A Nikkei Canadian Life: Intergenerational Storytelling with Mary Kitagawa & Karen M. Inouye

Join us on November 18 for an afternoon chat with Order of BC recipient Mary Kitagawa and Dr. Karen M. Inouye on intergenerational storytelling.  Anchored by Mary’s compelling family stories and lived experiences, this online conversation will offer a unique lens through which to examine how personal narratives can illuminate broader social and structural forces that shape our collective histories, and the ways in which collaborative storytelling fosters and enriches our understanding of identity, belonging, and community.

This event will be hosted online via Zoom, and will be recorded for future teaching and learning purposes.  It is free and open to all, but please make sure to register using the link below to reserve a spot!

Speakers

Keiko Mary Kitagawa (née Murakami) is a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, an internment camp survivor, educator, and human rights advocate, born on July 30, 1934, on Salt Spring Island, BC.  Her advocacy has led to significant changes, including the renaming of a federal building at 401 Burrard Street in honor of Douglas Jung, Canada’s first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament; the retroactive granting of degrees by UBC for the 76 Japanese Canadian students whose studies were interrupted in 1942; and the establishment of the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies program, among other many other things.  In 2018, her efforts earned her the province’s highest honor, the Order of British Columbia.  In 2020, she received an Honorary Degree from UBC.  As an elder, she frequently speaks at events to raise awareness about the internment of Japanese Canadians.

Dr. Karen M. Inouye’s research addresses the histories of people of Japanese ancestry in both the United States and Canada, including histories before and after World War Two.

Moderator

Nicole Yakashiro (she/her) is fourth-generation Japanese Canadian settler and a PhD candidate in the History Department at UBC. Her research examines settler colonialism, property relations, and Asian Canadian history in twentieth-century British Columbia.