Monthly Archives: March 2006

March 9 Joy Kogawa House Fundraiser in Toronto a Great Success

March 9 Joy Kogawa House Fundraiser in Toronto a Great Success

by Anton Wagner, secretary Save Kogawa House committee 

Joy’s
launch of her novel Emily Kato, combined with a fundraiser for the Joy
Kogawa House, was an inspiring evening at the Church of the Holy
Trinity, next to the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto, on March 9.
Nearly $9,000 was raised for the Land Conservancy of B.C.’s Joy Kogawa
House rescue drive. About 150 people attended the event organized by
Anton Wagner, Secretary of the Joy Kogawa House Committee.

March 9th, Toronto, Tomoko Makabe sells books for the Emily Kato launch

Tomoko Makabe sells books as audience arrives –  photo by Henryk Fibich

The
evening was scheduled to begin at 5 pm. Fortunately Save Joy Kogawa
House Committee member Tomoko Makabe suggested we should start selling
books already at 4:40 so that those coming early could purchase copies
of Emily Kato and Obasan and have Joy inscribe them. There was still a
line-up as concert pianist William Aide began the evening half an hour
later with a beautifully serene classical composition.

March 9, Toronto, William Aide concert pianist

William Aide plays piano while Tomoko Makabe sells books as the audience arrives –  photo by Henryk Fibich

The
Reverend Sara Boyles welcomed the audience and spoke of the tradition
of social justice at the Church of the Holy Trinity, founded in 1847
for Toronto’s poor immigrants, and that the Churches was continuing to
stand with the homeless, dispossessed and people excluded from Canadian
society.

Michael Creal, former head of humanities at York
University, reminded the audience of the forced evacuations and
internments of 22,000 Japanese Canadians under the War Measures Act in
1942 and of the importance of Joy’s Obasan in expressing the suffering
these government injustices inflicted on the Japanese Canadian
community. He recalled that he taught Obasan at York University in the
early 1980s and that his students didn’t know what had been done to
Japanese Canadians during World War II. Michael described the very
important public meeting at the Church of the Holy Trinity in 1984 that
led to the Toronto Ad Hoc Committee on Redress and helped to make
redress a national issue. He then introduced Joy.

March 9th, Toronto, Michael Creal

 Michael Creal, former head of humanities at York University –  photo by Henryk Fibich

Joy
spoke of her childhood home in Vancouver that is now under threat of
demolition and read the description of the house from Obasan. She then
read from Emily Kato, including chapter 22 set in the Church of the
Holy Trinity, one of the many locales where organizing for redress took
place. Joy recalled that it felt like a miracle when she came across
her childhood home in Vancouver again in 2003 and that it continues to
be a miracle that the house is still standing. She also described her
encounter, in the garden of the house, with the cherry tree which was
subsequently severely pruned and may be dying. “I felt when I was
there, in all its woundedness, that somehow in the universe we are
known, our wounds are known. And I had the strange sense that this
knowing, this knowing of the community, this knowing of the family,
that when we are known we are healed. I felt that healing welling up
within me at the tree. So for me that spot became holy ground. It was
my small portal to messages that we are known. And I just felt that
healing.” Referring to the new novel she has begun to write, Joy
concluded, “My dream is that I will be able to write Gently to Nagasaki
with instructions that will come to me through the portal of that tree.
That is my dream.”  
 

March 9th, Toronto, Joy Kogawa raises her hands to make a point.

Joy raises her hands to make a point –  photo by Henryk Fibich

Bill
Turner, Executive Director of The Land Conservancy of B.C., then spoke
of the necessity of saving the Joy Kogawa House as a permanent reminder
of historical events that must never be repeated and asked those
present to assist in the drive to save the House from demolition. “The
House is a symbol of a time and a reminder when ordinary Canadians were
removed from their homes and interned. We want to save this house as a
reminder of that. We want to save this house so that it can become a
place of happiness again, a symbol of peace and hope and
reconciliation. We must not forget what happened in those years, and
it’s easy to do so. It’s easy to forget.”

Bill expressed his
optimism that the $700,000 required to purchase the House from its
present owner could be raised with Canada-wide support. “The Joy Kogawa
House is of national importance,” he stated. “As those of us who are
now here die and move on, we must preserve these places so that our
children and grandchildren can learn what happened. In a society that
doesn’t remember and recognize its mistakes, they can continue to
happen. An injustice to one is an injustice to all.”

