Roy Miki: The Redress Movement Probably Helped Obasan More than Obasan Helped the Redress Movement
By Richard Eriksson on June 15, 2005 - 5:04pm
Todd Wong continues excellent his excellent reporting of events surrounding One Book, One Vancouver and Obasan by Joy Kogawa. On Monday, Todd attended a performance of selections from Naomi's Road, an opera based on the picture book by Kogawa, itself based on Obasan. Todd has a full report about the lecture by Dr. Roy Miki that followed the opera, on redress to Japanese-Canadians forced by the Canadian government to move from their homes.
I was able to ask a question to Dr. Miki. Pointing out that Naomi's Road was being turned into a Vancouver Opera Production, and that Obasan was the selection for One Book One Vancouver - what does this kind of mainstream acceptance mean for the Asian community, and does it help with Redress issues. Does the Chinese Community have to write books and find iconic heroes to help advance the cause for Head Tax redress?
Because I have known Roy for many years, he said "The redress movement probably helped Obasan more than Obasan helped the Redress movement - but they do go hand in hand. It does make a difference. And , you already the answer to that one... But having things like that does help the causes. Having the stories told would certainly help the Chinese redress issues." Roy did answer in more detail, and he has called Obasan, "probably the most important important novel of the last 30 years for understanding Canadian society."Roy Miki lecture at the Chan Centre for UBC Laurier Institution Multicultural Lecture
