example, the 1st grade theme is rice, while the 3rd grade theme is bamboo. In each grade, Nikkei heritage and culture is taught through various means: field trips to the tofu and manju shops, learning odori dancing, interviewing internees, or cooking common JA foods, such as spam musubi. Other ways of passing down Japanese culture include making miniature Japanese gardens, ikebana, and learning Japanese phrases. In addition to teaching about Nikkei heritage and culture, the Suzume No Gakko program also serves to instill a sense of community in the youth. Trips to the Yu-Ai Kai senior center are taken, during which the children give hand-made gifts to the seniors. The children also take a tour around Japantown, witnessing the behind-the-scenes workings of the manju shop and watching San Jose Taiko perform. Suzume No Gakko has become an important aspect of Japantown, and many of its students become greatly involved in the community.
Wednesday, July 6
Today was particularly interesting because we spent the day at DeAnza Community College. We met with Tom Izu, the director of the California Historical Center, and Dr. Mae Lee, an Asian American Studies professor. Dr. Lee told us that Asian American studies is the exploration of who is/what it means to be Asian American. The program has its roots in 1968, being born out of the San Francisco State student strikes. She went on to explain that community college is best suited for AA studies, because its students are rooted in the community.
After spending time with Tom and Dr. Lee, Kyle and I were fortunate enough to visit the APALI program. Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute, or APALI, is a program that aims to advance civic leadership education and to create a civic leadership pipeline from underrepresented communities.
Thursday, July 7
Today there was no set plan to meet with anyone, so Kyle and I painted the front railing of the Issei Memorial Building. Previously, there were splotches of paint on several spots of the railing. After finishing, the front looked much nicer and cleaner than before. Before heading out, we went upstairs to help the San Jose Taiko interns, Patty and Andrew, make uchiwa for the taiko conference.
On Tuesday, Kyle and I started off the day at the Akiyama Wellness Center, asset tagging all of the furniture and objects in the building. It was my first time doing something like this, and it was a good experience for me. We then moved over to the Methodist Church for a meeting with Mary Katagama, the president of Suzume No Gakko.
Suzume No Gakko was started 35 years ago by a group of parents who felt their children were losing opportunities to learn about their cultural roots. It is a three week program that aims to spread awareness of Japanese and Japanese-American culture, as well as an appreciation for the San Jose Japantown community. The school has 1st thru 6th grade classes, each class focusing on a different aspect of JA culture. For example, the 1st grade theme is rice, while the 3rd grade theme is bamboo. In each grade, Nikkei heritage and culture is taught through various means: field trips to the tofu and manju shops, learning odori dancing, interviewing internees, or cooking common JA foods, such as spam musubi. Other ways of passing down Japanese culture include making miniature Japanese gardens, ikebana, and learning Japanese phrases. In addition to teaching about Nikkei heritage and culture, the Suzume No Gakko program also serves to instill a sense of community in the youth. Trips to the Yu-Ai Kai senior center are taken, during which the children give hand-made gifts to the seniors. The children also take a tour around Japantown, witnessing the behind-the-scenes workings of the manju shop and watching San Jose Taiko perform. Suzume No Gakko has become an important aspect of Japantown, and many of its students become greatly involved in the community.
Wednesday, July 6
Today was particularly interesting because we spent the day at DeAnza Community College. We met with Tom Izu, the director of the California Historical Center, and Dr. Mae Lee, an Asian American Studies professor. Dr. Lee told us that Asian American studies is the exploration of who is/what it means to be Asian American. The program has its roots in 1968, being born out of the San Francisco State student strikes. She went on to explain that community college is best suited for AA studies, because its students are rooted in the community.
After spending time with Tom and Dr. Lee, Kyle and I were fortunate enough to visit the APALI program. Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute, or APALI, is a program that aims to advance civic leadership education and to create a civic leadership pipeline from underrepresented communities.
Thursday, July 7
Today there was no set plan to meet with anyone, so Kyle and I painted the front railing of the Issei Memorial Building. Previously, there were splotches of paint on several spots of the railing. After finishing, the front looked much nicer and cleaner than before. Before heading out, we went upstairs to help the San Jose Taiko interns, Patty and Andrew, make uchiwa for the taiko conference.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Week 2: Health & Human Services
Monday, June 27
On Monday, Kyle and I headed over to Cupertino to interview Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, the executive director of West Valley Community Services. What her organization does is provide basic needs(i.e. food, shelter, rental/utility assistance, etc.) to low to no-income families and individuals. She explained to us that there is a large homeless population; however, they "couch hop" from relative to relative, so we might not necessarily see them out in the community. Naomi then told us that WVCS offers below market rate housing for those who qualify, as well as connect people to services that can help stabilize their lives. In her experience, Naomi found that families of Japanese descent typically take care of their own, which meant that she didn't see as many JA in need of WVCS's services. However, she did say that there is a common misconception that all Japanese are affluent. While she hasn't seen many, there have been a few cases in which her organization has helped Japanese Americans. After our interview, Naomi showed us around the WVCS and even took us into the pantry. We were able to see the process in which people are able to obtain food at no cost.
