Actions & Campaigns

1987-1990 Watsonville & Salinas Cannery worker struggles

1989 Watsonville, CA Cannery workers conference banner.

Green Giant – owned by Pillsbury in 1987 was closing down its plant in Watsonville and running away to Mexico to exploit cheap labor.

Chicano Latino political empowerment – T-shirt for cannery worker members.

Cannery worker striker's button

1987 Food Caravan to Modesto strikers. Fundraising flyer. About 1,000 were on strike in Salinas and 1,000 in Modesto.

Xmas food and toy caravan fundraiser. After the 3rd month of the strike, financial hardships begin. Rents, mortgages, loans, are due and repossessions from banks also become part of maintaining a strike.

Cannery Workers Project membership card

Watsonville, City Hall Plaza campaign event and banners.

1988- “Dog Lady” poster for play. Fundraiser for the strikers by Teatro Campesino, San Juan Bautista, CA.

Unionize the New Otani Hotel, biggest employer in Little Tokyo

1995- AFL-CIO March to demand unionization at Kajima’s New Otani Hotel (Doubletree Hotel)

L to R: Local 11 member, Rev. James Lawson, Linda Chavez Thomson, Executive V.P. of the AFL-CIO,

John Sweeney-President, and Richard Trumka V.P. (both in red hats), Maria Elena Durazo, President of HERE Local 11.

The banner was made by members of Local 11 who cut out all letters and designs from felt pieces coordinated by David

1995- Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks about “Kajima’s Wall of Shame” 4 panels each 8 X 4 foot.

1945- Chinese are kidnapped by Kajima and made slaves for the war effort.

1975- Kajima & City of LA evicts hundreds from Little Tokyo to make room for Kajima’s New Otani Hotel.

1995- Kajima suppresses Latino hotel workers at their New Otani hotel who demand to unionize.
(designed by David Monkawa)

1996- Workers and community supporters chain themselves to the large truck parked diagonally in the middle of First St, and San Pedro St.

1990s Down with South African Apartheid

Asian Pacific islanders banner at the LA coliseum

Nelson and Winnie Mandela come to LA. Coliseum

1990 Nelson Mandela

Find the hidden pictures of 2 ANC fighters

1990 Asian American contingent marches down MLK Blvd. towards Crenshaw Blvd.

Support African American Self-Determination and Full Equality

1992 - Massive demonstration against police abuse after 4 LAPD cops were found not guilty for the brutal beating of Rodney King. Courtesy: Los Angeles Times/ Times Mirror Corporation

The first Japanese American mall in the US, Crenshaw Square after the 1992 uprising. My step-dad’s watch repair store was burned out by angry youth after the verdict. Because of the historical relationships between Asians and Blacks, people were able to re-unify and move on after the tragedy.

2015 -Banner for Montgomery, AL - 50th Commemoration of Bloody Sunday.

Los Angeles, CA Asian American contingent.

1978 End Klan Terror

by David Monkawa & Ron Battle
Rev. Skip Robinson from Tupelo, Mississippi came to the Holman Church to speak about their community’s struggle with the KKK who has been trying to stop Black folks from voting. He said it’s a generational struggle. They’ve used boycotts, sit-ins, pickets, marches, demonstrations and armed struggle in self-defense. I used to not vote because I thought elections were rigged for rich people but after his rap, I started to vote while I still had the chance.

Center for the Study of Political Graphics collection

1992 Justice for the Tualalelei Brothers

Pouvi and Italia Tualalelei, two Samoan Brothers from Carson, CA were shot and killed by LA Sheriff’s Deputy Alfred Skiles. They were shot in the back while on their knees as ordered to do so by Skiles. Tragically their case was completely eclipsed by the Rodney King case going on at the same time.

Samoan community occupies the Carson city hall.

2021- Representatives from Progressive Asian Network for Action, PANA at the George Floyd verdict march to Fairfax & 3rd St.

“Yellow Peril, Black Power sign at bus takeover.

Flyer for Ktown for Black Lives rally at Liberty Park

Oppose US Imperialist Wars

Logo: Blood is heavier than oil, balanced on peace symbol

First Gulf War

"1991- First Gulf War" Asian Americans and Japanese Americans marched from Little Tokyo to city hall.

2019- Map of Iran showing US military bases.

2007- Stop the illegal & unjust war in Iraq. Support Lt. Ehren Watada. Asian & JA contingent march in DTLA.

March in Little Tokyo.

