Judge Fitzgerald A. Javellana stands with 103-year-old Jim Tanimoto following a screening of Jim Tanimoto’s Journey at the Sutter County Superior Court on May 5 in Yuba City. The documentary recounts the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans and Tanimoto’s role as a Block 42 resister.

 

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - More than 100 students from nine Sutter County schools filled the Superior Court on May 5 for a courtroom-based lesson in civil liberties. The program was organized by Judge Fitzgerald A. Javellana, the first Asian American judge to serve on the Sutter County bench.

The event was held in recognition of Asian American History Month and featured a reenactment of the Fred Korematsu Supreme Court case using original transcripts. Students also viewed Jim Tanimoto’s Journey, a documentary produced by Chico State faculty that recounts the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans.

Jim Tanimoto, a 103-year-old Gridley native and the last surviving member of the Block 42 resisters at the Tule Lake Segregation Center, attended the program in person. He spoke about his family’s forced removal and incarceration during World War II and the discrimination Japanese Americans faced during the war years. He told students that the loss of homes, businesses and community ties left lasting wounds and said the experience shaped his belief that constitutional rights must be protected in every generation.

“This is going to happen again if we don’t learn anything from history,” Tanimoto said.

Jim Tanimoto, of Gridley, watches a reenactment of Korematsu v. United States performed by Superior Court judges and students at the Sutter County Superior Court on May 5 in Yuba City. The program was part of a civil liberties lesson for local schools.

Later in the afternoon, the Sutter County Board of Supervisors formally proclaimed May as Asian American History Month. The proclamation noted that Asian Americans make up more than 23 million people nationwide and 18 percent of Sutter County’s population, and it highlighted the long-standing contributions of local Asian American communities to the region’s cultural and civic life.

Supervisors also honored Tanimoto for his courage and commitment to justice, recognizing his role as the last surviving member of the Block 42 resisters and his work sharing the history of Japanese American incarceration. Board members described the documentary as eye opening and said his story showed the importance of constitutional protections.

Sutter County Supervisors on May 5 recognize local Asian American organizations and declare May as  Asian American History Month, highlighting the long-standing contributions of Asian American communities throughout the region.

The board issued additional proclamations to local Asian American organizations, including the Marysville chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League. Founded in 1938, the league has worked to advance civil rights, support redress efforts for survivors of wartime incarceration and document the experiences of Japanese American families in the Sacramento Valley. Supervisors noted the group’s role in community education, its outreach to local schools and its work preserving stories of families who were removed from the region during the war.

JACL treasurer Walter Masuda thanked Judge Javellana for creating the educational program and for bringing Tanimoto’s story into the courtroom for local students. “Your dedication to public education, historical truth and civic engagement strengthens our community and ensures that the lessons of Korematsu v. United States remain alive for future generations,” Masuda said.

Javellana, who previously worked in the Sutter County Counsel office, thanked the public employees who supported his career and said their guidance helped shape his path to the bench.

“It is the greatest professional accomplishment of my life,” he said.

Marysville chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League board members Neelam Cantolugo and Walter Masuda honor Sutter County Superior Court Judge Fitzgerald A. Javellana on May 5 for creating the civil liberties program and bringing the history of Japanese American incarceration into the courtroom for local students.