Japanese Americans supporting the candidacy of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were a presence at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week.
The group, which seeks to organize Nikkei around the country, is co-chaired by Amy Watanabe, associate of Nakatomi PR and associate producer of Mineta Legacy Project; Alex Hetherington, an administrative director of the U.S. Senate; former Rep. Mike Honda of San Jose; Floyd Mori, former president/CEO of Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies; and actress/activist Tamlyn Tomita.
Reps. Jill Tokuda of Hawaii, Mark Takano of Riverside and Doris Matsui of Sacramento serve as members of the leadership council.
Tokuda, speaking on Aug. 21 from Chicago, evoked the memory of her great-grandfather, whom she called jiji.
“My great-grandfather was sent away from his home in Pu?unēnē, Maui to Honouliuli on Oahu … and ultimately Santa Fe, New Mexico. The whole time, while my grandfather, his son, served in the Military Intelligence Service, helping to defend a country that saw him as an enemy.
“We could go back, quite frankly, if we lose this election. That is exactly what’s at stake, and as Kamala Harris, Tim Walz says, we will not go back, we must not go back, because, especially for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander communities, we’ve been there, and that is not the future that we want for our children.”
Marsha Aizumi, Southern California LGBTQ+ rights activist and co-founder of the first PFLAG chapter for Asian Pacific Islanders, serves on the organizing committee. She said she was campaigning as a “mother who loves her son.”
“And I am so excited for my son, for all the LGTBQ+ individuals …Hope has allowed joy and possibilities to once again come back into our lives,” she said.