Mitsuye Yamada

Acclaimed poet, feminist writer, and human rights activist. Much of Yamada’s work draws on the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans.

Continue reading

Shimeji Kanazawa

Nisei activist who was the community liaison between the Japanese community and the military government in Hawai’i during World War II. She later supported community causes for the elderly like Project Dana.

Continue reading

Ruth Nomura Tanbara

In August of 1942, Ruth Tanbara and her husband, Earl, were the first Japanese Americans to resettle in St. Paul as a result of President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. They assisted the St. Paul Resettlement Committee during World War II and remained in the city after the war’s end, becoming life-long community leaders in St. Paul.

Continue reading

Susan Kikuchi

Susan Kikuchi was a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company (MGDC) and served as Director of the Graham Ensemble and School, and Artistic Program Manager of MGDC. She has re-staged many Graham works for the MGDC, Joffrey Ballet, Boston Conservatory and other companies.

Continue reading

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald, a fearless and determined advocate for education, has demonstrated that the pursuit of knowledge is an act of resistance against injustice.

Continue reading