Educational program in Little Tokyo held by Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress and Asian American Vietnam Veterans Organization

Flyer for Educational program

2019 Speakers who pledge allegiance to Israeli Zionists at AIPAC conferences

Nikkei Progressives have developed solidarity and mutual support with the Muslim communities over the years. The World Trade Center tragedy ignited anti-Muslim violence just like Pearl Harbor which set off anti-Japanese hysteria

Banner in use, with multi-faith community leaders in Little Tokyo.

2018 Womens Day March to city hall.

2018 US Marines guarding opium fields in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. They were assisting the Taliban profit from the opium- heroin trade so they could finance their war against Al Queda and other forces the US ruling class wanted to get rid of, at the time.

2017 – Corporate Democrats vs. Republicans

(cartoon for “Change Links” Magazine)

2017- National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA 2013 was the record breaking military budget. A core legal foundation in the act Is Section 1021 and 1022 which allows “indefinite detention” of US citizens.

2018 US private equity organizations and arms manufacturers spread guns around the world. Younger customers assures them a loyal base.

1990s - Justice for the Comfort Women

More than 200,000 young girls and women were abducted or economically deprived and pressed into service as “comfort women” (sex slaves) for the Japanese fascist military. They invaded and set-up “comfort stations” in 22 countries during WW2. Women have been fighting for redress and a apology.

2020 – Poster for Comfort Woman educational and fundraiser

2015 – Plaintiff, Ms. Yong Soo Lee, aged 89 angrily demands real redress and a apology from the Japanese govt. Not from minor donations from the public and non-profits.

Yong Soo Lee, in Tokyo (David on the left) on a educational tour along with a dozen other “Comfort Women” from 22 countries.

Environmental Justice, Indigenous rights

2016 Standing Rock, Dakota Access Pipeline

The banner went from LA to Washington DC with all of our signatures and we gathered funds to send 2 people to the battle of Standing Rock to show support from the LA Asian community.

The LA Support Committee to Oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline

Supporters from LA join Washington DC march

Representatives from LA joined east coast APIs in at the giant march in Washington DC.

2017 Fukushima Support Committee Banner

2015 SoCal.350 peaceful civil disobedience action at Union Station flyer/ poster.

About 75 attend educational program, No more Hiroshimas! No more Fukushimas! No nukes.

No fracking in Santa Monica Mountains.

2019- postcards to Trump

2017 Earth Day march Progressive Asian Network for Action contingent.

Local artist and teacher David Toyoshima designed the “Tesoro Snake”.

2018 during Trump 1.0, environmental laws were loosened and parts of DTLA like Chinatown, Little Tokyo & Historic Filipinotown became the deadliest areas for small particle pollution (PM2.5) in the US.

Stop the gentrification and evictions from Little Tokyo

2017 - The 800 Traction Building. A co-op of artists who were original tenants of the “Arts District” of Little Tokyo.

2017 Inside hearing with supporters from Highland Park, Boyle Heights and Chinatown.

2017 Residents and artists In front of City Hall after demanding no evictions at hearing.

First Place winner poster in small contest held by Little Tokyo Service Center

The US, Palestine and Little Tokyo. Different scales of destruction and dispersal.

Banner by Little Tokyo Against Gentrification

2023 Demonstration to protest the eviction of Suehiro Restaurant by Jtown Action & Solidarity and LTAG (Little Tokyo Against Gentrification)

After 2 months of boycott pickets on weekends. Landlord Tony Sperl agreed to not bring in a dispensary to Jtown.

1975-1978 Little Tokyo Peoples Rights Organization

Kei-Ai L.A. (Keiro) The deadliest covid nursing home in the west

2020 - Investigate Kei-Ai Los Angeles. the deadliest nursing home on the west coast!

The community demands justice for the 115 people who died of covid.

The families of the deceased patients make a passionate demand to investigate the horrific covid deaths, most in the entire west coast.

2024 Full page AD in Rau Shimpo exposing deaths and demanding Keiro build a replacement facility.

Buddhist, Methodist and Christian faith leaders commemorate the 113 deaths of seniors at Kei-Ai .L.A. The average death rate for covid in CA nursing homes was about 9-12%. At Kei-Ai L.A., it was 23 to 30% at it’s height.

Save Our Seniors volunteers donned maximum PPEs to continue rallies and demonstrations during the height of covid-19 with car rallies then in person events.

Over 400 people march through Little Tokyo to demand an investigation into the horrific deaths at Kei-Ai, the deadliest covid nursing home on the wet coast.

Since 2016, hundreds of people and various groups have demanded the Keiro Board replace the nursing homes they sold away to a resort developer. A developer who was more interested in profits than providing safe care during covid-19.

art4change : David Monkawa

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ART 4 CHANGE : David Monkawa

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