March 9, Toronto, Bill Turner

Bill Turner, Executive Director of The Land Conservancy of BC – –  photo by Henryk Fibich

Joy’s
dream, of course, is also that other writers will be able to come and
stay and write in the Joy Kogawa House. Ron Brown, First Vice-Chair of
the Writers Union of Canada, was the first speaker representing the
dozen writers’ organizations that have backed saving the Kogawa House.
He recalled that Groucho Marx once said that he would never belong to
an organization that would have him as a member.  “Well, 1,500 members
of the Writers' Union of Canada are absolutely delighted to belong to
an organization that can claim Joy Kogawa as a member. You have written
so passionately about an unpleasant reality,” Brown stated.

“You
have arrived at an interesting moment in Ontario.  We are experiencing
a controversy about an attempt to censor a book about another
unpleasant reality.  The book is called Three Wishes.  It was written
by Deborah Ellis, one of our members, and includes interviews with
Israeli and Palestinian children who express their fears and wishes
about the conflict there. Some of those views are disturbing to some. A
teacher near Toronto objected that the contents do not adequately
reflect the Israeli point of view, and an organized effort was launched
to have school boards across Ontario remove the book from their silver
birch award reading list. A few have done just
that.”

“Canada
has faced a number of unpleasant realities.  The extermination of the
Beothuks in Newfoundland, the expulsion of the Acadians from New
Brunswick, the long standing mistreatment of our First Nations people,
and the reality which you, Joy, have written about.

But unlike
most other books written about these realities, Joy brings together
three things which the others do not. Not only has she written about
this reality, but she has experienced it herself, and third, the Kogawa
House still stands as a physical legacy of that dreadful time.”

“This
is why I find it distressing that the house is facing the threat of
demolition. I write about heritage buildings and have seen too many
demolished. Those with negative connotations especially. It seems that
in Canada it's what we do.”

“And that is why I find it even more
distressing that Canada's heritage minister has declined to provide
funds to help save the house, despite a written pledge from the federal
government that it will do everything in its power to ensure that such
atrocities will never recur. Talk about not
putting their money where their mouth is.”

“But
it is encouraging to see so much support here tonight for saving the
house, support that the Writers' Union is happy to share. But as Joy
said in the Globe this morning, there is not much time left.”

“As
with the book Three Wishes, to destroy the Kogawa House would be much
like censoring reality. In Canada we should be confronting our
realities, not censoring them.  Saving the Kogawa House will serve as a
visible reminder of one unpleasant reality. So, let's save the house
and help make Joy's dream come true.”

March 9th, Toronto, Ron Brown

Ron Brown, First Vice-Chair of the Writers Union of Canada –  photo by Henryk Fibich

In
her address, Mary Ellen Csamer, President of the League of Canadian
Poets, stated: “As writers, artists, we are both witnesses to and
participants in our times. Sometimes, as now, our shared responsibility
is to act as an amplifier for those voices who can best speak to
specific actions of the body politic, done purportedly on our behalf. 
Joy Kowaga’s intelligent passionate voice has added to the sum of our
witnessing, to the collective ‘no’ of our resistance to our own
fear-based tyranny.” She added that “It saddens me that our Federal
Government has no program in place to protect our historical and
literary heritage. The Joy Kogawa House represents the struggle for
Home. It is not real estate, it is the real estate of our collective
need to create and nurture community so that we can learn to live
without fear of each other. To create this writers-in-residence,
historic centre in the City of Vancouver would express on behalf of all
Canadians our deep desire to redress the wrongs of the past and
celebrate once again our rich and diverse cultural community. On behalf
of the League of Canadian Poets, and its 700 members, I urge the
Federal Government to provide the necessary fund to help us to save the
Joy Kogawa House.”

March 9, Toronto, Mary Ellen Csamer - with Bill Turner and Joy Kogawa in background

Mary Ellen Csamer, President of the League of Canadian Poets –  photo by Henryk Fibich

Philip
Adams next spoke on behalf of two organizations as Coordinator of the
Readers & Writers program for PEN Canada and as Treasurer of the
Playwrights Guild of Canada. “The Playwrights Guild of Canada has over
800 members who are for the most part desperate for a time and place to
write and it is our hope that one or many of them may be allowed the
opportunity to do that in the Joy Kogawa House. PEN Canada fights for
freedom of expression around the world and particularly here in Canada.

