Hold These Truths runs at The Cultch Historic Theatre (1895 Venables St., Vancouver) October 20-November 2 and is accompanied by two events presented by Asian Canadian & Asian Migration Studies on Thursday, October 24th.
ACAM is delighted to participate in Hold These Truths, a play by Jeanne Sakata about the life of Gordon Hirabayashi, a U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient who fought against the forcible removal and mass incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry in America during WWII.
Hirabayashi’s journey, from his time as a young man fighting injustice in America to his final days as an educator and activist in Canada, demonstrates his passion and hunger for freedom. It is an inspiring quest of what one can do to fight inequality, a tenacious reminder of history, and a reflection of how we, too, can change the future if we hold on to these truths.
Hold These Truths is making its international debut at The Cultch Historic Theatre in Vancouver after a celebrated U.S. tour.
This plays offers a chance to learn about the histories of Japanese American internment through the eyes of someone who later moved to Canada and became a community leader here.
Nikkei Cultural Production and Legacies of War
Thursday, October 24
12:30-2:00 PM
Isabel McInness Ballroom, Walter Gage Residence (5959 Student Union Blvd.)
Moderator: Dr. JP Catungal, ACAM/GRSJ
Panellists:
Carolyn Nakagawa (BA ’15), Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre
Tamlyn Tomita, Producer of ‘Hold These Truths’
How have Japanese North American communities mobilized creativity, arts, media, and cultural production to respond to the legacies of World War II, including the internment of Nikkei communities and its contemporary impacts? This panel features cultural practitioners and organizers, who will draw on their histories of individual and community practice to shed light on the linkages between cultural and creative production and Nikkei histories, identities and community formations. RSVP at https://acam.arts.ubc.ca/events/event/hold-these-truths-acam-250-public-panel/.
“Hold These Truths” Talkback
Thursday, October 24
After the Performance
The Cultch Historic Theatre (1895 Venables St.)
Moderator: Wendy Yip, UBC Ambassador
Speakers:
Joel de la Fuente, Lead actor
Jeanne Sakata, Playwright
Tamlyn Tomita, Producer
After the play, join the cast and production team for a discussion on the production of “Hold These Truths,” the play’s impacts, the importance of bringing the story to Vancouver, and how it fits into Asian Canadian or Nikkei pop culture production. Purchase a ticket for the October 24 show if you would like to attend the talkback.
Tickets for “Hold These Truths” are available at https://thecultch.com/events/hold-these-truths/?mc_cid=5f98b2acd2&mc_eid=8de3fc173a.