Adios to Tears - An Evening of Asian and Latino Culture to benefit Japanese Latin American Redress

Adios to Tears: An Evening of Asian and Latino Culture will feature Los Otros - A New Chicano Groove with guest saxophonist Francis Wong; Asian Crisis - Pan Asian Percussion and New Experiments in Sound with special guests Destiny and Unity; and D.H. Naomi Quinones -spoken word artist . This benefit concert for Japanese Latin American Redress will take place on Thursday, October 7th, 8 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center, located at 3107 Shattuck (near Ashby BART station) in Berkeley. Tickets are $8 - 15 (sliding scale). For information call (415) 221-2608 or check www.asianimprov.com or www.sondelbarrio.com. Presented by Asian Improv aRts and Son Del Barrio Records, in association with the Campaign for Justice and Day of Remembrance Consortium.

Los Otros are a rare and exciting musical discovery. Emerging from the California-wide Chicano Groove music scene, Los Otros provide a striking new voice that sits somewhere along the fuzzy border between Latin and American rock and roll. The regular line-up of Russell Rodriguez, Chris Gonzalez Clarke, Mario Barrera, B.J. Lucero and John Costalupes incorporates traditional Mexican and Cuban styles with contemporary influences and themes reflecting their diverse experiences. Since their inception a year and a half ago, Los Otros have shared the stage with many of their own musical inspirations including: Los Lobos, Jackson Brown, Cesar Rosas, Bonnie Raitt, Quetzal, Booker T and the MGs and others. Their debut CD Radio Chon, produced by Los Lobos vocalist and guitarist Cesar Rosas is available on the Son Del Barrio label. Saxophonist/flutist Francis Wong will be a special guest for this show. Wong is one of the Bay Area's most versatile and prolific proponents of Asian American music and cross-cultural collaborations.

Asian Crisis is an eclectic, Pan Asian ensemble whose musical experiments seek to affirm Asian American identity and activism through sound. Exploring Okinawan, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese and African musical traditions as well as jazz, gospel, soul, funk and hip hop, Asian Crisis is on a mission "to unite the positive elements in the community for social/aural change. Part of a new movement of socially conscious artists, the ensemble includes Meena Makhijani (tabla), Francis Lacsamana (sarunay and electric bass), Art Hirahara (keyboard/percussion), John Kim (changgo, puk, percussion), Jason M. Jong (taiko/percussion), and special guests Unity (guitar, vocals) and Destiny (harp). The ensemble evolved from jam sessions at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center and has been featured recently in "Experiments in New Beats: Asian Hip Hop with Zhaldee, and a double bill with Jon Jang and Five Generations.

D.H. Naomi Quinones, spoken word artist, performed most recently with Asian American Theater Company's Women Writers and the Latina Theater Lab's workshop production, "Dragon Lady vs Pocahontas." Of Japanese and Peruvian heritage, Quinones' solo piece, "JLA" -- about the abduction, incarceration and exile of her Japanese Peruvian grandfather -- has been warmly received for its artistic and emotional power.

Adios to Tears is the title of an autobiography by Japanese Peruvian Seiichi Higashide, chronicling his immigration from Japan to Peru, his abduction and internment by the US, and his resettlement in the US. Second reprint of Adios to Tears - Memoirs of a Japanese Peruvian Internee in US Concentration Camps is now available through University of Washington Press.

About Japanese Latin American Redress - See below. # # #

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ALIEN ABDUCTION?
A Brief Background on Japanese Latin American Redress

While the American public becomes more aware of the World War II internment
of Japanese Americans, it is still a surprise for many to learn that persons
of Japanese ancestry were forcibly deported from their homes in Latin America
and incarcerated in internment camps in the US for the purpose of hostage
exchange. Not only did the US government violate the civil rights of its own
citizens, but it also went outside its borders and violated the human rights
of civilians in Latin America.

The Hidden Story of Japanese Latin Americans during World War II

From December 1941 to 1945, the US government orchestrated the forcible
deportation of 2264 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry from 13
Latin American countries. These Japanese Latin Americans (JLA) were to be
used as hostages for exchange for American prisoners of war held by Japan.
Of the JLA, 1800 were Japanese Peruvians.

The JLA were transported over international borders and incarcerated in US
Department of Justice internment camps. Their passports were confiscated
upon entry to the US, thereby rendering them "illegal aliens." Most of the
JLA were interned in a former migrant labor camp at Crystal City, Texas.
Over 500 JLA were included in two prisoner of war exchanges in 1942 and 1943.


The remaining JLA were deemed "illegal aliens" and threatened with
deportation from the US. Because the Peruvian government refused to readmit
any Japanese Peruvians, even those who were Peruvian citizens or married to
Peruvians, over 900 JLA were deported to war-devastated Japan. 300 JLA
remained in the US and fought deportation through the courts. Eventually
about 100 Japanese Peruvians were able to return to Peru. It was not until
1952 that the JLA in the US were able to apply for permanent residency. Many
later became American citizens.

These violations of civil and human rights were not justified by a security
threat. Rather, it was the outcome of historic racism, anti-foreign
prejudice, economic competition and political opportunism during a time of
war.

Limits of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988

While the historic Civil Liberties Act of 1988 provided Japanese Americans
interned during World War II with individual payments of $20,000 each, an
official apology and an educational fund, JLA were not eligible because they
were considered "illegal aliens" at the time of internment.

Seeking Redress Equity and Human Rights

In 1998, the controversial Mochizuki lawsuit filed by JLA provided a
settlement of $5,000 each to JLA. Some JLA, like the Shibayama brothers,
opted out of that settlement, and continue to fight for redress equity and
human rights. This fall, a federal judge is expected to rule on the US
government's attempt to dismiss the Shibayama's case.

Funds are needed to sustain these lawsuits, public education, and the
campaign for justice and dignity. For further information and to
contribute, contact the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project (JPOHP) at
(510) 528-7288.