There are many exiles here in Canada as well. The First Nations
certainly have reason to feel exiled, the Japanese Canadians have been
exiled, and many people from other countries who are here now continue
to feel in exile. Again it is PEN Canada’s hope and dream that perhaps
some day soon such writers will be able to take up residency in
Vancouver.”

March 9th, Toronto, Philip Adams

 Philip
Adams, spoke on behalf of two organizations as Coordinator of the
Readers & Writers program for PEN Canada and as Treasurer of the
Playwrights Guild of Canada.
–  photo by Henryk Fibich

Dr.
Joseph Levy, Vice-President, External, of the York University Faculty
Association, explained that his field of health sciences is really
about healing and that this evening had been an evening about healing.
“We must say to ourselves that we never want this to happen again in
Canada but we also don’t want this to happen again in Somalia, in
Afghanistan, in Romania or anywhere else in the world where this could
possibly happen. So I see this project as being not only for our fellow
Canadians who were interned during the war but I also see this project
as symbolic of something that will allow all of us to continue working
around the world so that this kind of event, this atrocious, despicable
way of treating citizens in their own country, should never happen
again. But let me remind you that it is happening at this moment all
over the world.”

Dr. Levy then presented a $1,000 contribution
from the York University Faculty Association to Bill Turner for the
Land Conservancy Joy Kogawa House fundraising drive and challenged
other universities across Canada to match YUFA’s donation.  

March 9th, Toronto, Joseph Levy, with Bill Turner behind him

Dr. Joseph Levy, Vice-President, External, of the York University Faculty Association, with Bill Turner –  photo by Henryk Fibich

 

Ben
Antao, President of the Toronto Branch of the Canadian Authors
Association, also brought a donation from his organization. (The CAA
awarded Obasan its Book of the Year Award when it was first published
in 1981.) “Heritage properties of writers and artists help to enrich
the cultural mosaic that is Canada,” Antao stated. “I haven’t seen Joy
Kogawa’s childhood home in Vancouver but I have read her novel Obasan
and the book describes her house and illuminates a dark chapter in the
developing history of Canada and her people.”

MArch 9th, Toronto, Ben Antao

Ben Antao, President of the Toronto Branch of the Canadian Authors Association,–  photo by Henryk Fibich

Following
these presentations, William Aide again played the piano, Joy inscribed
more books and many in the audience spoke with Bill Turner about saving
the Kogawa House and made personal donations.

March 9, Toronto, Lynn McDonald with Joy Kogawa

Joy inscribing a copy of Emily Kato to Lynn Macdonald – photo by Henryk Fibich

There
was much animated conversation as the audience enjoyed the delicious
food and refreshments provided by members of the Church of the Holy
Trinity congregation and organized by its Social Justice Committee.

March 9th, Toronto: Professors Joseph Levy and Kym Bird of the York University Faculty Assoc. with Bill Turner and Anton Wagner

Professors
Joseph Levy and Kym Bird of the York University Faculty Association
with Bill Turner and Anton Wagner, Secretary of the Save Joy Kogawa
House Committee – 
photo by Henryk Fibich

 

March 9, Toronto, Derry Poster with Joy Kogawa

Joy signs Derry Fitzgerald’s poster of the March 9 event which Derry designed at the 6 St. Joseph Street House.  –  photo by Henryk Fibich

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival kick-off on Thursday!

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival kick-off on Thursday!

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom
Festival invite you to celebrate the Official Festival Launch and Cherry
Blossom Viewing at Burrard SkyTrain Station
12 noon
Thursday,
March 16th 2006

Launch MC'd by CBC Radio's On The Coast host Katie
Bennison. Special guests, live Taiko drum performance, Canada's Cherry Blossom
Fanfare! music premiere, Haiku Invitational performance, free drinks &
Blossom Viewing Picnic samples, Cherry Tree Dedication and more.

Come try out the Cherry Blossom dragon boat friendship regatta on
Sunday March 26th at Creekside Park, beside Science World – 2pm to 4pm.

Invite your friends to these rain or shine events.

