By: Lise Tarui, GVJCI Program Development Intern

​My name is Lise Tarui, and I have been one of GVJCI’s Program Development Interns this summer. As a Japanese American who grew up in the United States, I lacked a strong Japanese community; I felt that the only resource I had to access Japanese culture was my family. Although I am lucky to be nisei, meaning I still have relatively close connections to Japanese culture and history, being born and raised in Los Angeles still gave me an Americanized upbringing. The result of this was feeling disconnected to my Japanese heritage.
 
My undergraduate education is what really ignited my desires to learn more about Japanese culture and history and to find pride in my identity. Despite feeling disconnected to my heritage in high school, I have since been committed to taking Japanese language courses and contributing to Nikkei Student Union (a Japanese culture club), and my dream for my future career is now to help strengthen U.S.-Japan relations. With that being said, I sought out this internship at GVJCI to help me reach my career plans.
 
My internship offered me more than I could have imagined. My main duties as a Program Development Intern included planning programs to help engage the South Bay Japanese American community, assisting in GVJCI’s Annual Matsuri Fundraiser, and drafting lesson plans and activities for the TANOSHII Fun Camp.
 
Through planning programs, I learned how to think creatively and to adapt plans. My first program I developed and led was the ‘Smartphone Photography Club’ that was part of the Tomodachi Program Series; this club provided a space for older adults in the community to learn more about smartphone photo, editing, and sending features, discuss any difficulties and questions they had, and share what they learned. This program was a great success and was the first time I felt very proud of my contributions to GVJCI and the South Bay Japanese American community in general.

​Another program I developed was not as much a success, but still taught me a lot. This program began as a way to connect South Bay Japanese Americans to Japanese individuals who were physically in Japan. However, due to logistical issues, this program was tabled and changed into a Scrapbooking Club. This club was meant for individuals to share and discuss their Japanese American experiences through scrapbooking. This club eventually changed to an art and writing program with the same ends, known as ‘Sharing Japanese American Experiences: Educating Younger Generations through Art.’ The pieces that were to be created through this program were meant to be shared with the campers at the TANOSHII Fun Camp. Despite adding an online submission option to the program, we did not get many submissions or participants and had to cancel the program. Although I was disappointed that this program couldn’t be executed, I still took with me the experiences of planning this program, adapting to difficulties, and thinking about ways to share the unique experiences of Japanese Americans in the area. Additionally, I learned that the best laid plans do not always work out.
 
My experience helping at GVJCI’s Annual Matsuri Fundraiser was extremely fulfilling. Starting with my article about this event, I learned a lot about the history of matsuri at GVJCI, the history of matsuri in general, and what this event means to people in the community. At the event, I worked with the other interns for the first time and learned how to fill in wherever I was needed. I was also able to see how thankful people were for how this event brings the community together.

The TANOSHII Fun Camp was my favorite experience of my internship. Drafting the plans for the activities and lessons weeks before and then watching it all unfold in the weeklong camp was an amazing experience. Being a counselor forced me to use my leadership skills. I found myself taking initiative, asking for help, and delegating with both the kids and the other counselors. The connections I made with the campers and the counselors made me wish that that exhausting week didn't have to come to an end.

Overall, I could not be happier with my experience interning at GVJCI and working with the GVJCI staff. I am positive that I will be returning to volunteer; I feel a deep connection to this community now and am committed to doing my part to contribute what I can.

By: Lise Tarui, GVJCI Program Intern

GVJCI is extremely proud of its tradition of hosting matsuri every year. This event has been put on for decades and continues to bring the community together. ​

By: Kimi Nagasaki, GVJCI Marketing & Social Media Intern

You might be familiar with the terms: issei, nisei, sansei, and yonsei, but what about gosei? Gosei is a term used to describe a fifth-generation descendant from Japanese emigrants. I am a gosei on both my mom and dad’s side of the family. As a gosei, I have always felt a little distant from my Japanese heritage, I never learned how to speak Japanese, my family celebrates only a handful of Japanese holidays, and I am a picky eater who refuses to eat ume, red bean paste, and natto. However, I still have a love and appreciation for Japanese food and culture; I love dancing at Obon, and of course, eating every type of Japanese noodle (ramen, udon, somen, soba). My identity as a Japanese American was confusing as a child. At school, I felt too Japanese for my friends, but amongst my teammates and peers from Asian-league basketball, I felt more Americanized. I’ve struggled to balance both identities, and I’m still learning to embrace both.​

