The Sister City movement started after WWII when transgressions of race, ethnicity within the USA and atrocities were committed in wartime around the world. The idea was to promote familiarity and exchange between citizens in the USA and other cities, one by one, around the world.
As we look at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic today, we are brought back to the point, once again, quite emphatically, that we are just that – all human, all one, in a hopefully mutually beneficial relationship with spaceship earth.
As systemic racism is once again brought to the fore in the USA and again, around the world, we know that the incremental challenges faced by us all will necessitate both large, massive change and small, incremental changes throughout our way of life, our thinking, ourselves.
These challenges are known as we’ve faced them before.
Having the wisdom of those who have led us before encourages, supports, allows breathing to resume.
Here are two statements from San Jose-Okayama Sister Cities Honorary Advisor, Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. He writes these statements as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Japanese-American National Museum in Los Angeles, CA.
On Black Lives Matter
http://www.janm.org/press/release/500/
On Justice Bradley’s comments about Korematsu
http://www.janm.org/press/release/499/
His should not be the only words spoken. We must, with our own words and more importantly with our actions, put ourselves forward as citizen diplomats with our friends around the world.
Stay Safe and Be Well.
😷