For the official
invitation click:
http://www.vcbf.ca/site_assets/www.vcbf.ca/images/dynamic/FestivalLaunchInvitation.pdf

Vancouver Opera's “Naomi's Road” goes to the heart of Vancouver's old Japantown – a fundraiser for Powell Street Festival


Vancouver Opera's “Naomi's Road” goes to the heart of Vancouver's old Japantown


– a fundraiser for Powell Street Festival

The Japanese Canadian community used to thrive along Powell St. in
Vancouver.  I remember walking down there in the late 1960's and
visiting the different stores, on the search for more origami paper,
after being taught to fold origami paper figures by my father. 
Today it is a shadow of its former self.  But it's memory is kept
alive by both the annual Powell Street Festival
and the Japanese Hall / Japanese Language School on Alexander St.

Naomi's Road opera, put on by the Vancouver Opera Touring Ensemble, came to old Japantown on Saturday night.  It was presented in the hall at the Vancouver Japanese Language School,
newly built and connected to the Japanese Hall, built in 1918, which
stands alone as the only property among any Japanese Canadian
private citizen, business or organization to retain ownership after the
war.

About 100 people filled the new hall, in anticipation of watching the
touring production which has been playing to schools throughout
BC.  This was about the 95th presentation of the production so
far, and the cast does a remarkable job of keeping each presentation
fresh. 

It was also the 4th time I had seen Naomi's Road, writing a review of the premiere weekend, and also the excerpts presented at the Laurier Institution / Roy Miki lecture at the Chan Centre, and the Vancouver Arts Awards.  Everytime I have seen it, it is enjoyable.  I even find myself humming the songs afterwards now.

Naomi's Road, is the children's version of Joy Kogawa's
award winning novel, Obasan.  It tells the story of a family being
torn apart by the events of WW2.  The mother goes off to Japan to
look after her sick grandmother.  The father's sister comes to
help look after the children.  WW2 breaks out, and anybody of
Japanese ancestry is “evacuated” from the BC coastal region, and sent
to “internment camps.”  The father is unexplainedly sent to a
different camp (as able-bodied working males were sent to work
camps).  The two children Naomi and Steven, aged 10 and 14, learn
to deal with racism, and being separated from their parents, as well as
the negative impacts of war.

All the performers, Jessica Cheung (Naomi), Gina Oh (mother, Obasan,
Mitzie), Sam Chung (Stephen), and Gene Wu (father, train
conductor,bully, Roughlock Bill), perform well.  Cheung really
conveys the innocence and wonder of a 10 year old, while Chung plays
her foil expressing the anger and resentment of being forced into the
internment camp. 

Oh and Wu perform well in their multiple roles, convincingly altering
ther performances with each character.  In Oh's case from a loving
mother, to a reserved aunt, and a youthful child named Mitzie.  Wu
does the same, first as a concerned an playful father figure, a racist
bully, and also as Rough Lock Bill, a First Nations character that
befriends the two children.

The action moves quickly, with multiple scene changes which the actors
create by moving screens around as part of their stage action.  It
is a wonderful way to experience a small performing arts production,
watching all this stage action unfold, as the set evokes Powell St, a
living room, a train, an internment camp, and a lakeside beach.

For this performance, it was a treat for the performers to be on a
raised stage, rather than floor level at the West Vancouver, or
Vancouver Public libraries.  But unfortunately if the performers
stood too close to the front the stage, they became back lit and their
faces were difficult to be seen.  The piano was also woefully out
of tune, but giving the performance and “old-time feel” to fit with
it's 1942 setting.

A question and answer was held folowing the performance, and a special
treat was that author Joy Kogawa came up on stage with the
performers.  Joy exclaimed that she is moved to tears, everytime
she sees the opera.  She said that it is a wonderful opportunity
for sharing the story of Japanese Canadians and for creating healing.

Questions covered many topics, but in this setting at the Japanese
Language School in Japantown, it was interesting to hear that many
former internment camp survivors thanked the performers for sharing the
story, and that they related very strongly to the performance.

At the end, I stood beside the pamphets for the Land Conservancy campaign to help save Kogawa House, and answered questions about the Save Kogawa House campaign.

also see:
my review of Naomi's Road premiere weekend,
my interview with Naomi's Road performers

Vancouver Storyscapes: Where the Chinese met the First Nations peoples


Vancouver Storyscapes: 
Where and when the Chinese met the First Nations peoples

On Friday, I had the pleasure to be part of the first Chinatown storyscapes
event bringing Chinese and First Nations peoples together and sharing
stories.  Storyscapes began as a project to discover and tell the
First Nations stories of Vancouver, growing out of the Aboriginal Art
program with Kamala Todd, Aboriginal Social Planner for the City of
Vancouver. I had been contacted by researcher Diana Leung, one of the
“story gatherers,” who was looking for stories of interactions between
Vancouver's Chinese and First Nations.

