Category: Interfaith Prayer Vigils

Join us on Feb 12, 2022 for an interfaith vigil to remember the 80th Anniversary of Executive Order 9066 signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt that led to the mass incarceration of 120,000 mostly Japanese Americans. This shameful part of American History must be remembered to ensure the survivors stories are not forgotten, and this injustice is repaired.

During Black History Month, while we remember this legacy in the Japanese American community, we will also be calling for solidarity with: Reparations for African Americans and Stop AAPI Hate. Let us acknowledge that U.S. imperialism globally, xenophobia, and systemic racism have all been common threads that weave our struggles together, historically and today.

We invite people of all faiths, cultures, and traditions to join us!

Speakers include:

• Jeff Matsuoka, San Francisco Bay Area Day of Remembrance Committee
• Chizu Omori, Tsuru for Solidarity, incarcerated for 3 1/2 years during World War II
• Tara U., Berkeley Buddhist Temple, grandparents were incarcerated during World War II
• Rev. Marjorie Wilkes Matthews, Plymouth United Church of Christ
• Prof. Russell Jeung, Stop AAPI Hate and Professor at SFSU
• Chanton Bun, Asian Law Caucus – Advancing Justice, served 23 years in incarceration
• Joyce Xi, daughter of Chinese scientist unjustly targeted by the FBI

Songs, cultural offerings, and prayers by:

• Ito Yosakoi
• Rev. Harry Bridge, Buddhist Church or Oakland
• Rev. Theon Johnson, Downs Memorial United Methodist Church
• Elijah Chhum, Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants
• Minister Cherri Murphy, Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy

• FB-event: https://fb.me/e/2Uau35tkn
• RSVP: bit.ly/RemembranceVigilFeb12-RSVP

The vigil is co-sponsored by:

Buena Vista United Methodist Church, Tsuru for Solidarity, San Francisco Bay Area Day of Remembrance Committee, Berkeley Buddhist Temple, Pine United Methodist Church, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy, Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy, Sycamore Congregational Church UCC, CERI – Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants, and Plymouth UCC

Join us on Thursday, December 9, 2021 in honor of International Human Rights Day for a virtual vigil with ritual, song, and call to action. We will center Filipinx voices impacted by inhumane U.S. immigration and incarceration policies, and US-backed human rights abuses in the Philippines.

We invite people of all faiths, cultures, and traditions to join us in embodying our Philippine values: magpagaling ng kababayan (healing of Filipinx community), paglaban (to fight), pagbangon (to rise up), and pagkikibaka (to struggle).

Speakers include:

• Rev. Henry Pablo, Los Banos and Dos Palos United Methodist Church (UMC)
• Rev. Jeanelle Ablola, Pine UMC
• Rev. Jojo Gabuya, Fellowship Church of Reconciliation
• Estelito Adiova, community leader in Imperial Regional Detention Center
• Maria Legarda, Asian Prisoner Support Committee and Kasama ng Kalayaan
• Shelly Clements, IM4HI volunteer and Kasama ng Kalayaan
• Rev. Fel Cao, Faith and Riverside UMC
• Johanna Dela Cruz, National Council of Churches in the Philippines

FB-event: https://fb.me/e/12zTUyOU1
RSVP: bit.ly/FilipinxVigilDec9-RSVP
Zoom: bit.ly/FilipinxVigilDec9-Zoom

To learn more about our Filipinx faith organizing, read our blog post on Filipinx American History Month.

Join our Kasama ng Kalayaan collective to organize for the liberation and healing of our Filipinx community members impacted by immigration detention, deportation, and incarceration.