11/18/14

UPDATE: KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

UPDATE: KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN 
Last update posted 12/30/14
...67 backers...$10,402 pledged of $10,000 goal...36 hours left.....ends  

 ....WE REACHED OUR GOAL!!! 
     
    .......WOO HOO!!!
 


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

~We of the Poston Community Alliance are well on our way towards reaching our goal of $10,000 for funding our documentary film -- "For the Sake of the Children"

Please join us in making a small contribution as we continue to raise funds to complete this most important film.... Every dollar counts.....and only a few more days.....

You can find more information about how to make a donation and rewards you will receive at our Kickstarter Campaign website at:Poston Documentary Film Kickstarter Website  (click here)


For the Sake of the Children's video poster
...Now, 70 years later after World War II, "For the Sake of the Children", explores the legacy of the Japanese American incarceration, its impact on current generations who are descendants of families who were incarcerated and the complex interplay of culture, racial prejudice, history, and intergenerational differences. Rich with interviews with mothers, who gave birth to and raised children while imprisoned in confinement sites, and three generations of descendants, this film will incorporate archival footage, vintage family film clips, children’s book illustrations and contemporary verité footage. Interviews will be filmed throughout the United States.

....."For the Sake of the Children" captures the diverse voices of women who surmounted imprisonment, racial prejudice and displacement and resettlement.....

....."For the Sake of the Children" follows the journeys of a variety of Japanese Americans from four generations in searching for their identity as Americans with a unique Japanese American heritage......

Why We Need Your Help....
     Although we have receive a few grants to fund our film, we need additional funds to complete our project.  The budget is significantly greater than we originally anticipated.  We initially sought to create a short documentary film with funding received in 2011 from the National Park Service's, Confinement Sites Grant Program.   
     Recently in May 2104, we were fortunate and honored to be awarded a grant of $20,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts. To do justice to our narrative structure and premise, we decided to create a feature-length film.   
     We are finding that we have additional costs to cover for travel, shooting in multiple states, production design, sound and distribution. With every penny earned from our Kickstarter campaign, the Poston Community Alliance, a non-profit organization, will apply them to the cost of producing and distributing our film.   
  
   Thank you for your interest and support.
  
Thank you.

Marlene Shigekawa
Board Member/Project Director
Poston Community Alliance
956 Hawthorne Dr.
Lafayette, CA 94549
Email address: Postonalliance1(at) gmail (dot)com

8/21/14

Then and Now: Recent gatherings of old friends.....

 (L-R) Amy N (305), Mary M (305), Hankus N (308), 
Lilyan N (305), and Mary H (305)
 
 BLOCK 305 GIRLS at Poston, Ariz. 1945
 (L-R): Mary M, Lydia N, Mary O, Mary H, Amy N, and June K
  
 (L-R): Nori H (305), Midori N (318), Larry I (308)
and Sammy N (318)

 BLOCK 308 at Poston, Ariz. 1945
 (L-R): Amy I, Ann I, Larry I, Charles I
 
  Block 305 
(L-R): Lilyan N., Ed N., and Ron N.
 
 BLOCK 305 at Poston, Ariz. 1945
Lilyan N. 
  
 BLOCK 305  Resettlement photo 1945
(L-R):Lily, Ron N and Ed N. 
Photo credit: National Archives 
 
 BLOCK 305  Resettlement photo 1945
Ed N.
Photo credit: National Archives
  BLOCK 305 Resettlement photo 1945
Ed N.
Photo credit: National Archives
 
 Seated (L-R): Mollie (305), Aiko (305), and Louise (305)
Standing (L-R): Herb A. (305), Rosie (309), Kenneth M. (309), Tosh (308), 
Hiko (327), Lilyan N. (305), Taye (305) and Frank A. (305).
BLOCK 309  Resettlement photo 1945
(L-R): Kaudy M, Kenneth M, Akiko M.  
Photo credit: National Archives

BLOCK 305  Resettlement 1945
(L-R):  Shigeko A, Frank A, Kenji A
 Photo credit: National Archives
BLOCK 305 Poston, Ariz. 1945
Front (L-R): Herb A, Gordon N
Standing (L-R): George N, Lydia N, Tamaji N, 
Wm K (camp 2), Lily and Ron N.