It
has been said that to know who we are, we need to know the stories to
which we belong. When you are an Aboriginal person living in the city,
it can sometimes be difficult to connect to your stories.

Vancouver.
This land is layered with ancient history, important happenings,
valuable teachings, and sacredness. But it’s not always easy to see
amongst the streets and buildings, signs and commerce of the city. Much
was erased with the colonial building of Vancouver. The stories and
cultural landscapes that have greatest visibility tend to be those of
the dominant Anglo culture. Consequently, many residents and visitors
have limited knowledge of the incredible depth of stories here on this
land. The roots we all share go much deeper than 200 years.

The
land and waters can tell you a great deal—stories about generations of
seasonal movements, animal paths, stream meanderings, abundant riches.
Likewise there is much to be learned about the knowledge,
contributions, struggles, and everyday lives of Aboriginal people
here—both the indigenous Coast Salish people and the diversity of urban
Aboriginal people who have made this place their home.
   
              
              
              
              
            –
  from the Storyscapes description

The Storyscapes team introduced themselves:  Kamala Todd and George Hui are the project leaders, with
Tania Willard, Project manager;  Helen Ma, Planning
Assistant;  Storygatherer/researchers are Terry Point, Mandy
Nahanee, Michelle Mah (Fred Mah's daughter), Diana Leung with Karen
Henry, Public Art Consultant.

We were at the SUCCESS Hall, on Pender St., right beside the Millenium Gate,  How fitting that one of the special guest panelists was Vancouver architect Joe Wai
(my cousin), who is considered one of Chinatowns heritage guardians
according to Vancouver Magazine October 2005 story, “Chinatown
Calculations.”  Wai said our grandfather had come to Canada in the
1800's, and that he came as an young immigrant.  Wai said he had
more questions than stories, and acknowledged the early history of
Chinese pioneers such as the voyages of Chinese admiral Zheng He in 1421, and the first recorded landing of Chinese artisans at Nootka Sound with Captain John Meares.

Just before we got started, I asked Larry Grant
if he'd ever been mistaken for being Chinese.  He told me he was
half-Chinese and had grown up on both the Musqueam Reserve and in
Strathcona neighborhood.  His former sister-in-law is former
Musqueam Chief, Wendy Grant.  Larry gives a welcome in his
language, and speaks very thoughfully and gentlely.  He
acknowledges the ancestral Musqueam land, and Qayqayt lands, nodding to
Qayqayt Chief, Rhonda Larrabee sitting beside him. Larry shares some of
his stories and experiences growing up.

Rhonda Larrabee grew up in Vancouver Chinatown/Strathcona, thinking she was Chinese, a descendant of Rev. Chan Yu Tan.  But she learned later that her mother was Qayqayt First Nations, and in 2005 a film called Tribe of One,
told her story to reclaim her First Nations status and heritage. 
Rhonda acknowledged our Uncle Dan (her father's and my grandmother's
younger brother), who was sitting in the audience.

Howe Lee is a retired lieutenant colonel, and a founding member of both the Chinese Canadian Military Museum and the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC
Howe talked about how some of the Chinese railway builders found refuge
in First Nations villages, after the railway was finished and the
promise to send Chinese back to China was reneged.  He grew up in
in Shuswap, in the North Okanagan and told some stories from that area.

Fred Mah is one Chinatown's historians putting in lots of work on the Chinatown Revitalization Committee, and many others.

Bing C. Wong,
more known for being Chinatown's first Chartered Accountant, is also a
WW2 Veteran, and has been working to develop a First Nations project
called “Totem Town”, that could be a tourist attraction next door to
Gastown and Chinatown.  “Uncle Bing” is an old family friend, whom
I have known ever since I was a child.  He grew up at Alert Bay,
where his father ran a store amongst the large aboriginal population
there.

Louis Smith is an aboriginal veteran, whom I have met
when attending events for the Chinese Canadian vetertans.  Louis
talked about his roots in the aboriginal and mixed race Canadian
background. 

