As a prelude to the Thursday, Feb. 21, Los Angeles Day of Remembrance, the Seal Beach International Friendship Association will start off their first meeting for this year with the short film “Stand up for Justice.” The meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 17.
It’s the true story of a 16-year-old Latino-American Belmont High School student from Los Angeles who stood by his Japanese American friends when they were sent to internment camps during World War II.
On Feb. 19, 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order requiring all those of Japanese heritage to report within 10 days to assembly centers and then report to primitive barbed wired prison camps, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor two months earlier.
Ralph Lazo, who told the L.A. Times in a 1981 interview that the internment was immoral, voluntarily lived at the Manzanar internment camp as the only non-Japanese (non-spouse), after he surprised his friends and sneaked onto the bus that carried them to the camp.
Little did his single father know that his son would not return from “a weekend camp” until two and a half years later.
In later years, Lazo was among the first to support his Japanese American friends in the fight for redress and reparations.
The 30-minute film powerfully addresses the violations of civil liberties that Japanese Americans faced during World War II and reveals how one person’s actions earned the undying gratitude of a community.
A short discussion will follow after the presentation.
The public is welcome to attend SBIFA’s dinner meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the Mary Wilson Library Senior Center, 707 Electric Ave., in Seal Beach. Donation for members is $12 each or $22 for couples; non-members $15 or $27 for couples; $10 for students.
Pay by check at the door. Membership dues can be paid for at the same time.
A Japanese bento (box) dinner will be provided.
Reservations are required and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Seating is limited.
RSVP by Sunday, Jan. 13, with Claire at (562) 431-5414 or email at kalea16@gmail.com.
