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Back for the first time

A Japanese-American woman discusses visiting the land of her ancestors for the first time. The best interviews are those that turn into conversations and Donna and I talked several times over the course of a few weeks before finally sitting down for a formal interview. I eliminated most of my comments for the sake of brevity, but this conversation took me places that I definitely hadn’t considered. Currently, Donna is a teacher in southern California. Following the interview are some responses by students at Oakland Unity High School.

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• Laying claim to the throneIdentity/Culture Journal Entry Often compared to Chicago’s more widely known jukin’ or footwork, jittin’ actually has deep roots firmly set in African-American history. Until recently, this Detroit style of dance has not been known to the masses, although websites such as youtube have done wonders to spread the word of this frenzied, highly skilled form of expression. Yet as its popularity continues to grow, will it become another fad that gets exploited, used up, and discarded? Does it have the potential to even go mainstream? Unlike L.A.’s crumping, which caught the attention of a high profile director, Chicago Steppin’, which benefited from being highlighted in R. Kelly videos, or breakin’, which was birthed in the media center of New York, jittin’ hasn’t had a major outlet outside of the Detroit. But whether it goes pop or stays underground, the main groups holdin’ it down are putting out DVDs, traveling overseas, and basically, trying to make some money and maintain control of their art! While there are many crews in Detroit, I was fortunate to connect with one of the best, the X-Menn, due to our mutual connection with Submerge Records. They took some time out to share their thoughts on the state of jittin’ and its extensive history. Be on the lookout for upcoming music video “Foot Wars” by Underground Resistance, which will feature the fellas at their best. On a broader note, to the youngsters busy hating on each other’s crews and cities, your focus is on the wrong place! You all need to be having fun and there’s too much money out here for ya’ll to be fighting over crumbs. Different doesn’t mean garbage, and when it comes down to it, all of your dances, whether it’s jukin’, jittin’, poppin’, turf dancing, or whatever, have common roots. Learn your history and promote your craft so everyone can benefit! OK, enough lecturing. Check out the interview you came to read!
• Does hip hop hate women?Identity/Culture Journal Entry Recently, Barkari Kitwana’s “Rap Sessions” panel came to Stanford University to discuss gender-related issues. This panel brings together some of the brightest minds in the hip-hop world for dialogue on contentious topics in a town hall-style setting. For the Stanford panel, authors/professors Dan Hodge (Auzusa Pacific University and Citrus College), Marcyliena Morgan (Executive Director of The Hip Hop Archive), Mark Anthony Neal (Duke University), artists/activist Invincible, and author and former Executive Editor of “Essence” magazine, Joan Morgan participated. Kitwana hosted the panel. I jotted down key points from the panelists and the crowd, which included noted journalist Davey D, Dr. Dawn-Elissa Fischer, and author Adam Mansbach (Angry Black White Boy). Some panelists spoke quite a bit while others listened and reflected. Some great points were made and while the following aren’t direct quotes, I think it’s good for more people to have a chance to know about these dialogues. On a side note, Invincible later came to conduct workshops at my high school and Kitwana and I are working on bringing Rap Sessions to our school.
• Chinatown seniors follow cowboys stepsIdentity/Culture Journal Entry For those of you who are frequent visitors to this site, I'm a huge fan of dancing, particularly couple dancing. Beyond salsa, I'm into Midwest-based styles such as Chicago steppin', Detroit ballrooming, and bopping. Yet there's also a vibrant hustle scene in the D, which is more commonly called "line dancing." It's kin to the country-style dances, but it's definitely a different vibe and there are countless more styles than The Electric Slide, The Cha Cha Slide, and the Cupid Shuffle. At any rate, while many of these styles have originated in the African-American community, a couple of years ago some friends and I stumbled across a dance in Oakland, CA's Chinatown. They were jamming! While this recent story in the Oakland Tribune highlights a different event, it does bring attention to the power of dance and the arts.-D. Zarazua
• DREAM Act ProtestIdentity/Culture Journal Entry On October 4, 2007 young people from all over California converged on the capitol building in Sacramento in an effort to persuade Governor Schwarzenneger to sign the DREAM Act into affect. Among other things, the federal version of this act would allow undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to earn permanent residency through military service or attending college. Many students from my school, Oakland Unity High, attended and I had them send me reflections on the experience.
• Black power means more than a t-shirt: Jena 6Identity/Culture Journal Entry I borrowed that line from the rapper Paris, who's by far one of the most politically charged artists out there. Ironically, he might bump heads with me on this piece. Basically, I share some critical thoughts about the Jena 6 case. Not out of malice, but rather out of a desire for us to be sophisticated in our approach to racism, as well as not losing our ability to think critically!
• Chess, hip-hop merged to help youthIdentity/Culture Journal Entry If rapper GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan devoted an entire album "Grandmasters" to chess themes, and chess International Grandmaster Maurice Ashley is a hip-hop fan, there's gotta be some connection. From The Oakland Tribune newspaper. BTW, I realize that's a picture of RZA, not GZA!
