Still Supporting the South Central Farmers: One Year Later
Rafu Shimpo column for 6/27/07
Life sure has been busy lately. But never too busy to slow down and reflect. I do that every year when I return to Manzanar to visit a place that represents my families’ stories of internment and incarceration. It is a time of healing and a time to rededicate why I am active in the community.
Two weeks ago today, I took time to remember and reflect when I went with my husband Tony and my 2 1/2 year old daughter Maiya to visit what remains of the South Central Farm on the one year anniversary of the forced evictions of the farm.
I went back to visit a place that I have come to love. In a community marked by warehouses and urban blight, the South Central Farm was a cherished poem, nurtured and tended lovingly by hundreds of people for 14 years. It was about people coming together to plant seeds, grow organic fruits, vegetables, indigenous herbs, and to feed their families and the community. People doing their part to help make this city and our world a greener and healthier place.
But it is no longer there. What remains is a barren 14-acre piece of land stretching across 41st and Alameda, that has been bulldozed over, not once or twice, but 3 times. You probably heard about the struggle because of high profile supporters like Joan Baez, Ralph Nader, Willie Nelson and Danny Glover, or you might have seen the evictions on the news with the police in riot gear.
Last year, Tony, Maiya and I went to the farm several times a week from May-July. Part of why I was so interested in the South Central Farm, is from my experience with the urban gardening movement in Detroit where I spent several summers volunteering with Detroit Summer’s urban gardens. Here is an entry from my blog on June 1, 2006:
“Tonight, we went to the South Central Farm, for the third time this week. We went to the Candlelight Vigil on Friday, the Farmer's Market on Sunday, and again tonight for the vigil we went with friends from Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress.
It is a beautiful green oasis amidst warehouse after warehouse. 14 acres of urban farm, the largest in the nation. 350 families, mostly Mexican and Central American, grow fruits, vegetables, herbs and other indigenous medicinal plants.
Tony, his teaching partner Kathy, and their students have been going more frequently, supporting the farmers. Kathy took a 4 a.m. shift the other day, and one of their students has been staying at the encampment several nights for the last week.
We saw Julia Butterfly Hill and Daryl Hannah, who are up in a walnut tree in protest. You just have to walk the farm and see the beauty of all of the lush green vegetables and fruits, and why it should not be destroyed for the developer to build another lousy warehouse.
The other night, Maiya, Tony and I joined the procession, walking around the perimeter of the farm. Maiya walked about 3/4 of the way around by herself. Tonight's chant was ‘Save the Farm, Si Se Puede.’ I could see Maiya swaying and rocking to the beat. It's ok that her favorite part was playing in the dirt. She's getting the seeds of activism from a grassroots perspective, so to speak.”
We had known that the City was going to evict the farmers—that it was just a matter of time. Police helicopters had been circling over the farm every day and night. The Farmers had secured commitments for $16 million to purchase the land, but the offer was rejected. So when it happened, it was heartbreaking.
After the eviction, we continued joining the Candlelight Vigils held nightly around the farm. No longer able to go inside, we walked around the outside of the farm with a declining number of people. Eventually, life got busy again and we stopped going. But the farmers did not quit.
“Displaced, but not defeated” became their new slogan. I realize that it was because the farm was about more than just food and gardening, it was about human spirit and the community. Just like our Japanese American families started life over again after coming back from camp, the farmers have had to start over again.
In the past year, the farmers have created the South Central Farmers Community Center & Gallery across the street from the farm and hold a South Central Farmers Tianguis marketplace with artisans, local merchants and live music on the first Sunday of every month. They also sell fresh produce at the Leimert Park Farmer’s Market every Saturday, and at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market and Atwater Village Farmer’s Market every Sunday.
They continue to challenge and fight legal battles with the City. They have reorganized and set up a nonprofit health and education fund whose mission is to preserve, maintain and cultivate farm land in urban areas. They also provide educational programs and activities about urban farming techniques, and healthy living and nutrition.
Going back to what remains of the farm after one year was difficult and emotional for me. Seeing the barren dirt absent of all the lush green plants and trees in my memory, I couldn’t help but get choked up and teary-eyed. I thought about my grandfather who was a Cantaloupe farmer before World War II, who never farmed again. And about all the families who had to start new lives.
But, hearing how the farmers have continued to fight and to grow gave me hope. And as Tony, Maiya and I walked back to the car, looking at the farm, I saw thousands of tiny bits of green shoots poking through the dry dirt despite the lack of rain this year. It’s something that bulldozers, police in riot gear, politicians and greed cannot erase: the power of nature and the resilience of the human spirit.
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Tony wearing his "so old it's see-through" Devo concert shirt. Last month he went to see the Police at Dodger Stadium with Bill, Hector and Danny, the 3 guys who he saw Devo with 25 years earlier with at the Forum.
Iron Maiden rawcks.
Muscle T from 1983. Don't rip it!
A very very snug "Summer Strut" T-shirt from 1982 with Foreigner, Loverboy, Scorpians and Iron Maiden
T OSUMI - Uni Football Jersey #49
Same pool in 2007:
In our backyard pool in Summer 2006:
And last week - Summer 2007 at almost 2 1/2 years old:
For the past 3 weeks Tony has been getting our living room and dining room ready for painting. One of those projects we just didn't get finished before Maiya was born. Packing up our two little rooms, washing down walls with deglosser, scraping, sanding, pulling off baseboards, puttying and spackling the ceiing and walls. That's all the physical work. I have been working hard trying to keep Maiya entertained, safe and out of the way and out of the house while living with plastic and dropcloths, eating in the backyard and hanging out at Uncle Bill's. And of course this all happens during my busiest time of the year at work (until Thursday) so Tony is also juggling swim class and childcare with me. One of the things that hung us up 3 years ago was deciding on the paint colors. But, this weekend we finally selected 3 colors from the ones in the photo above: Oat straw, Firenze and Glacial till. Tony did the ceilings yesterday and the living room today. You'll just have to wait and see how it turns out!
