(Photos by Cyril Nishimoto)By Rising Stars Publicity CommitteeThe Rising Stars Youth Leadership Program is thrilled to invite you to our most anticipated event of the year — our 20th annual miniature golf tournament.

who lives in Oakland with her husband and son.Rafu: What is your approach to incorporating contemporary issues into your stories?Tokuda-Hall: I generally think it’s impossible not to incorporate contemporary issues into a story.

and blossoming identities converge in Maggie Tokuda-Halls remarkable companion to ‘The Mermaid.Rafu: Did you grow up hearing about your family history from your grandparents.Following is The Rafu Shimpos interview with the author about her books and the recent controversy.

Rafu: Are there any film or TV adaptations of your works planned?Tokuda-Hall: Who knows at this point.That I didn’t believe they were doing well enough by my community — and by this I mean all historically marginalized people in the United States — to have the right to my family’s story.

Candlewick Press) by Maggie Tokuda-Hall.

he did pretty well with the left.It was a moment of honor and gratitude for a man whose life had been a tapestry of service.

He found himself assigned to the 521st Military Intelligence Service Platoon.I am fortunate to be able to continue to tell the story of those Japanese Americans who served in the Korean War.

Aomori PrefectureMISAWA AIR BASE.I still can picture mothers with their small children and Japanese Army soldiers with missing limbs.