PANA: Gazing at the North-South Dimension

The columnist recently attended the PANA convention in Cancun, Mexico.

Very Truly Yours

By Harry K. Honda, Editor Emeritus
October 7, 2011

Much of the history of the Pan American Nikkei Association (PANA) can be found in a bilingual Spanish-English book authored in 2005 by Emi Kasamatsu, “Historia de la Asociación: Nikkei Presencia e inmigración japonesas en las Americas” — “History of the Pan American Nikkei Association: Japanese presence and immigration in the Americas.”

For Nisei in America (circa 1935-1955), often seen as a potential bridge between U.S. and Japan to promote understanding, Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific shattered that bridge. Nisei in Latin America realized that and began what might be called the “North-South Dimension.” The issue was integration.

They were eager to meet their English-speaking cousins in North America. They wanted an organization to encourage fraternal relations, exchange experiences and keen about their history and heritage. We learned Japanese immigrants were in Mexico (1897), Cuba (1898), Peru, Bolivia (1899), a shipload of 781 in Brazil (1908), of which 160 went to Argentina (1909), in Chile (1910), Colombia (1926), Venezuela (1928), Uruguay (1930), Paraguay (1932) and the Dominican Republic (1956).

Such was PANA’s birth. Now, see how it has developed.

The PANA convention just held at Cancún, Sept. 1-3, attracted 285 participants from 17 countries at Cancún Palace Hotel-Spa. No dates were announced, but COPANI-17 will be held in Buenos Aires in 2013.

Japanese Ambassador to Mexico Shuichiro Megata congratulated PANA communities exchanging views of Nikkei identity, developing core businesses in different countries, and maintaining their cultural heritage at the opening session Thursday.

Instant translation continues to be featured at the general sessions. Admittedly Spanish is the predominant language but this time English exhibited its role with printed reports and bilingual PowerPoint presentations at some workshops.

APN (Asociación Panamericana Nikkei) president Noritaka Yano (Brazil) and his cabinet were re-elected to a second term. Looking ahead, Yano said, “We have many tasks to be done,” pointing to the Nikkei from the Caribbean countries and South Asia. The Dominican Republic representation was reactivated, long absent since 1981. One Nisei from Singapore, participants from Germany and France added to PANA’s charm.

Venerable co-founder Carlos Kasuga (Mexico) was heartened by the vitality and enthusiasm of young people responsible for COPANI-16 and anticipates more to come. “If you (the Nisei) find any fault, it will be entirely involuntary and accidental, so I hope you know how to forgive them.”

The youth-inspired theme was the most commanding ever devised for PANA: “Porque ser Nikkei no es ser diferente, sino el que hacer la diferencia. Because being a Nikkei is not to be different, but to be the one that makes the difference.” Essence of being a Nikkei is sharing their bicultural wealth, affinity to roots in Japan and convictions.