Helping Mommy peel the corn while daddy cooks a feast
Hello corn, I see you!
Uncle Bill and Grandpa Larry (Pampa) over for BBQ
Steak, salmon, corn, rice, cucumber, zucchinis and mushrooms...
Riding my tricycle with Uncle Bill
In December 2004, about a month and a half before Maiya was born, we painted her room lime sorbet green. Visitors to our house would look at the green room and say, "Hmmm, green..." or "wow, that's bright." Here is the room in January 2005, all ready and waiting for "the baby." Notice the crib, was only used for a few naps and diaper cover cleaning times since we have chosen to be a co-sleeping family. Maiya once fell out of the crib at about 7 months, which is when we started storing crap (figuratively) in the crib.
In Maiya's first month, the rocking chair became the place where I spent night and day. Notice the lovely baby gift bag window coverings. We were too busy dealing with breast pump parts, sleepless nights and diaper changes to deal with anything else at that time.
Maiya's room has gotten more and more cluttered as the volume of toys and books has increased. Although as I look at the books in the photo below, she now has more than twice as many books as in the picture. Luckily, like her mama, Maiya likes to keep her floors clean--here she is in July 2006 doing her part to help out.
In January 2007, right before her 2nd birthday, Maiya got her new big kid bed--which we use occasionally since we are still using the family bed. Sometimes the bed gets crowded and one of us will wind up in her bed during some portion of the night.
Last month Tony got these cool designer shelves on Craigslist for $50. Here's Maiya showing them off wearing her "Hello Kitty" underpants.
Today, I bought one of those orange storage hanging baskets from Ikea at a garage sale for $3. We'll see what comes next. At some point we are going to have to do a toy purge cause it's getting out of hand. Stay tuned, if I can gather the courage, I will post photos of our office/library/playroom.
Today is 12 years since me & Tony's first date and 12 years since we fell in love. We keep trying to have a dinner & a movie date (about 4 times since Maiya was born) and haven't quite managed to see a movie yet. But we went out to my parent's house this afternoon. When we first got there, Maiya walked over to each of my parents and gave them a hug, it was so cute. And she's calling my mom "Mamas" as opposed to me, "Mommy." I helped my dad set up a mailmerge on his computer, taught him about folders and I helped my mom set up a new email account on her new laptop.
Maiya and her god-cousin Erin
Fran & Valerie
Fran, Don and Maiya. Maiya's eating ice cream - a rare treat!
Three Monkeys Sitting in a Tree
Tony and Maiya on Father's Day with my parents and his parents
Fran, Maiya, Grandma, Cousin Robin & Aunt Gail
Dinner at Billingsley's in West LA with extended family & friends
Maiya at the end of a busy weekend!
Last weekend I took Maiya to Leo Carrillo State Beach for the first time. My brother Darin's family went camping for one night--and we joined them the next morning. We only stayed a few hours but it was fun playing in the sand and running around the beach. It brought back many memories of summers camping at Leo Carrillo. In fact, Tony reminded me it was where I had my first kiss the summer before 9th grade in the caves. I didn't tell Maiya that story, although I did share how much fun playing there with my cousins as a kid.
At 9:30, I made my 4th attempt to go to the gym this week--but my first time to actually work out. (Last night, I got there 10 minutes before closing, last Wednesday, Maiya freaked out at the Y's Childwatch and wouldn't let me leave her, so I didn't get to work out but we did sign up for swim class this summer. Last Tuesday Maiya got upset when I was leaving the house, so instead Maiya, Auntie and I ran errands and went for pizza.) Anyways, Maiya had a lot of fun at Childwatch playing outside on the playground today. We ran into a little boy and his mom who we used to see at the Y a lot. I got in an hour-long workout (first time since January!) and when I went to pick her up, she was so busy with Legos that she didn't want to leave. We shared apple slices, ran around the courtyard at the Y, and watched people swimming.
Then, I tried to get Maiya to take a nap (she dozed for 20 minutes in the car before noon), but she wasn't having any of it (it's a new trait this refusing to sleep thing). I went on the computer, nursed her a lot, and Maiya played with playdough and alphabet letters. About 3:30 pm, Auntie Keiko came over and brought Maiya some cute shoes and clothes and did some more alphabet play with Maiya. Then, we met Daddy at Johnnie's Pastrami's for dinner. Auntie and Daddy had pastrami, and Maiya and I shared an apple and a chicken sandwich. Yum.
Then, after dinner we went to Trader Joe's. I went grocery shopping while Daddy and Maiya took a nap in the car. We came home and I put away 3 baskets of clean laundry and straightened up the bedroom. We watched some great insects on PBS, then Daddy took Maiya for a bath--and more alphabet play.
And that's it for today. It's after 10 pm and Maiya is having a tantrum so I better go put her to bed. Tomorrow is a work day. Still to come, more dancing video, pictures of our trips to Leo Carrillo, Sesame Street Live at the Kodak Theater, LA Zoo, and more! Sure would be nice to get some comments once in awhile so I could know if anyone is out there reading.
Just monkeying around in our bathroom! Eee ee!
What do you do with 101 yogurt cups? You can stack them up high...
...Or you could build a pretty wall on a Sunday morning.
