Day of Remembrance Honors the Past, Present and Future of the Japanese American Community in San José

Members of San José City Council joined Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong (center, in light blue) and Yvonne Kwan, associate professor of Asian American Studies, and Jinni Pradhan, director of SJSU’s Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment (center, in yellow dress) at the Day of Remembrance to present a commendation from the city. All photos in this story by Robert C. Bain.

Students, faculty, staff and community leaders gathered at San José State’s Student Union Theater today to recognize and observe the Day of Remembrance, a national observance of the incarceration of Americans of Japanese descent in the United States during World War II. It is recognized nationally on February 19, the date that Executive Order 9066 initiated this process. In 1942, the building currently known as Yoshihiro Uchida Hall on SJSU’s campus served as a registration center for local Japanese Americans prior to them being forcibly removed to incarceration camps.

For the third year in a row, SJSU recognized this day to acknowledge the Japanese American experience and the campus’ connection to it. Last year, SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson offered a formal apology to members of the community who were impacted by the university’s actions during World War II. This year, the Day of Remembrance again united the university with several community organizations and local leaders.

The morning opened with a lively performance by San José Taiko, a performing arts organization founded in Japantown by alumni Roy and Patti Jo Hirabayashi, ’77 MUP. Esteemed guests included local elected officials, including Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong; Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg and San José City Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei, ’04 MUP; Mayor Ellen Kamei of Mountain View; and representatives from the Offices of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, State Assemblymember Ash Kalra, State Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and State Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, ’13 MPA. 

“We must acknowledge that San José State University was once a site where Japanese Americans were processed under Executive Order 9066 in 1942, a painful chapter — a shameful chapter — in U.S. history,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong. “We also celebrate the enduring activism that ensures that injustices such as these do not happen again. That is why I’m so proud that San José State formally established Asian American Studies as a major in 2024. As an Asian American Studies graduate myself, I know firsthand how critical this field is in shaping our communities and creating hope.” 

Members of the San José City Council presented Jinni Pradhan, director of the Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment at SJSU, with a commendation in recognition of the center’s commitment to keeping the Day of Remembrance alive.

“As we reflect on the past, we acknowledge the pain, suffering and resilience of those who were affected [by Executive Order 9066],” Kamei said. “We recognize, now more than ever, the importance of remembering and learning from our history to build a more just and compassionate society, a society where we can live with freedom and peace.”

Vincent Del Casino, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at SJSU, reiterated the university’s commitment to acknowledging its role in 1942, and shared his excitement for the first cohort of Asian American Studies majors to graduate this spring.

“We have a pivotal role to play right now as an institution — not only as San José State, but also as institutes of higher education [at large],” he said. “We need to maintain a committed educational space where people can talk freely, thoughtfully and collectively about the past. So it’s deeply powerful for me to hear about our first cohort of Asian American Studies graduates. Through such programs and the work of the university, we will not forget and we will not let others erase that which should not be forgotten.”

Panels featured faculty, community leaders and alumni

Breakout sessions included panel conversations on building community with Yvonne Kwan, chair of the Asian American Studies Department at SJSU; Vanessa Hatakeyama, executive director of the Japanese American Museum of San José; Wisa Uemura of San José Taiko; and Jen Masuda, executive director of the Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center in San José’s Japantown. All three women leaders of Japantown community-centered nonprofits recognized the power of intergenerational activism.

“Maybe when you think of a senior center, you don’t think of activism or protest,” said Hatakeyama. “But really, San José Taiko and Ya-Ai Kai Senior Center were very much rooted in a spirit of activism. The JAM SJ founders probably would have called it education or research, but everything from serving cultural foods to our seniors as part of a meal program or keeping our cultural arts alive are forms of activism. You don’t really know that you’re making history when you’re starting out; our founders saw [community] needs that needed to be met, and worked gradually over time to fill those needs.”

Masuda, who shifted from a job in publishing to serving as director of the senior center after caring for her elderly grandmother, reminded the audience that many of the organizations that exist now were started by Asian American activists who studied at San José State. Among them were Dan and Chris Kubo, ’74 Biological Science, who helped found Yu-Ai Kai, and were active members of Asians for Community Action. 

The Kubos participated in a panel moderated by Mountain View Mayor Ellen Kamei on intergenerational dialogue in healing that included Tom Izu, Japanese American Museum of San Jose advisory board member; policy analyst Kendal Hearney and Antonio Kobe Lopez of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council. Panelists explored how past experiences shape future advocacy and how initiatives like the “Never Again is Now!” mural project at SJSU will connect history to the present.

One of the panels included a performance by artist and choreographer Yayoi Kambara, who presented  二度と (NI DO TO), a mixed-reality exhibit that explores community solidarity in the face of xenophobia. This session explored the intersection of dance, history and personal storytelling as a means of preserving community resilience.

The Day of Remembrance event was co-sponsored by Asian American Studies, Asian Pacific Islander Faculty Staff Association, Associated Students Inc., the Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment, the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Office of Community and Government Relations. All in all, the third annual Day of Remembrance at San José State united students, faculty, staff, elected officials and community members for an educational, inspiring and reflective day.

Learn more about Day of Remembrance at SJSU.