One of the most effective ways to engage people in actions that lead to a more just society is to bring to light their shared experiences of suffering and freedom. “Tsuru for Solidarity” is an organization that does just that.
“Tsuru for Solidarity” is a community of Japanese folks and Japanese American folks who began by folding paper cranes (tsuru is the Japanese word for crane) as a community expression of hope and healing. They also began to see clear and troubling parallels between the current efforts to incarcerate people coming across the Southern US border with Mexico, and the internment of the Japanese during World War II. So they are taking action in solidarity with folks who are protesting ICE detention camps. They are also active in social justice in other ways, such as supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
If you are interested in exploring the ways that those who are racially targeted can either work for or against each other, you might be interested in community conversations sponsored by Tsuru for Solidarity. In particular:
From Barbed Wire to Defund the Police: A community conversation on surveillance, detention, and incarceration
September 19th 10am-12pm PDT
Join a conversation with a panel of nationally recognized advocates and organizers moderated by Carl Takei, Tsuru for Solidarity Co-Chair. The panel will weave together Japanese American incarceration with contemporary examples of mass incarceration, state surveillance, and immigrant detention.
Divide and Conquer: Japanese and Black Americans Post-War and Now
October 24th 10am-12pm PDT
This session focuses on understanding how the intersection of Black and Japanese American lives after WWII set the stage for perpetuating racism and division. We explore the historical perspective through personal stories to shed light on how anti-Blackness and the myth of the model minority separated our communities. Our final conversation will be moderated by Tsuru for Solidarity Co-Chair, Satsuki Ina.
October 24th 1pm-3pm PDT
The workshop will be followed by Healing Circles for Change to allow participants to join small groups to share thoughts how the historical experiences shared in the workshop have influenced their own lives and attitudes, and what steps can be taken to support the Movement for Black Lives today.