It was a very interesting afternoon, hearing
the intersections of Chinese and First Nations peoples and it served to
help develop a bonding between the groups.  People in the small
audience could relate to the stories told by the many special
speakers. 

I shared a creation story, about why First
Nations and Chinese peoples are born with blue spots on the
bottoms.  It is called a Mongolian spot, or Mongolian Birthmark.
My story relates to how the two cultures believe that their real home
is the spirit world, and the physical world is full of lessons, and
hardships…. so the soul has to be “kicked out.” 
Everybody can relate to the story, and some of them laugh in
recognition.  I think it serves to show that despite our stories
about Chinese seeking refuge in First Nations villages, and aboriginals
seeking refuge in Chinatown – all from racist elements from the
dominant Anglo culture, that we really do have more in common than just
discrimination for not being White.  Perhaps we really all ONE
people, spiritually at least.

Joy Kogawa in Toronto March 9th, Church of Holy Trinity

Joy Kogawa in Toronto March 9th, Church of Holy Trinity


Joy
Kogawa addresses the large crowd the filled the Church of the Holy
Trinity for the fundraiser book launch of Emily Kato – photo Henryk
Fibich


A large book launch for Joy Kogawa's rewritten “Emily Kato” and fundraiser event for the Save Kogawa House campaign too place at the Church of Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto on March 9th.

Anton Wagner is the Toronto coordinator and the national chair of
the Save Kogawa House committee.  There were several speakers and
lots of pictures taken.  And we will do our best to post them.


Joy Kogawa reads from “Emily Kato” at the Church of the Holy Trinity for
the fundraiser book launch of Emily Kato – photo Henryk Fibich

Anton writes:

It's going to take me a day or so to write up Joy's reading last night  for the www.kogawa.house.com website and to thank all the participants who contributed to its success.

Fortunately
we decided to start the evening early with selling books  and
having Joy sign them. There were long line ups before the official
welcome and  at the conclusion when Joy again signed books and
spoke to the many
friends who came to see her. I was also glad to see a good number of Japanese
Canadians present and the editor of the Nikkei Voice taking notes for a future
article.  Many thanks to Tomoko Makabe  who handled the book sales and subsequent accounting so efficiently.

Great
side benefits were a strong show of support for Joy, the big article in
the Globe and Mail, one or two CBC radio spots Joy did.

Regrets
from Bill Graham's and Jack Layton's office for not being able to
attend, a very good turn out that showed the writers groups and donors
that there is public support for what we are doing, and building a
strong base of support at the Church of the Holy Trinity.

There
were five photographers present so we should get some good photos and
the whole event was filmed by videographer Edimburgo Cabrera. I'm
passing on two dvds of the event to Bill for distribution.
Best wishes, Anton.

The
event was also attended by Bill Turner O.C., who is executive director
of The Land Conservancy, which is spearheading the fundraising campaign
for the preservation of  Kogawa House.

Anton
and friends did a wonderful job and a wonderful thing.  It was
packed.  Every one was very moved.   It has opened
several new doors.    We will have some number together
in the next day or so.
I just can't thank the “Toronto” crew enough.  It is so good to see these good people working together for a common good.
– Bill Turner, executive director The Land Conservancy

MingPao: May Chiu blasts Bev Oda for the Heritage Department turning down request to help save Joy Kogawa's childhood home

imageimage
MingPao:  May Chiu blasts Bev Oda for the Heritage Department turning down request to help save Kogawa House

May Chiu
was the fiesty Chinese Canadian who ran against then Liberal Prime
Minister Paul Martin in the 2005 Federal Election.  May ran for
the Bloc Quebecois, and also on a committment for Chinese Canadian
redress for head tax / Exclusion Act.  She also had a baby 5 days
before the election.  The first polling result had Chiu in the
lead before Martin took over the path to re-election.

Cheuk Kwan is a film-maker and created the wonderful documentary series Chinese Restaurants which I wrote a review about.



Joy Kogawa is the author of Obasan
who wrote fictionalized accounts about the Japanese Canadian
internment, redress and other issues, in her books Obasan, Naomi's
Road, Itsuka / Emily Kato, and The Rain Ascends.  Information and
  donations about the
Save Kogawa House can be sent to The Land Conservancy.