Once we finished our meeting with Naomi, Kyle and I headed back to Japantown and ate lunch at Yu-Ai Kai. After our lunch break, we were given a few jobs to help out with, which we happily completed.
Tuesday, June 28
Tuesday morning, Kyle and I had an interview with Richard Konda of Asian Law Alliance. Asian Law Alliance was started in 1977 by a group of law students from Santa Clara, and their aim was to provide Asians with the legal services they needed. They did this by connecting their clients to organizations that could help them. Later on, they began taking on actual cases, ranging anywhere from criminal cases to family law. Currently, however, they solely take immigration, citizenship, and domestic violence cases. Talking to Mr. Konda, I learned that legal services are indispensable to the immigrant community. In many cases, immigrants are unable to speak english, and therefore are ignorant to their rights. The ALA gets many cases of domestic violence from immigrant women without citizenship, who report abuse from their husbands who refuse to help them gain citizenship. They use this is as leverage to ensure that these women obey their orders.
After our interview with Mr. Konda, we went out to lunch with Jimi at a local restaurant called Okayama. Following lunch, we spent the rest of the day helping Jimi clean out the shed. Kyle and I moved quite a few things into storage, but as tiring as it was, we were happy to help Jimi.
Wednesday, June 29
Today, Kyle and I met with Maria Solis, who is in charge of the social services department at the Yu-Ai Kai(YAK) senior center. Maria explained that 80% of the seniors at Yu-Ai Kai are Japanese or Japanese American and the remaining 20% are African American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and other ethnicities. In order to better serve their clients, most of the staff at Yu-Ai Kai are bilingual, speaking english and Japanese. Maria explained that social services are important to the elderly in order to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition, as well as mental health aid. The Senior Day Services at Yu-Ai Kai allow seniors to interact with their peers, which helps to prevent dementia.
After meeting with Maria, Kyle and I cleaned tent poles that were in the back area. While the job was a bit dirty, we were happy to help out in any way we could. Then, we helped out with Senior Bingo. It was really fun getting to see the seniors play bingo, some of them got really excited! After bingo, Kyle and I concluded our day by making "Japantown Prepared" posters.
Thursday, June 30
Thursday was our first Intern Day of the internship! Kyle and I made an early drive to San Francisco Japantown, the trip being both of our first times visiting. We met up with the SF interns at the Japanese Cultural Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) and then headed over to the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) for a meeting with the executive director, Jon Osaki. He first showed us a video that was made for the JCYC's 40th anniversary and then gave us some background information on the JCYC. Jon told us that the organization was started by a group of young people our age, who felt the need for their generation to get involved in the community. We the had a discussion about youth involvement in the community, an issue that many organizations are facing. Jon had us brainstorm ideas on how to get the youth not only involved, but excited to participate in the community.
Some ways that we came up with to attract youth involvement were:
Friday, July 1
On Friday, Kyle and I met with Wes Mukoyama, the former executive director of Yu-Ai Kai, and Darcie Kiyan from AACI, or Asian Americans for Community Involvement. Wes and Darcie both agreed and explained that depression is the most dangerous condition affecting our elderly, and places like Yu-Ai Kai and AACI are essential in combating the issue. Wes talked to us about cultural values, such as gaman or enryo, that might make it difficult for people to help Japanese seniors. Darcie then told us what AACI does, which is provide Asian Americans with medical, psychological, and nutritional assistance. She explained that AACI has the resources to treat depression, which allows them to help many seniors in the community.
After our meeting with Wes and Darcie, Kyle and I helped out at the Senior Day Services. We talked with a group of ladies and played table bowling with the seniors. It was really good interacting with the seniors, they seemed very excited to talk with us. Also, it was funny watching them bowl as many of them rolled the ball straight off the table. It was a fun and relaxing way to end the week.
What are the social services issues facing Nikkei in our community?
The number of elderly in the JA community is increasing, and the social service issues facing the Nikkei in our community reflect that. Senior citizens are at great risk for depression and other serious health problems. When the elderly seek help, it is important that they are tended to by personnel who speak their language and understand their culture. The lack of culturally competent facilities and programs is an issue facing not only Nikkei but other ethnic groups as well.
On Monday, Kyle and I headed over to Cupertino to interview Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, the executive director of West Valley Community Services. What her organization does is provide basic needs(i.e. food, shelter, rental/utility assistance, etc.) to low to no-income families and individuals. She explained to us that there is a large homeless population; however, they "couch hop" from relative to relative, so we might not necessarily see them out in the community. Naomi then told us that WVCS offers below market rate housing for those who qualify, as well as connect people to services that can help stabilize their lives. In her experience, Naomi found that families of Japanese descent typically take care of their own, which meant that she didn't see as many JA in need of WVCS's services. However, she did say that there is a common misconception that all Japanese are affluent. While she hasn't seen many, there have been a few cases in which her organization has helped Japanese Americans. After our interview, Naomi showed us around the WVCS and even took us into the pantry. We were able to see the process in which people are able to obtain food at no cost.
