A Voice in the Wilderness
What might a Christian minister say to his congregation to prepare them for unjust suffering? What hope could he offer in the face of the uncertain future? Sermons and testimonies…
A People Displaced
Evacuation Orders Throughout the spring of 1942, notices posted on telephone poles and public buildings informed Japanese Americans of the impending evacuation: “ALL PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY, BOTH ALIEN AND…
The Church’s Response
The Nikkei church did its best to remain calm amidst the storm. For instance, the morning after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Rev. Daisuke Kitagawa offered his services as an…
Executive Order 9066
Ten weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized Executive Order 9066,[1] resulting in the forced relocation and incarceration of almost 120,000…
A Date That Will Live In Infamy
On December 7, 1941, Imperial Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a preemptive strike against “the sleeping giant,” the United States of America. Many Nikkei Christians were attending church…
Viewing Immigration Through a Gospel Lens
I am the grandchild of immigrants. Some came to America legally, and others did not; some came for adventure and others for survival. In our family are runaways, refugees, orphans,…
A Call for Asian American Church Planters
I never intended to plant a church. My journey began 10 years ago, and it happened quite by accident. I had always been told that church planters were extroverted, entrepreneurial,…
A Letter to My Children About Racism
To my children, You have heard recently about Asian Americans being mocked or harmed because of their ethnic origin. This is not a new occurrence in our country’s history, but…
In Honor of Kay Jen and Yun Yee Tom
My grandfather, Kay Jen Tom, was born on October 10, 1909, in the Toishan region of China near the city of Canton (now Guangzhou).[1] He was either orphaned or sold…
An Immigrant Story
My wife and her family were refugees from Vietnam and her father’s father was an immigrant from southern China. Over a period of years, Amanda and I have worked on…