• Dancing Into HistoryIdentity/Culture Journal Entry While Detroit is known for its music legacy, including Motown and jazz, what is often forgotten about is the city’s rich dance heritage. Undoubtedly, Detroit is one of the dance capitals of the world with top-notch dancers in styles ranging from salsa to swing calling the area home. Yet beyond a few bootleg DVDs of shows such as The Scene, few outside of Midwest really appreciate what Detroit has to offer. Detroit’s sister city of Chicago has benefited greatly from R. Kelly featuring Chicago-style stepping in his music videos while more youth-oriented dances such as L.A.’ crumping gained fans through Hollywood. Taking a lead on making sure that Detroit isn’t forgotten in the annals of history is Kevin “Flash” Collins. With more than 30 years of experience all over the country, as well as being winner of numerous competitions, Kevin has no shortage of energy or confidence, yet respects those who paved the way for him. Anyone who’s spent time around Kevin knows that he has stories for days. He was a bit more subdued for this particular discussion, but the words documented here are hopefully only the beginning of more to come from him and others in Detroit’s ever-flourishing scene.
• Happy Birthday, YK Lounge!Identity/Culture Journal Entry The Yuri Kochiyama Lounge at the University of Michigan celebrates it's 10th anniversary and author Denny Chen gives a brief history of the lounge and its influence. This article is set to appear in U of M's Fall 2007 Proactive magazine.
• Just a GlimpseIdentity/Culture Journal Entry During a visit to Ogaki Kita High School in Ogaki, Japan I shared lunch with Miki, a senior aspiring to attend one of Japan's most competitve universities. During our conversation I began thinking about how interested my students in the States would love to speak with someone like her. I asked her if I could interview her and she agreed. This actually motivated me to do a series of other interviews. I originally had no intention of interviewing anyone but this conversation proved to be the catalyst, which I'm grateful for as they've been invaluable tools in the classroom and I learned quite a bit. Alas, Miki and I had limited time and just as she began warming up, she had to return to class. I sent her an e-mail with follow up questions but my message was bounced back. Nonetheless, she makes some interesting points that were worth documenting. My group did a lot of observation at different schools and heard from some great speakers, but it's always great to hear from the students themselves.
• Back for the first timeIdentity/Culture Journal Entry A Japanese-American woman discusses visiting the land of her ancestors for the first time. The best interviews are those that turn into conversations and Donna and I talked several times over the course of a few weeks before finally sitting down for a formal interview. I eliminated most of my comments for the sake of brevity, but this conversation took me places that I definitely hadn’t considered. Currently, Donna is a teacher in southern California. Following the interview are some responses by students at Oakland Unity High School.
• Third eye openedIdentity/Culture Journal Entry Ron Young and I hung out a few times while in Japan and had several conversations and adventures. I thought it would be good to capture some impressions from a Black male in Japan as that’s a perspective I’ve not come across too often. Ron wasn’t one to bite his tongue and he was very open about his thoughts. He’s an artist and teacher currently based in St. Louis, MO and spent three weeks in Japan as part of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Foundation teacher program. At the end of this interview check for responses by students at Oakland Unity High School.
• Zulu King ToneIdentity/Culture Journal Entry I was connected to Tone through a mutual friend back in the states, who described him as a teacher and activist in the Japanese hip hop community (he heads up the local Zulu Nation chapter). During our initial meet up we wandered around Tokyo’s Shibuya district, sampling good Indian food, and sharing drinks at the Gaspanic bar. It quickly came apparent that hip hop aside, he had a lot of interesting insights and perspectives. We agreed to meet up again and do a formal interview. However, due to both of our schedules, we weren’t able to meet until the night before I left. We ended up with a group of folks so our interview turned into a discussion. I threw in some questions when I could, but my companions were so interested in Tone’s perspective that I sat back and did a lot of listening. It’s not everyday one meets a Brooklyn-born Latino/West Indian who’s made his home in Asia! Most of the questions were asked by myself, Ron, and Toni. Gotta give credit where credit’s due! I had a million more questions. Since Tone’s a teacher, DJ, activist, expatriate, and person of color, there were a number of directions that we could’ve went. Alas, time wasn’t on our side. Here are some highlights from our conversation. Hopefully, there will be more to come! At the end of this article check out responses from students at Oakland Unity High School.
• Still WatersIdentity/Culture Journal Entry During a recent group trip to Ogaki, Japan I wandered off on my own one evening and struck up a conversation with a woman at a local café, which turned into a full-blown interview. I learned quite a bit and while these are obviously her opinions, through conversations with others and follow-up research, a lot of what she said was confirmed. This young woman was familiar with my program through her colleagues and while she gave me permission to use her name, I decided not to, with her permission. She works for the Gifu prefecture government and once you read her comments, it’ll make sense. She wasn’t one to bite her tongue and I didn’t want to get her in hot water. I pulled out the main points as we discussed topics ranging from Brazilians in Japan to social disparity. I also had my students read this interview so I’ll post their responses as they come in.
• Notes From the FutureIdentity/Culture Journal Entry In contrast of the doom and gloom descriptions of today's youth, the students I teach in Oakland, CA are hardly out-of-control thugs that don't care about their future. Read some first hand accounts from a recent youth conference at UC Berkeley.
• Expressive LocationsMusic Journal Entry A sampling of Detroit spots boasting hip-hop regularity. this article was featured in the June 2, 1999 edition of The Detroit Metro Times.