Join JETAA Florida for a discussion on the social justice legacy of the Japanese American (“Nisei”) soldiers of the 100th/442nd RCT who overcame poverty and prejudice to become and continues to be the most decorated outfit in US military history for its size and length of service. The discussion will feature Dr. Lynn Heirakuji, President and Board Member of the Nisei Veterans Legacy, whose father was a member of the 442nd RCT, who will provide a general historical background on the Nisei Soldier story with a focus on the Hawaii experience. Commentary from panelists Diane Hirabayashi Carter, Collections Assistant at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, and Dr. Mitzi Uehara Carter, Assistant Teaching Professor of Anthropology, East Asian Studies, and the African and Africa Diaspora Program at Florida International University will provide remarks on the Nisei legacy in the Florida/mainland context and its significance to present-day social justice movements, particularly with regard to the rise in Anti-Asian sentiment in 2021 during the
COVID-19 pandemic.