American Life

“Contract? No. You trust me. If you don’t like my job, don’t pay.” The Words of the painter, I took as the conscience of blue color.
I bet for a precious taste of Gentleman Agreement.
Just to find, he wanted to use up unpopular paint on my building.
 
“Credit? No. Not even total move-in-cost.”
Looking in his clear eyes, I accept the black youth as my tenant,
taking his word for it. Sometimes, I begged him, “Don’t betray my trust.” Overall, he certainly gave me a toast to human trust.
 
“Pay in advance for special order? No. You pay when the series start coming.” Japanese Bookstore in Japanese Community, People trust own people.
I felt tasting a drip of oasis in the desert continent.
Just to find out, they wanted to charge me a new higher rate.
 
“Escrow? No. That’s for American who don’t trust people.” I bought a property from my client WITHOUT escrow,
toasting for triumph over the American system based on DISTRUST.
Just to invite, “WITHOUT escrow? You must have done something fishy.”
 
Alas, Am I a fool? I refuse to learn. Whenever I feel “hope,”
I will take a chance, betting for a taste of human trust, the drip of oasis. Without it, I can’t survive in this desert continent.

          8/16/2000

When we put ourselves in the 1940s,
discrimination was legal and was taken for granted,
on top of which America had declared war against Japan
All Japanese Americans were suspected as "enemy aliens." 
would we have done the same thing in their position, "not to resist"
For the very survival of all Japanese Americans.

JACL, you did well to ensure the well-being of all Japanese Americans,
to reduce their suspicion of "enemy aliens."
even though you may not have been able to be fair to all of our people.
In such an emergency, unity was so essential; some individuals may have had to suffer unfairly
for the sake of the well-being of the majority.

Nisei veterans,
Being called "non-alien," you devoted yourselves to your country 
which refused to acknowledge you as a citizen.  
You had practiced the word of Mr. Kennedy long before him
 in the most dedicated form.
"Ask not what your country can do for you. 
Ask what you can do for your country." 

Nisei veterans,
Your devotion was more than the practice of Jesus's word,
 "Greater love has no man than this,
 that a man lay down his life for his friends."
 in this country which was founded on Christian ethics,
 yet failed to practice the most basic ethics, all people are equal.

Nisei veterans,
being dissonant with your parents who pledged loyalty to
 Japan,
transcending personal feelings, you devoted yourselves to your own country,
America.
That was the very practice of Japanese Virtue
though ironically, you had to call Japan an "enemy,"
though you did not speak Japanese
Nisei veterans,
you have accomplished the highest conduct a human can achieve
maintaining high self-esteem 
all through hardship and adversity.
If you could do all that, why can't we do the same 
in this era and the era to come.

In this contemporary era, 
discrimination is illegal, not supposed to be,
to fight against yet-existing injustice and unfairness is prevailing value.
From this perspective, we cannot ignore the Nisei brothers who refused to be drafted, 
protesting for unconstitutional incarceration.
Two Nisei brothers sued the Giant Government to defend your right as a 
Citizen

It was a very pathetic attempt, with no hope of winning.
Without any support, even from own group, 
Yet, you bravely pursue the principle.
Knowing it would never be granted,
Knowing it would risk the well-being of yourselves and others of your own group.
But yet, you could not help but stick to the principle.

Being rejected and resented by the whole world,
it must have been a bitter and lonely journey.  
We extend great sympathy to your soul.
If you could have pursued your principles amidst that hardship,
we should be able to do so in this era and the era to come.

Nisei Veterans, brothers,
we vow to inherit
the greatest legacy you have accomplished in
that hardest era.

          2/18/1995