The Twin Cities JACL commemorates the 79th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 with a "Day of Remembrance" program that includes a screening of "Conscience and the Constitution."
This is the audio of the video presentation on February 21, 2021 (viewable here: https://youtu.be/M6q6tM6gfgg). Due to copyright limitations, it includes the introduction of the panelists and the post-film discussion but does not include the film itself. You may order your own copy of the film from: https://resisters.com/conscience-and-the-constituion/orders/. It can also be viewed on Amazon with a Prime subscription.
"Conscience and the Constitution" is an hour-long, award-winning PBS documentary that tells the story of the draft resistance movement at Heart Mountain during World War II. A conversation following the film focuses on the contemporary significance of this story. Participants include Frank Abe, the film's writer, producer, and director, Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Japanese American and Muslim students from the University of Minnesota.
Our speakers:
Frank Abe (he/him) is a journalist, reporter, writer, producer, director, actor, and a founding member of the Asian American Theater Workshop in San Francisco and of the Asian American Journalists Association in Seattle. His involvement with producing the two original "Day of Remembrance" events in Seattle and Portland gave media attention to the campaign for redress. He received the 2019 American Book Award for "John Okada: The Life and Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy," and has written a new graphic novel, "We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration," coming in March.
Jaylani Hussein (he/him) is the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). His family emigrated from Somalia to Minnesota in 1993. Hussein holds degrees in community development and city planning from St. Cloud State University and political science from North Dakota State University. He has collaborated with the Twin Cities JACL on various programs to discuss the relevance of the Japanese American incarceration in the present day and to foster understanding within the broader community.
Haruka Yukioka (they/them) is a queer, nonbinary, shin-nisei Japanese American. They are a student at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities studying Music Education, Asian American Studies, and Racial Justice in Urban Schooling. Haruka also serves as the 2020-2021 External Vice-President of the Asian American Student Union. Haruka is passionate about racial and queer/trans justice, and is constantly looking to learn more about Asian American activism and cross-racial solidarity.
Ismahan Ali (she/her) is a Muslim, Somali American First-Generation student at the University of Minnesota-TC. She's receiving her B.S in Developmental Psychology and minor in Communications. She's also serving as the Events Coordinator for the Al-Madinah Cultural Center at the U for the 2020-21 Academic Year. Some areas of passion for her are pursuing Muslim, Immigrant, and Racial Justice as well as ensuring Children's Welfare.
This program is funded by the Karen and Les Suzukamo Fund, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
