JASH Weekly Update 5/6: Mother’s Day & AAPI Month
(“Firefighter”by Marsha Yokomichi)
Dear Members and Friends of JASH, With Mother’s Day just a few days away, florists nationwide are experiencing their second-busiest time of the year just behind Valentine’s Day. While red roses symbolize love and romance universally, how did this fact come to be? It may be attributable to Shakespeare’s tragic play Romeo and Juliet or the many other poets and writers who used red roses to represent romance and love in their literary pieces. According to legend, the rose was created by the goddess of love, Aphrodite, whose tears and the blood of Adonis watered the ground where red roses were growing. (Source: Rose Festival Kazanlak) Meanings of Other Colors of Roses Pink: Gratitude, grace and joy Purple: Fascination or adoration White: Purity, innocence, respect, remembrance Yellow: Friendship and caring Orange: Enthusiasm, passion (Source: FTD by Design) One of the Most Popular Flowers With the sheer volume of roses being sold for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day nationwide, roses are likely one of the most used flowers in professional florist-made bouquets. It is also one of the most statuesque, well-respected, and sought-after flowers for these two occasions and countless more from Birthdays to Memorial Services and everything in between. These characteristics come at a steep price though as a dozen long-stem roses of any color will set you back about $100 right now. It will cost you even more for red roses at Valentine’s Day. Roses in Japan Although Japan is home to Rosa Rugosa Alba, an indigenous Japanese rose, the popularity of giving long- stem roses as gifts in Japan likely came from Western-culture influence. After doing a Google-search, I was surprised to see several florists in Tokyo advertising rose bouquets for Mother’s Day. Bouquets were priced at approximately $120 to $130 for one-dozen long-stem roses. A Rose by Any Other Name Based on the meaning of rose colors, pink or purple roses are probably the most sought after for Mother’s Day. For Valentine’s Day, it is of course, red roses that are most popular. However, borrowing from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet play, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Happy Mother’s Day, Marsha Yokomichi Japan-America Society of Hawaii, Vice President Honolulu Rose Society, Vice President - External Events
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month! The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's history and are instrumental in its future success. To read President Biden’s Proclamation on Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, click here. To learn more and see upcoming AAPI events worldwide, click here.
Co-Sponsored Events
Hosted by Densho
Virtual Program
“Facing the Mountain”
Virtual Book Launch
Tues., May 11
2:00pm HST
JASH is proud to be a Community Co-Sponsor for the virtual book launch of “Facing the Mountain.” Written by Daniel James Brown, NY Times best-selling author of The Boys in the Boat, this new book takes place in the backdrop of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans and details the exploits and heroism of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, an all-Japanese American segregated unit. The virtual event will feature a conversation between Brown and Densho Executive Director Tom Ikeda, who has conducted oral histories with many of the men highlighted in the book. There is no cost to attend the virtual book launch, but pre-registration is required. For details and to register, click here.
Hosted by the Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Virtual Showcase
Hawai‘i International Film Festival:
J-FEST
May 13-23
JASH is proud to be a Festival Partner for this year’s Hawai‘i International Film Festival. For May’s showcase, HIFF presents the first ever J-FEST presented by First Insurance Company of Hawaii, bringing the best in new Japanese cinema to HIFF audiences over 10 days. HIFF’s J-Fest will feature 8 Japanese films including a world premiere, two international premieres, and four North American premieres. EXCLUSIVE for JASH Members, enter code “JASH” at check-out to receive $2 OFF a non-member priced film. For more information and to purchase tickets and Passes, click here.
Shared Events
Hosted by Nisei Veterans Memorial Center
Virtual Program
An Afternoon with the Author:
Gov. George Ariyoshi
Sat., May 15
1:30pm HST
NVMC’s “An Afternoon with the Author” invites published fiction and non-fiction writers from around Hawaii and the mainland into our homes. By means of ZOOM, the Center will host a different author each month to talk about their work, the story behind the story, and their personal journey on the way to having their work published. Concerned about Hawaii’s future, Governor Ariyoshi has spent the greater part of the last 20 years writing his newest book “Hawaii’s Future”. The book is a guide and message to today’s young leaders. For details and to register, click here.
Happy 120th Anniversary to the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce (HJCC)
On Saturday, April 24, 2021, the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce (HJCC) hosted a virtual video recording in celebration of 120 years of support of its members and the business community. HJCC also recognized their sister chamber, Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry and their affiliated chamber, Fukui Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The theme, “Building Upon our Past to Forge a Path Forward” is to honor the chamber’s enduring strength in facing challenging times over the decades and to focus on looking forward to prepare for the next 120 years. To watch the HJCC’s 120th Anniversary Celebration program, click here.
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