dear friends, i gave a speech at the jacl national ......i gave a speech at the jacl national...
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July 19, 2012
Dear Friends,
I gave a speech at the JACL National Convention Sayonara Banquet held in
Bellevue, Washington on July 7th
. I called it, “My Two Years of Service with Japanese
Americans,” and touched on several of the many moving experiences I have had since
coming to Seattle to serve as the Consul General. I would like to share the text with you,
who have been a part of these amazing two years. I hope you enjoy the retelling half as
much as I enjoyed living it.
Sincerely,
Kiyokazu Ota
Consul General of Japan in Seattle
“My Two Years of Service with Japanese Americans”
I. A New Experience
Welcome to Seattle, the Emerald City of the Evergreen State! I arrived here as
Consul General of Japan 2 years ago and found that many Japanese spoke excellent
American English. I was upset! I thought to myself, “I am a diplomat, but I can’t speak like
that! How will I manage?” A few days later, I learned that the speakers were Japanese
Americans! They were native speakers! I realized that I had never lived in a city with a
Japanese American community before, and I couldn’t wait to learn more about it!
(Ambassador Fujisaki and Nisei Veterans at the Memorial Wall, NVC, July 4, 2012)
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II. Seattle as a Starting Point
A century ago, Seattle was the entry port for Japanese immigrants to the United
States. Some settled in the Pacific Northwest and others spread across the country. Like
many immigrant groups before them, they came here for economic opportunities and a
chance to achieve their dreams. And yet, in reality, they faced many difficulties:
discrimination, hostility, and laws that prohibited them from owning land, to name a few.
In 1902, Hirobumi Ito, the first Prime Minister of Japan, came to Seattle and spoke
to Japanese American immigrants. At the packed venue, he said, “I am most happy to see so
many of our fellows here in Seattle!” He requested, “Please retain your Japanese pride. You
may face many challenges here, but be proud of being Japanese. At the same time, you
should devote yourself to the United States. Your dedication to American society will
improve the American view of Japan and Japanese. Being good Americans will be the
ultimate loyalty to your mother country of Japan.” The whole audience listened to him with
tears in their eyes. They understood his request, even as they understood that it would be “a
long and winding road that leads” to acceptance in American society.
Calligraphy by Duke Hirobumi Ito (1841-1909) in Seattle “Strive for Brotherhood among All Mankind” on display at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington
Duke Ito is the great-grandfather of Ambassador Fujisaki
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III. A Chapter in History
My blood is stirred by Japanese American history and I am captivated by their
ordeal of internment during World War II. I have visited Fort Missoula, Manzanar, Tule
Lake, Topaz and I joined the pilgrimage to Minidoka last year. I felt privileged to spend
time with the internees and to hear them share their personal stories with emotion and quiet
dignity. I am so relieved to see that all the camps are designated as National Historic Sites
and work is being done to preserve and renovate them as museums for future generations to
learn from. Their legacy, both good and bad, must be remembered, not only for the sake of
Japanese Americans, but for all Americans.
IV. Gaining Respect in American Society
All of you here today have made many contributions to American society and risen
to positions of honor and responsibility in the past decades. Japanese Americans are
counted among respected leaders in business, government and academia. At the same time,
I see that Japanese Americans preserving their Japanese pride and core virtues of patience,
diligence, decency and respect for the elderly, just as Prime Minister Ito hoped would
happen over 100 years ago.
Japanese Americans had a long march to win acceptance and respect in American
society. Seattle played a significant role in the early days of the JACL as well as the
successful redress campaign. I was touched when I saw the restored Honor Role at
Minidoka, where the ratio of military volunteers was highest out of all the camps.
(Honor Guard, Minidoka National Historic Site, July 3, 2011)
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I would like to express admiration of Seattle-born Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi, who
passed away Jan 2nd
this year. He bravely fought for Japanese rights and human rights even
after his retirement. Dr. Hirabayashi is most deserving of his Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the Highest Civilian Award in the United States, posthumously presented at the
White House on May 29th
and accepted by his widow.
I was very moved at the Congressional Gold Medal Seattle Regional Celebration
for Nisei Veterans on Jan 14th
this year at Meany Hall at the University of Washington. As
(Honor Roll, Minidoka National Historic Site, July 2, 2011)
(Meany Hall, University of Washington, January 14, 2012)
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the curtain went up, I saw over sixty veterans representing the US Army’s 100th
Infantry
Battalion, the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service. Under the
spotlights, these honorable, elderly soldiers could stand proud as Congressman Jim
McDermott, this year’s JACL President’s Awardee, and Congressman Adam Smith placed
the medals around their necks one by one. I was glad of the opportunity to pay my respect
to these Japanese Americans, who did their best to win the confidence of, and a good
reputation in, American society.
V. Disaster and Debris
Last year, on March 11th
, Japan was struck by a three-fold disaster. Although they
were surrounded by devastation and despair, the people of Tohoku stuck to their principles
of perseverance, dedication and order. They cared for each other and paved the way for a
quick recovery of utilities, and transportation and communication networks. All of Japan is
now united to rebuild the region!
The JACL donated 6.5 million US dollars to the afflicted in Tohoku. 4 million of
those dollars have already been used to support 250 different projects in the area. We are
much encouraged by your warm support. I would like to express heartfelt thanks to JACL
members for the help you extended to the people of Tohoku. Arigato gozaimasu!
(Meany Hall, University of Washington, January 14, 2012)
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Now the debris washed offshore by the tsunami is becoming an issue for both
Japan and the United States. At a meeting at the White House on April 30th
, Prime Minister
Noda expressed his concern to President Obama about tsunami debris approaching the West
Coast of the US and said that Japan would like to cooperate with the US to tackle this issue.
The governments of Japan and the US are already cooperating in anticipation of this
“delayed natural event.” We had a meeting on June 25th
here in Seattle between Japan, the
US and Canada to discuss research and explore possible future action.
Japan, in close contact with the US, is working on possible measures for handling
the tsunami debris. We are a country and people who uphold the virtues of decency and
dignity. You all have inherited and continued to cherish these qualities on the American
continent, and our collective future is brighter because of it.
Thank you.
(Prime Minister Noda and President Obama at the White House, April 30, 2012)
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