先駆者 SENKUSHA Stories of Japanese Canadian Trailblazers

Community Fund • April 1, 2025

Looking for Unsung Heroes

Kenji Hokazono, the first JC to join the RCMP

The JC Senkusha Project will be a heartfelt tribute to the legacies of Japanese Canadian elders, ancestors, and community leaders who have significantly contributed to the resilience and growth of JC culture and community in Canada. This will be showcased through a series of articles capturing their personal histories, achievements, and the impacts of internment, racism, and resilience on their lives and communities.

The articles will spotlight the personal histories of JC individuals, including their parents’ and elders’ names, birthplaces, challenges, resilience, and lasting contributions to JC community and Canadian society. The project will honour JC heroes of the past and present, provide a space for healing and intergenerational learning, and serve as a bridge between the resilience of the JC community’s past and its promising future. It aims to empower the emerging demographic of young JCs to connect with their heritage, fostering the preservation, evolution, and sustainability of JC culture. Ultimately, the Japanese Canadian Senkusha Project will leave a legacy of shared history, resilience, and inspiration for current and future generations, ensuring that our JC community’s contributions to Canadian society are remembered and celebrated.

We are seeking suggestions of unsung heroes within our community, including Survivors and Descendants who, through their quiet leadership, have contributed to the growth of JC community and culture in Canada (ie. in horticulture, food, sports, music, education, arts, community building, etc.).

SENKUSHA Trailblazer Contact & Questionnaire

Please write to Karen Koyanagi Geiger at kazzavancouver@shaw.ca with the answers to the following questions:

1) Your name, phone number and email address

2) Nominee/Senkusha’s full name:

3) Senkusha’s phone number & email address:

4) Is the Senkusha a JC Survivor or a Descendant?

5) Why is your nominee a JC Senkusha/Trailblazer? Please share their story (three to eight lines please)

先駆者 SENKUSHA: Stories of Japanese Canadian Trailblazers is a Legacy Community Project funded by the Japanese Canadian Legacies Community Fund.

Japanese Canadian Legacies are initiatives that honour our elders past and present. We are grateful to be doing this work on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples.