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.

Richard Konda

      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.

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.

Week 1: History

Tuesday, June 22
      Today marked my first day working in Japantown. Kyle and I met with Sophie at the Akiyama Wellness Center in the morning. We were given a binder with information overviewing the entire internship. After our meeting with Sophie, we headed over to JAMsj(Japanese American Museum San Jose) to meet with Curt Fukuda. The object of this meeting was to give us more information on the art of interviewing, in preparation for the many interviews we will be conducting over the next 8 weeks. The meeting went extremely well, as I learned much from Mr. Fukuda. He taught me things to keep in mind when interviewing Issei and Nisei, as well as others in general. After talking for over an hour, it seemed as though we were interviewing Mr. Fukuda, rather than learning about interviews from him. However, I felt that I gained much more from conversing together than I would have from just listening to specific techniques.
      Following the interview with Mr. Fukuda, Kyle and I sat down with Jimi Yamaichi from JAMsj to talk about exactly why we are participating in NCI. Although we started out talking about our reasons for joining NCI, I have to admit that Mr. Yamaichi tended to go off on tangents, as we ended up talking about JA history. All in all, the conversation with Jimi was one that I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from. After that, he even treated Kyle and I to lunch at Gombei. Then, he treated us to a tour of the museum, which brought an end to our day.

Wednesday, June 23
      Today was supposed to start off with an interview with Leslie Masunaga, a curator from JAMsj. However, we were unable to meet with Leslie due to some miscommunication. In replace of the interview, we went with Jimi on a tour of Japantown. More specifically, Jimi showed us around some of the shops.
      He started out by taking us to the art gallery run by Ken Matsumoto. Let me just say, what a great place that hidden gallery is! Walking past that secluded work yard, one would never know the great artwork that lies just behind the gates. After talking with Ken, we went back to the Buddhist temple for lunch. Before lunch, however, Kyle and I were put to work, addressing the newsletter that is sent out to the temple members. While at the temple, we met a great group of members that were very welcoming. Following lunch, we headed back to JAMsj, where we met Warren Hiyashi. Talking to Warren was a great opportunity to hear about the Japanese American experience from the eyes of a younger Nisei. Not only that, we talked about all sorts of topics, which shows just how knowledgeable Mr. Hiyashi is. After an hour-and-a-half long conversation, we headed back out to the shops. Jimi took us to Nichi Bei Bussan, a Japanese general store. There we met with Arlene Tatsuno, who took over the business from her father. She showed us around the store and gave us its rich history. Walking around and getting to know the family owned businesses was an enlightening experience that shows a unique aspect of San Jose Japantown. The family-owned shops preserve the rich legacy of the Japanese American community.

Thursday, June 23
      Today, we started out in the Issei Memorial Building, talking with Leon Kimura, the President of the San Jose branch of the JACL. Mr. Kimura shared with us the history of the Issei Memorial Building. According to him, the building was originally a hospital built in 1910, used by Dr. Kuwabara. Over it's 101 year history, it has been used as refuge/boarding house, among other things. In 1983, it was renovated and renamed the Issei Memorial Building. It is currently used as a community space, and office building for numerous JA organizations. Several important community organizations have been born out of its office spaces, such as the Japanese American Museum of San Jose(JAMsj) and Asian Law Alliance. After talking about the history of the building, Leon discussed with us, ways that we can help the JACL with issues they need resolved. Following our meeting, we met up with Jimi and went to go eat Korean food on Jackson Street.

Leon Kimura

      After lunch, Jimi and Leon took us to the Shuei-Do manju shop to meet the owner, but unfortunately he was too busy to meet with us. Then, we went next door and met with the newest business owners in the community. Then, we went back to JAMsj to move their book collection into storage.
      After we were done with this task, we talked to both Michael Sera and Joe, volunteers at JAMsj. Both were very insightful and provided us with meaningful conversations. I definitely learned a lot from talking to these two individuals. Our conversation with Joe concluded our day.

Friday, June 24
      On Friday, Kyle and I started the day off with a cup of coffee from Roy's with Jimi. We met the current owner, and the owner of the original gas station that existed there, Roy. Afterwards, Jimi took us to the Buddhist temple to meet some of the volunteers helping to prepare for Obon.
      We spent the remainder of the day with Kathy Sakamoto at her office. There wasn't really a scheduled plan for Friday, so we spent most of our time talking with Kathy and her two interns.

Antonia, Kathy Sakamoto, and Toshiki

What makes San Jose's Japantown unique?
      The answer to this question will vary from person to person, but I think what makes San Jose's Japantown unique is it's focus on history and community. When walking around Japantown, one will notice that most of the businesses are family-owned, "mom and pop" type stores. Each of these shops adds to the brilliant history, as some sell the same thing they did when they first opened. All around Japantown are markers that highlight certain points in town's history. Some of these include the benches with historical facts on them, as well as the tall lantern structure on the corner of 5th and Jackson. The historical Issei Memorial Building and JAMsj also serve to preserve the unique history of San Jose's Japantown. Due to its small size, San Jose Japantown is able to give a greater sense of community to its residents. It's very common to run into someone you know, just walking down the street. The members of the JA community in San Jose are very involved in the community and its events, which in my opinion, is what truly makes San Jose Japantown unique.

JAMsj

Mr. and Mrs. Yamaichi

San Jose Opening Retreat

This past Sunday marked the beginning of NCI 2011. The opening retreat was held at the San Jose Japantown, during which the interns from LA, SF and SJ all congregated and met each other. I'll begin by talking about Sunday.

The LA interns arrived at the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport bright and early. Kyle and I drove to the airport to pick them up at 9:35 A.M. We arrived on time and picked up 3 LA interns. Our next job was to transport everyone to the Akiyama Wellness Center. Unfortunately, we had a gps mishap and got lost on our way there. Kyle and I were somewhat embarrassed, as our first impression upon our new colleagues was a poor one. However, we managed to find our way and only arrived a few minutes late. Upon arrival, we began introductions and discussed the rules and goals of the internship. After this, we participated in several workshops and also were given a tour of San Jose Japantown. We finished the day by eating dinner at the Islands Grill across from the Holiday Inn Express we were staying at. After dinner, all of the interns mingled and talked in one of the rooms, bonding as a group.

Monday, June 20th
Today, we had the wonderful opportunity of meeting with several community leaders, sponsors of the NCI program, as well as other important figures in the Japanese American community. We started the day off with a small workshop at the Issei Memorial Building, led by Sophie, after which we were allowed to walk around the building. The Issei Memorial Building has a rich, 100 year history, which has been well preserved and displayed. The workshop was followed by a luncheon at the Museum, where the interns were granted a wonderful networking opportunity. The luncheon was attended by important people in the Japanese American community. Among them was one of the fifteen Consul Generals of Japan, Hiroshi Inomata. I was truly blessed to be able to sit next to Mr. Inomata and converse with him over lunch. After the luncheon was done, we cleaned up and had to say farewell to the LA interns.

Reflecting back on the retreat, I am so grateful to have been admitted into this internship. I really enjoyed meeting all of the other interns, especially because they are a great group of people who share similar goals with me. Additionally, the networking opportunity provided by the luncheon was such a great experience. I met so many community leaders and figureheads in the Japanese American community, and I am very eager to work with all of them. I would definitely say that this retreat was a success. LET'S GO, NCI 2011!!!