Jaydee: The drive from Alhambra, CA to Klamath Falls, OR was quite extensive which took me 12 hours to get there, but it was one of the most memorable weekend to be a part of the Tule Lake Pilgrimage. It was a 3-day event held at the campus, Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT), which included a dorm room and a tiny fridge to store my film. The Tule Lake Pilgrimage was a way for me to understand the difference between Manzanar and Tule Lake. The Tule Lake Segregation Unit is where the Japanese Americans were detained and were called, “No No boys”. No No boys are what they call trouble makers in camp, since their responses were answered no on the following “loyalty questionnaire intended to distinguish loyal American citizens from enemy alien supporters of Japan. Question 27 asked, Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty, wherever ordered? Question 28 asked, Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, or any other foreign government, power, or organization?" http://www.tulelake.org/history.html
APM: Where will your Engaging in Their Legacy be next, can we view the little video anywhere? YouTube? Jaydee: I am hoping that the San Francisco Public Library will consider my proposal in having Engaging in their Legacy in one of their galleries. It would be a wonderful opportunity since most of the people I met at the pilgrimage live in Northern California. Also, I want to take the opportunity in thanking the following dedicated artists in participating in my photography and video installation project Engaging in their Legacy: Soji Kashiwagi, Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Mary Kageyama Nomura, Al Nomura, Molly Kitajima, Bob Kitajima, Alan Miyatake and speaking in behalf of late grandfather Toyo Miyatake, and Dean Keesey who also spoke in behalf of his late talented mother Dr. Masumi Hayashi. Thank you for all your support: Roy Ikeda, Keith Kawamotto, Iku Kiriyama, Len Davis, Nancy Ogg, Elena Quan, Bink D’Carpio, and Ben Walker. Hopefully in the next few weeks or so, I will load the short version of my 30- minute video of Engaging in their Legacy in youtube, tumbler or vimeo. APM: What’s next for Jaydee Dizon? Are there any projects that you are working on that you would like to share with us? Jaydee: Always a new adventure! I’m up and running with different projects constantly as they float in my head all the time. My next idea stems up from the Engaging in their Legacy project and this time it will be exploring my artistic side in my family. I’ve decided to do some digging up on my family history in the Philippines. My grandfather was an unlicensed architect and worked for Clark Airbase, which is former United States Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines. Perhaps, find other relatives and hopefully photograph the buildings that my grandfather helped in designing. APM: Where can we find your art? Jaydee: Please do visit my website at jaydeedizon.com for more information on future exhibitions!
Engaging in their Legacy, Photography and Video Installation 2011 © Jaydee Dizon 2011
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