I would be truly happy if I can share that sense of gratitude through the Nisei Week Festival.

Any move to eliminate or stigmatize beard accommodations — whether for religious or medical reasons — risks marginalizing communities that have long faced discriminatory grooming standards in the militaryThey decided to end their sponsorship with their last queen in 1982.

Front row: Joanne Ono Castillo (1976); Patti Hirahara (1974); Dianne Kubota Hamano (1961); Doris Reiko Fujino Pultz (1960); Carol Nishizu Matsuoka (1962); Gwen Okumura Martino (1969); Gail Konishi Shibayama (1970); standing: Abigail Fachtmann.dedicated in 1970; the Orange County Japanese Agricultural and Nikkei Heritage Museum.The VFW post had been chartered on Nov.

Sandra Fukushima Ninomiya (1989).The big difference for these first queens was not having that many Japanese American events to attend due to the closeness of the ending of World War II and the Japanese American community resettling into Orange County.

three-time VFW post commander.

president of Orange County Sports Association.and have allowed it to grow — to become much bigger than what we had anticipated it to be.

there was no Japanese American organization.it really emphasized that there was a need for this organization that could be representative of that population because it was sizable.

And I think thats where the balance of the original purposes really comes into play.We wanted to make sure that the kids at the school felt a strong identity with what they were.