Carl Takei

Nov 22, 2024 | nichibei.org | Carl Takei

Satsuki Ina, one of the co-founders of Tsuru for Solidarity, often speaks about how, in working to support other communities that are under attack, we are also working to heal our own intergenerational trauma. But this month, I wasn’t prepared for how sharply those traumas can intersect. The day after the election, as my family sat down for dinner, my young son — who has both Japanese and Chinese ancestry — turned to me and his mom.

Aug 6, 2024 | nichibei.org | Carl Takei

Over the July 4 weekend, I joined nearly 400 fellow pilgrims on the California-Oregon border for this year’s Tule Lake Pilgrimage. This site, unique among the World War II Japanese American prison camps, is where the federal government sent the protesters and war resisters — those deemed “troublemakers” and “disloyal” for speaking their minds. The last time we gathered was six years ago, in 2018.