Nisei Week
Nisei Week (二世週祭, Nisei-shū Matsuri) is an annual festival celebrating Japanese American (JA) culture and history in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.
Nisei Week Foundation president for 2006, Michelle Suzuki, described the festival as "the opportunity for people of all backgrounds to celebrate Japanese heritage and culture".
Nisei Week draws tens of thousands of participants each year from both the Japanese community and Southern California area, mostly to its Grand Parade and specialized festivals.
The English speaking Nisei became a sought after potential revenue source to support Little Tokyo businesses dominated by Issei.
However, the possibility of being labelled as anti-American by anti-Japanese groups remained a concern, due to the collaboration of the two generations (American citizens and Japanese nationals) and cultural overtones of the festival.
Executive Order 9066 was initiated in 1942, relocating and confining Japanese Americans to internment camps, including those running Nisei Week.
[6][9] Retrospectively, the celebration was seen by Time Magazine as dual reminder: "Unofficially, it recalls an ugly footnote to American history: the World War II evacuation and internment of more than 110,000 West Coast Japanese, most of them native-born U.S.
The event was part of a larger "PULL strategy" program, which included marketing to increase brand recognition among Asians.
The parade features many varied participants, mostly from Southern California and Japan, including the following: local high school marching bands, ondo dancing groups, martial art dojos, elected parade marshals (usually celebrities or community heroes), Japanese and local politicians (such as the Mayor of Los Angeles), a mikoshi shrine, floats, pageant queens, taiko players, etc.
Spanning several hours, the Nisei Week Parade lasts long due to its many participants and slow walk pace of traditional Japanese dancers.
After World War II, exhibits were introduced about internment camps and JA veterans, including those of the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion.
The Car Show is one of the few admission based events at Nisei Week, covering the cash prize and logistics of a full fledge festival, including live entertainment and exhibits.
Today, the queen is crowned for her community service and presentation skills, with a formal coronation held for judging and celebration.
[19][20] During the one-year reign, the Nisei Week court members have the opportunity to gain wide exposure to global dignitaries and local industry leaders and the chance to travel to cities including Nagoya, Japan; San Francisco; and Honolulu, Hawaii to experience the various sister festivals and make life-long connections.
The Queens were viewed as bi-cultural, possessing "quiet charm" and "lively personality", attributed to Japanese and white Americans respectively.
Hagiwara believes the carnival will help foster Japanese American identity, giving JAs a medium to feel better about themselves and their heritage.
[23] In coordination with the Little Tokyo Service Center, Tofu Fest was added as a subcommittee to Nisei Week in 1996, focusing on Japanese cuisine and obon like atmosphere.
[24] The Nikkei Games offers competition and activities for Japanese American sports leagues, and open events such as running for children.
Other Japanese-American models, often past Nisei Week court members, walk the runway to represent the clothing lines.
Various community groups participate with colorful handmade paper ornament streamers called kazari, which literally means decoration in Japanese.
The event attracts top stars on the competitive eating circuit, with Joey Chestnut and Matt Stonie winning the past few years.
