Sedai Corner - July 2010
September 15th, 2010
Sedai Corner
The Sedai Project is a wonderful way to begin collecting, recording, and preserving the history of the Japanese Canadians and I, Lisa Kiyomi Uyeda am pleased to announce that I have joined this exceptional committee as its first full time employee. Previously, this Project was completely run by volunteers. I have recently completed my Honours Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and Psychology from the University of Toronto. Currently I am applying to graduate school to complete my Master of Arts degree in museum studies and archival research with a focus on the history of Japanese Canadians. I hold a personal interest in collecting and preserving the history of every Japanese generation because my great grandparents were Japanese Issei’s. For this reason, I have dedicated my future academic career to researching, collecting, understanding, and preserving our history as Japanese Canadians. I believe that devoting my time and efforts to the Sedai Project will provide me with exceptional experience that will begin as the foundation for my future.
In the past few years, everyone on the Sedai committee has devoted their time and efforts to preserving our history as Japanese Canadians and they have completed an astounding number of interviews. This year our targeted goal is to dramatically increase the number of interviews so we can capture our history on film before it is lost. Not only are we seeking to collect our history through interviews but also by collecting old photographs and documents. We understand that these items are precious to your ancestral history so we are accepting copies of these items. If you do choose to help our collection grow please ensure to include a description about the item with relation to your family to the best of your ability. Such as; who received the document, what is the document about, who is in the photograph, when and who were the family members that first arrived in Canada, where did the family members live before/during/after the war, what is the year of the document/photo, what was the age of the individual(s) within the photograph, and any other information is greatly appreciated.
Sedai is happy to announce that we have a growing list of participants who want to share their family stories; however we still need your help to build our communities history. If you believe in the importance of preserving your family’s history for your grandchildren and great grandchildren and anyone who wishes to learn more about our history as Japanese Canadians, than we encourage you to please call or email us to discuss this amazing project. Do you have a story about your family’s history? Do you know a friend or family member who does? Please contact us at lisa.uyeda@jccc.on.ca or info@sedai.ca or by telephone at 416-441-2345 ext 303.
We look forward to hearing from you!