SOCIALLY CONNECTING AT THE NISEI VETS MONTHLY LUNCH!
2026-08-09
Joy Misako St Germain, Junks Ikeda & Dee Goto
Lunch is over and the green Bingo cards are on tables.
Both Joy and I won prizes today!!
Socially connecting is one of the important life managing activities for a fulfilling and healthy longevity. The Nisei Veteran’s organization in Seattle manage a lunch program on the first Friday of every month and today we had “pulled pork”. Keith and Maryann Yamaguchi started serving lunches for over 50 of us from 2015 and through Covid. I used to help when there was a similar program in the 1980s. I now sit at a table where everyone is close to 100 years old!
John Ikeda takes time to bring his parents, Junks and Mary, from their Lakeshore Renton residence each month and helps everyone squeeze in to the gated parking area. Junks and Mary set an example of “Strong Parenting”. The three of us in the picture engaged in a conversation about the future of our Japanese Heritage Community the next 25 years?? Junks said over and over, “You need to find a message that everyone will find compeling and of interest to the individually….” We continued to brainstorm ideas about how we can benefit from our heritage legacy. Of course we are at the Nisei Vets where we honor the bravery of the WWII soldiers decorated for their courage.
My husband and I set a goal to pass on our heritage values and to see great grandchildren see their great grandchildren be honest, kind, respectful and responsible parents.
What happens at these Nisei Vet Lunches are examples of the kinds of parents and friends we want to see 100 years from now. Children are excited to bring their elderly parent and meet others. Everyone is greeted by name with a host of greeters and given a name tags - so we don’t have to wait for their names to ooze up into our consciousness after we get back home?:-) Volunteers immediately served tea and distribute hostess treats. There is almost competition for being servers and providing donations for Bingo prizes played after the meal.
I think we could establish a protocol for community leadership with some of the values the Japanese in America practice. We have been the majority minority during the last 100 years here in the Pacific Northwest and have been extraordinarily responsible, honest engaged, caring and healthy citizens wherever we have lived.