Once we finished our meeting with Naomi, Kyle and I headed back to Japantown and ate lunch at Yu-Ai Kai. After our lunch break, we were given a few jobs to help out with, which we happily completed.
Tuesday, June 28
Tuesday morning, Kyle and I had an interview with Richard Konda of Asian Law Alliance. Asian Law Alliance was started in 1977 by a group of law students from Santa Clara, and their aim was to provide Asians with the legal services they needed. They did this by connecting their clients to organizations that could help them. Later on, they began taking on actual cases, ranging anywhere from criminal cases to family law. Currently, however, they solely take immigration, citizenship, and domestic violence cases. Talking to Mr. Konda, I learned that legal services are indispensable to the immigrant community. In many cases, immigrants are unable to speak english, and therefore are ignorant to their rights. The ALA gets many cases of domestic violence from immigrant women without citizenship, who report abuse from their husbands who refuse to help them gain citizenship. They use this is as leverage to ensure that these women obey their orders.
 |
| Richard Konda |
Wednesday, June 29
Today, Kyle and I met with Maria Solis, who is in charge of the social services department at the Yu-Ai Kai(YAK) senior center. Maria explained that 80% of the seniors at Yu-Ai Kai are Japanese or Japanese American and the remaining 20% are African American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and other ethnicities. In order to better serve their clients, most of the staff at Yu-Ai Kai are bilingual, speaking english and Japanese. Maria explained that social services are important to the elderly in order to ensure that they are getting proper nutrition, as well as mental health aid. The Senior Day Services at Yu-Ai Kai allow seniors to interact with their peers, which helps to prevent dementia.
After meeting with Maria, Kyle and I cleaned tent poles that were in the back area. While the job was a bit dirty, we were happy to help out in any way we could. Then, we helped out with Senior Bingo. It was really fun getting to see the seniors play bingo, some of them got really excited! After bingo, Kyle and I concluded our day by making "Japantown Prepared" posters.
 |
| Bingo |
 |
| Japantown Prepared! |
Thursday, June 30
Thursday was our first Intern Day of the internship! Kyle and I made an early drive to San Francisco Japantown, the trip being both of our first times visiting. We met up with the SF interns at the Japanese Cultural Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) and then headed over to the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) for a meeting with the executive director, Jon Osaki. He first showed us a video that was made for the JCYC's 40th anniversary and then gave us some background information on the JCYC. Jon told us that the organization was started by a group of young people our age, who felt the need for their generation to get involved in the community. We the had a discussion about youth involvement in the community, an issue that many organizations are facing. Jon had us brainstorm ideas on how to get the youth not only involved, but excited to participate in the community.
Some ways that we came up with to attract youth involvement were:
- Offer scholarships/internships
- Connect with collegiate groups
- Advertise volunteer opportunities
Although there were many more ideas, the ones listed above were ones that stood out to me.
After our meeting with Jon, we met with Bob Hamaguchi at the JACL building. Bob talked to us about the state of San Francisco's Japantown and some of the issues the community is facing. He mentioned the need to attract a younger generation while still maintaining the "mom and pop" shop feel. One of the ways this could be made possible is by placing larger businesses at the ends of Japantown and smaller ones in the middle, which would increase foot traffic to these stores in order to reach the larger ones. Our conversation with Bob was mainly from a business standpoint, which was an interesting contrast to our earlier conversation with Jon.
Before leaving San Francisco, we decided to explore SF Japantown as it was me and Kyle's first time visiting. We walked around the smaller business first, then went to the New People store, and later headed over to the mall. It was amazing to see so many Japanese stores! SF Japantown definitely has a different feel to it, but to be honest, I think I prefer the atmosphere of San Jose Japantown. San Jose Japantown has much more of a community feel, which I like more than the more commercial, business feel of San Francisco. Then again, I'm probably just biased :)
Friday, July 1
On Friday, Kyle and I met with Wes Mukoyama, the former executive director of Yu-Ai Kai, and Darcie Kiyan from AACI, or Asian Americans for Community Involvement. Wes and Darcie both agreed and explained that depression is the most dangerous condition affecting our elderly, and places like Yu-Ai Kai and AACI are essential in combating the issue. Wes talked to us about cultural values, such as gaman or enryo, that might make it difficult for people to help Japanese seniors. Darcie then told us what AACI does, which is provide Asian Americans with medical, psychological, and nutritional assistance. She explained that AACI has the resources to treat depression, which allows them to help many seniors in the community.
After our meeting with Wes and Darcie, Kyle and I helped out at the Senior Day Services. We talked with a group of ladies and played table bowling with the seniors. It was really good interacting with the seniors, they seemed very excited to talk with us. Also, it was funny watching them bowl as many of them rolled the ball straight off the table. It was a fun and relaxing way to end the week.
What are the social services issues facing Nikkei in our community?
The number of elderly in the JA community is increasing, and the social service issues facing the Nikkei in our community reflect that. Senior citizens are at great risk for depression and other serious health problems. When the elderly seek help, it is important that they are tended to by personnel who speak their language and understand their culture. The lack of culturally competent facilities and programs is an issue facing not only Nikkei but other ethnic groups as well.
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