Chicago Nikkei Forum is pleased to co-sponsor
U.S. - Japan Relations: 70 Years and Beyond
A Public Symposium

Saturday, November 21, 2015
Harris Hall
Northwestern University, Evanston
9:30 am-5:00 pm
Free and open to the public
Seventy years have passed since the end of World War II, and over this complex period of geopolitical change has developed a strong and constant partnership built on trust between Japan and the United States. Over these decades, this relationship has grown stronger such that these two countries are now the strongest of allies and trading partners. This was affirmed in April by remarks made by President Obama when he welcomed Prime Minister Abe, "Across seven decades, our nations have become not just allies, but true partners and friends.... and (this) alliance holds lessons for the world”.  In addition, Prime Minister Abe, his Cabinet Ministers, and Parliamentarians have further stated that the strength of the U.S.-Japan relationship has come from the sustained and unwavering efforts and reputation of former Senator Inouye, Secretary Mineta, Secretary and Chief of Army Staff Shinseki, Senator Mazie Hirono and many other Japanese-Americans who have given selflessly to establishing good relations. 

Join us for an unprecedented and in-depth examination of the relationship between Japan and the U.S. as we explore the role the Nikkei community in the Midwest can play and its relevance for the future relationship between these two nations.
This one day Symposium is intended for a diverse audience to engage in a series of topics over four sessions:

I.  The Baseline: Who Are We?  - The History and Culture that Shaped the Chicago Japanese American Community
  • How did the Japanese American community of today get to be that community? 
  • What were the key historical events and cultural influences that shaped the evolution of this community and have given rise to its current situation? 
  • This session will delve into Japanese American history and culture – local/national/international, generational, and psychological – as we seek some perspective on Japanese American community and identity today. 

II.  Current Stimuli: What’s Influencing Us Now? – The Issues that Affect and Concern the Japanese American Community
  • How have the American social and political issues of the day shaped, or been shaped by, the Japanese American community? 
  • Where other communities might have a distinct position on topics such as immigration or police brutality or marriage equality, does the Japanese American community have a viewpoint on social or political issues? 
  • Which social or political issues today galvanize Japanese Americans as a community and as part of the electorate? If there are, what are they? If not, what are the implications for the Japanese American community in the future? 

III.  On Stage: What’s Our Role? – Japanese Americans in the Pan-Asian Movement
  • The Japanese American community is one of the oldest of the Asian American ethnic groups in the U.S. Despite no longer being one of the largest groups, its history and organizations still make it one of the more influential voices within the pan-Asian American community. 
  • How strong or fragile are Japanese American community relations with other Asian ethnic groups? 
  • How much of an impact do traditional ethnic group rivalries have today? 
  • We will examine Asian American inter-group relations and the role that ancestral homeland history and politics plays for Japanese Americans within the Pan-Asian American movement. 

IV. Facing Forward: Where Are We Heading? – The U.S., Japan, and Japanese Americans
  • What does the future hold for the relationship between the U.S. and Japan? •How does the globalization of business, multinational economics, and geo-political dynamics impact upon that relationship? 
  • Where do Japanese Americans fit into it? 
  • •What are the roles and responsibilities that Japanese Americans could and should hold in this relationship as it moves further into the 21st Century? 
  • This session will explore future of Pan-Pacific international relations – in politics, business, arts, socio-economics, and the military – and the impact by and for Japanese Americans. 

Moderators and Panelists include: C.W. Chan, Inhe Choi, Ross Harano, Irene Hirano-Inouye, Greg Kimura, Dayne Kono, Toshiki Masaki, Jason Matsumoto, Rick Morimoto, Josina Morita, Megan Nakano, Lisa Sakai, Sandra Yamate, Ryan Yokota, Bill Yoshino

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