Name: Mo Nishida
Profession: “Social Chemist,” Activist & Community Leader (Says me)
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Favorite Color: If I had to choose one, it’d be Red!
Favorite Quote: “Wherever there is oppression, there is existence.”
Heroes: Malcom X, Kazu Iijima, Paul Kochi, Zapata, a lady in the Spanish Revolution- I can’t remember her name, she was a communist. There’s so many people I look up to, can’t thing of them all off the top of my head!
What you do to Relax: Watch Kung-Fu Movies! Go to Furo (sauna type of bath), Argue with my Son!
Favorite Book: “Red Star over China”
Favorite Song: “The Whole World’s Watching” by Chicago (Formally CTA), from the Chicago National Convention. Song was banned after that.
Favorite Food: Tempura, Chicken Teriaki, Sashimi
Favorite Memory: 1971, I went to Japan to participate for the anniversary event of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I saw Children walking around with photographs of dead children that died from the bombings in that school. There was a Temple in the bamboo grove. I can still remember it. I asked the Priest “What am I experiencing? Why all the kids?” He told me it was the horrors of war and the atomic bomb. Since Japan attacked Pearl Harbor to start the war, they felt at fault, but that ain’t the real reason! I know Japan and America was at war about who’s going to rip off China! That’s when I became anti-imperialist for life. I still feel that anger, putting our younger ones at danger and victimizing them for the government’s greedy needs!
Your next Dream/Goal: Establish and expand all the projects I have going on (more than five of them, including Lil’ Tokyo 4 Peace, Asians for Mumia, etc) into a organization. You have to have at least 7 or 8 people to form one.
Define Peace: If there ain’t no Justice there ain’t no peace! Prevalence and Practice of Justice, and I don’t mean White Justice either! Equality, Dignity, Care about for each other, and of course the Earth Mother. Everything this boogee democracy is not!
Message to the Next Generation: Cast away illusions, and prepare for struggle!!! Basically meaning, the background music you hear now is caused by capitalism and imperialism, and there is an automatic addiction to white supremacy, and most of the world is in denial. When I say white I mean the greed, and racism that was started. I know a lot the white brothers and sisters, who have marched with us from day one, but as people of this world, if your people are doing some things that you question, but say that’s wrong, then you make changes. That’s all our responsibility, no matter what color. But if you’re saying, that’s cool, I’m okay with it, then fuck it you’re one of them. Some things in the world are irreplaceable, like the ice sheets that are melting now because of global warming, and when that happens you know someone is going to be injured.
My mini-bio on Mo Nishida:
During my solo career, I was taking about 4 jobs, and I met Mo Nishida at one of them. He was a sweet man who worked on the third floor of our building in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. He would often come to buy coffee at the bakery I was working at during the time. We would say hi and exchange a few words at first, and eventually we talked about my music and all the poetry I write about. He then told me he knows of an event organizer who organizes benefits shows in Los Angeles for Asian-American issues. He also invited me to one of the events he would be speaking at, and said I can come and read some poetry if I like. The first time I stepped in to his event and his world, I was amazed. The activists and veterans at these events were talking about all the issues I always wanted to talk about with people, but never worked because many say I am wasting my time for wanting change. I couldn’t believe it. All the people that paved the way, that struggled for the rights we have today were there in front of me speaking. Mo was so passionate, and he was one of the few people that I knew that was a parent that cussed so much! He was practicing his freedom of speech and no government was going to keep him quiet. I got to know Mo, and eventually he invited me to many events, and also gave me the opportunity to speak and perform at several of the events. He was one of the many Japanese-Americans that were sent to the concentration camps during WW2. Mo hated growing up in this country and always felt that he never wanted children, because this country does not deserve to have one of his kids. One day when he followed his friends to the Black Liberation Movement meetings, he saw there was a whole world that were trying to make change. Then he listened to Malcom, and was inspired, stating Malcom said everything he ever thought of! From that point on, he formed several groups for Asian Americans, and he spoke out, rallied and debated for his people, for the people. Today, Mo is more active than ever, and we meet every third Fridays of the month under the Grandmother/father grapefruit tree for the Lil’ Tokyo 4 Peace monthly vigils in Los Angeles. Come rally with us from 5pm if you’re tired of all the injustice in the world. Come play music, and sing with us, and if you’re driving, Honk for Peace!
More Info on Lil’ Tokyo 4 Peace Vigil & War Protest: Every third Fridays of the month in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles. On the street of San Pedro, by the alley way of Azusa (under the Grandmother/father grapefruit tree), from 5pm (for aprox one hour). Open to public, we have banners but you can also create and bring your own. See you there!
Posted January 17, 2008 at 06:47pm by miwaLyric
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