7/21/14

REUNION, Anyone?

Are you interested in attending 
the next Poston REUNION?

 Family, friends, and kids are welcome!














 Lots of helpers are needed.  Post your reply on "comments" below.

7/12/14

National J.A.C.L. Convention 2014-San Jose, CA

A short film clip of our documentary film project shown followed by discussion.
Poston Community Alliance table in the Exhibit Room
Our board members, Marlene Shigekawa and Robert Shintaku
Poston Block book information and DVD, "Passing Poston"
Our documentary film project article in the Pacific Citizen newspaper
Learning about the Poston, Arizona concentration camp.  
  His mother was evacuated from Huntington Beach, CA.  
We spoke with many others with relatives who were incarcerated at Poston, Arizona. 

Henry Kaku brought and shared his family's war-time photos.
 Pictured with our board members, Roberta Barton and Don Aoki.  Don identified his father in a photo of prisoners incarcerated at the Department of Justice internment camp in Bismarck, North Dakota. What a surprise and great genealogical find for Don!  How exciting!!!
Old pals reunite at the Poston Community Alliance table.
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Norm Mineta came by even though he was not incarcerated at Poston, Arizona
Pictured with our board members, Dianne Kiyomoto and Don Aoki

6/18/14

Come and Meet Us!

  

    Visit with us at the 2014 National  J.A.C.L. Convention
 The convention runs July 9-12, 2014

 Doubletree Hotel
2050 Gateway Place
San Jose, CA 95110  


(Located less than 1/2 mile from the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport)


**See us at the EXHIBITION AREA:
Friday, July 11, 2014 : 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Saturday July 12, 2014 : 8:00 AM-12 Noon

6/15/14

JA CONFINEMENT SITES 2014 GRANT PROGRAM

 

Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant
                  FISCAL YEAR 2014 GRANT AWARD

Project: Historic Structures Assessment and Stabilization for the Poston Elementary School Site
Grant Award: $163,750
Site: Colorado River (Poston) Relocation Center, La Paz County, AZ

 Photo credit: Kimberly Mayo
Description: The Poston Community Alliance will assess the condition of the rapidly deteriorating elementary school buildings at the former Poston site and create a plan to stabilize and preserve these historic resources. The project will also result in the temporary stabilization of the buildings, while a phased restoration plan is developed for future work.
Source: http://www.nps.gov/hps/HPG/JACS/projects.html
  
ABOUT THE JAPANESE AMERICAN CONFINEMENT SITES GRANT PROGRAM
      Congress established the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) grant program (Public Law 109-441, 16 USC 461) for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II.  The law authorized up to $38 million for the entire life of the grant program to identify, research, evaluate, interpret, protect, restore, repair, and acquire historic confinement sites in order that present and future generations may learn and gain inspiration from these sites and that these sites will demonstrate the nation’s commitment to equal justice under the law.
    Japanese American Confinement Sites grants are awarded to preserve and interpret U.S. Confinement Sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. Grants are awarded to organizations and entities working to preserve historic Japanese American confinement sites and their history, including: private nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and state, local, and tribal governments, and other public entities. Grants will be awarded through a competitive process and require a 2:1 Federal to non-Federal match ($2 Federal to $1 non-Federal match).

Source:  http://www.nps.gov/hps/HPG/JACS/

           We need your help to meet 
the required 
"non-Federal match"
(Click on Paypal located on the left sidebar)


6/2/14

Recent meeting

 
Poston Community Alliance Board members in attendance.
Pictured (L-R): Bob Shintaku, Marlene Shigekawa, Nancy Takahashi (and husband), Colleen Hayashi, Don Aoki, Dianne Kiyomoto, and Roberta Barton.  Not pictured: Caitlin Hawks who participated on a conference call line.

5/31/14

Pictures of Poston Today


















 Photos courtesy of Kimberly Mayo