This past summer I spent my time shooting photographs for the Rafu Shimpo, a daily (Tuesday-Saturday) paper printed in both Japanese and English and with a long history in the Little Tokyo community of downtown Los Angeles. While it may not have been some of the other well-known internships that I hear returning students talking about, it was definitely one of the most rewarding experience I've had. Shooting photographs for the Rafu, you are not shooting merely to expand your portfolio, rather, you are shooting for an entire community. In meeting the staff of the Rafu Shimpo and getting to know them over the summer, it was clear that they felt an obligation to the community and the preservation of the newspaper which has been a community symbol since 1903. Perhaps the best example of this is Mario G. Reyes, staff photographer/photo editor for the past 16 years.


Though obviously not Japanese or Japanese American himself, Mario has dedicated himself to the important task of recording the history of a community. During his 16 years at the paper, he has seen editors and writers come and go, has passed up more lucrative opportunities financially, and has also built a strong bond with the members of not only the Little Tokyo community, but the Japanese American community in Southern California as a whole. The one question that was asked more than "Oh, who are you?" while out shooting for the Rafu was "Where is Mario?"

With employees such as Mario Reyes, Gwen Murunaka, et al., the Rafu Shimpo is sure to remain a community touchstone, keeping together a community that is continually spreading and growing apart.

Don't worry Mario, one day you will be king.

Looking back on my time at Brooks, there is one project that I am truly proud of. In what was my final class at Brooks, myself, Daniel Corson, and Alex Zuccarelli, produced a documentary following a 17 year old boxer named Victor Ortiz. Thanks to Alex, who also pushed the boxing documentary initially, the film now has a proper website and is available for download. In describing the genesis of the project, Alex writes:

Our team formed because most of the other students in the class wanted to do their films on subjects like retired midget strippers who communicate with aliens. We wanted a subject that mattered to us, that we felt had social significance, and that might make a difference in someone's life.

This past Sunday I had the privilege of photographing a high school graduation. However, it was nothing at all like your typical graduation. Instead of parents in the audience, it was sons and daughters, and the graduates had not a lifetime of possibility ahead of them, but a lifetime of experiences to reflect back upon. Held in the Los Angeles Trade Tech College auditorium, the graduation is one of many made possible by the California Nisei High School Diploma Project. The project was made possible by Assembly Bill 781, which according to the project website:

...authorizes any high school district, unified school district or County Office of Education to retroactively issue a high school diploma to any person of Japanese descent whose high school education was interrupted due to forced removal and incarceration from California during World War II.

60 graduates were present for this ceremony and more than 400 diplomas have been given out since the bill became law in 2004. Speakers reflected on their times in camp, both good and bad, and explained how receiving a diploma gave them a sense of completion to a high school experience that ended so abruptly.

Nisei Week, a weeklong celebration of Japanese and Japanese American culture, was held from August 13 to August 21, 2005 in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. Being a 4th generation Japanese American and having only been to Nisei Week once as a child, photographing the 65th incarnation of the event taught me a great deal photographically and culturally.

As far as the photography went, I probably took more photos at Nisei Week events than I had total in the few years that I have had my camera. It was a challenge to browse through what Mario Reyes, the Rafu Shimpo photographer now for 16 years had shot, and then try and find a way to record it in a new way that he has not necessarily seen before. It was also challenging to work all day, from early in the morning to past midnight, shooting and then editing.

Culturally, I was exposed to many different artforms, from painting to dance to martial arts. I also learned just how tight-knit and active of a community Little Tokyo is. It was refreshing to see members from all generations taking an active role in Nisei Week, from the 29 year old President to volunteers old and young alike. I look forward to coming back in the coming years to see how the transition from old to young continues.

This summer has seen scant few posts, partially due to work, the internet being down, and also vacation. I have been back for a week or so now and I thought I would post a few of the pictures from my camping trip to Mammoth Lakes, CA.