To further understand my identity as a fifth-generation Japanese American, here’s a brief family history. In the 1940s, my dad’s parents were sent to concentration camps during World War II. My grandpa served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy, while his parents were placed behind barbed wire in Poston, Arizona. On the other hand, my mom’s parents had an entirely different experience on Oahu. They were not forced into concentration camps. Instead, my great-grandfather worked at an oil company and was able to provide his four children with private school education.
​I think the fact that my grandparents lived through a time where their loyalty to the United States was questioned, had a large impact on how they were to raise their children. In the 1950s and 60s, my parents lived pretty assimilated lives in Los Angeles County while also maintaining a connection to their Japanese heritage. My dad was quite connected to his extended Japanese family, he played basketball with other Japanese Americans, and worked in Little Tokyo as a high school student. My mom had a large group of Asian-American family friends from Hawaii and many of her lifelong best friends are Japanese American. Their mix of Japanese and American upbringings influenced them to, therefore, raise me in a similar way. ​

I also grew up in Los Angeles County, specifically Palos Verdes, and lived a very assimilated life here. I went to schools that were majority white and felt I needed to be more Americanized in order to fit in. In school, I felt a bit detached from my Japanese identity, but to make up for that loss, my parents did their best to connect me and my siblings to our Japanese heritage and community. We attended an Asian-American Christian church and my parents signed me and my siblings up for Asian-league basketball where we could connect with other Japanese American kids. I played on F.O.R. Hoku from 1st-12th grade and I’m so thankful that my parents signed me up to play on a F.O.R. team. I was able to meet so many of my close friends through F.O.R. and even volunteered at the annual GVJCI Matsuri Fundraiser–or as I’ve always called it, the JCI Carnival. I have many fond memories of going to the carnival to volunteer at the game booths, meet up with friends, eat good food, play bingo, and dance hula with Kanani Kalama Hula Studio. GVJCI has been the center of my JA experience and has truly provided me with a space to engage, share, and embrace Nikkei experience and culture. It’s crazy to believe that I am now an intern for this organization that has helped me connect with my Japanese heritage.​

I have loved my experience as a Marketing & Social Media Intern at GVJCI. This summer, I helped plan social media content for our Virtual Matsuri Fundraiser. I learned so much about managing social media accounts and what it takes to plan and execute marketing campaigns. I also gained valuable experience in tracking social media engagement in order to measure effective marketing strategies. Interning at GVJCI was more than just gaining marketing experience, it also allowed me to meet more people within the Japanese American community in the South Bay. During my time with GVJCI, I was able to meet Hideki Obayashi and Frank Nakano, owners of Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop and Azuma. I interviewed them for an article and we discussed how they came to own these two beloved local restaurants and how they have adjusted since the pandemic hit. In addition, I enjoyed going to the office for our monthly Senior Food Box Distributions. These drives provide fresh produce and canned goods for seniors in our community. The volunteers at our monthly drive are always so kind and it’s been a pleasure to meet these amazing community members. ​​

To close my time here at GVJCI, I helped out at our annual TANOSHII Fun Camp. TANOSHII has been one of my favorite parts of this internship not only because I get to hang out with the funniest little kiddos, but also to learn more about Japanese American culture and heritage. As I previously stated, I felt a little distant from my heritage as a gosei. But being a part of TANOSHII, I feel as though I’ve learned just as much as the young campers. During camp, I learned some Japanese language from our Japanese Language School teacher, Asaka Sensei. She taught us about different festivals and holidays in Japan like Tanabata and Otsukimi. We also made Japanese food like mochi and tsukemono, played taiko drums, and even went on a virtual field trip to Sunflower Farms Nursery, a local Japanese-owned small business. This opportunity at GVJCI was more than just your average internship. I gained hands-on experience in marketing, but more importantly, I had the chance to connect to my Japanese American heritage and community. 

​By: Kimi Nagasaki, GVJCI Marketing & Social Media Intern

Hideki Obayashi and Frank Nakano have been co-owners of Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop and Azuma Restaurant for 20 years. They first took over Gardena Bowl in the Spring of 2001, after the original owners decided to sell the coffee shop. Neither of them had experience going into this business, but their love for the food and the restaurant allowed them to continue running this local favorite. Gardena Bowl is a beloved business here in the South Bay that serves everything, from local food to comfort food. Some of Hideki and Frank’s favorites are the Lau Lau, Sausage and Eggs, Bacon Fried Rice, and Hawaiian Royal. ​

By: Scott Maccarone, Community Guest Contributor