04.24.08
Nakajo: Lessons in Life
Nakajo shared his perspective with Western Edition (San Francisco) News. “My comments are within the context of what happened and (are) my interpretation and perspective of those historical events. Some people try to educate (others) that there was a Japantown here, or there is a Japantown, we are at the point. We are also at the point where folks are talking about an African-American community. We are talking about that and the historical context of the Japanese community and the African-American community, the times and the relationships that we can’t ignore. We (Japanese-Americans) went to (internment) camp in 1942 through 1946; this was our community but everyone had to go to the racetrack in Tanforan or into the ten concentration camps on this side.” (The total number of those sent to internment camps was 120,000.) He explained the irony of the social environment in which the executive order took place. “It took place in the Bay Area and within the context of San Francisco (and) California as the bridge to the Pacific (and) to Japan.”
Nakajo, a professor and a fire commissioner at San Franciso, also serves as the Executive Director of Kimochi. The Japanese American Issei elders are the beneficiaries of the services and programs provided by the said community based organization.
He explained about how the diverse communities in California learned to co-exist.