The following article ran in MingPao – a chinese daily newspaper

MingPao March 10, 2006 Friday Page A3

 
May
Chiu blasts Harper saying Oda appointment was a mistake – says Oda is
the wrong candidate to negotiate Head Tax redress compensation
 
MingPao in Ottawa
– The Conservative Heritage Minister Bev Oda has made a decision
refusing 350 thousand dollars in funding to help a human rights and
cultural group to buy up and preserve the former residence of a well
known author of Japanese descent.  The reason given was “the lack of a
suitable item”.  Author Joy Kogawa’s 100 year old house is going to be
torn down at the end of this month.  Oda’s decision has brought attacks
from head tax redress groups from major cities all over
Canada.
 
In the book “Obasan” published in 1981, Kogawa described how 22 thousand Japanese-Canadians in Western Canada were labeled “citizens of an enemy country” and were confined during the 2nd World War and she wrote about the pain of separation of families.
 
In that book, she once again mentioned the former residence built with wood that she and her family had lived in.  
 
Kogawa
and her parents were all locked up in concentration camp.  Japanese
Canadian human rights groups went to the federal govt after the war
demanding apology and compensation.  The Oda family belonged to the
group which opposed redress.
 
Legal
counsel May Chiu representing the Montreal Head Tax Redress Alliance
said: “ Conservative’s Harper “has eyes but failed to see”, in
appointing someone as Heritage Minister who has no respect whatsoever
for the historical contribution made by different ethnic groups within
the country and what these groups did during nation building process in
Canada.  This person does not have a sense of social justice, and is
not a candidate to negotiate the Head Tax redress that we are asking
for. “
 
Cheuk Kwan, long time participant in Head Tax redress efforts in Toronto
pointed out that Oda is against individual compensation.  “Prospects
don’t look good in negotiating with her for an apology and redress”.
 Sid Tan agrees with this view.  Tan is a well known fighter/Head tax
activist in
Vancouver.
He
said:”Oda and her father together both were opposed to the Federal
Conservative Government's offer back in 1988 of an apology and
compensation made to the Japanese Canadians in the entire country.
 That she suggested only an acknowledgement but without individual
compensation comes as no surprise at all to me. “
 
King Wai Tse (editor's note: I think this is William Dere) of the Montreal Head Tax Alliance feels that Oda’s  refusal to acknowledge Kogawa’s contribution to the history of Canada was most unfortunate.”

Richmond News: Story about Tomsett Elementary students visiting childhood home of Joy Kogawa

Richmond News:

  

Story about Tomsett students visiting childhood home of Joy Kogawa


Joy Kogawa accompanies Tomsett
Elementary School children's visit to her childhood home, after the
teacher and students contacted her.  They had read the book
Naomi's Road, and seen the Vancouver Opera touring production of
Naomi's Road.  Principal Sabine Harper and teacher Joan Young were
thrilled when Joy returned their letter inquiry, and an offer to visit
the house was extended. – photo courtesy of Joan Young.

I just found this Richmond News on-line story about Joy Kogawa with
the Tomsett Elementary School children visit which took place on
February 21st.  On February 25th, I met teacher Joan Young as she
joined the Save Kogawa House committee for a dinner social meeting. She
sent me pictures and a letter describing the visit
Joy is presently in Toronto for the Emily Kato book launch at Trinity
Church – pictures and description from Save Kogawa House Toronto
coordinator, Anton Wagner, to come soon.  He did send me as
message today that it went well, and that he would send pictures soon.

Richmond News reporter Eve Edmonds writes

Students join campaign to save Kogawa house

By Eve Edmonds

What began as a history
lesson about the internment of Japanese Canadians has morphed into a
political campaign for a group of Grade 3/4 students at Tomsett
elementary.

The students will meet
face to face with Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan tomorrow to appeal to
him to save the childhood home of author Joy Kogawa.

“This is a wonderfully
real educational experience,” says Tomsett principal Sabrina Harpe.
“It's an opportunity for public speaking, letter writing and field
trips.”

Kogawa wrote Naomi's Road,
an autobiographical novel about a child who was interned with her
family in the Slocan Valley during the Second World War.

The students read the book
and saw the children's opera version of the story when the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra toured through a number of Richmond schools.

For full story click on http://www.richmond-news.com/issues06/025106/news/025106nn2.html