LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Rethinking Keiro’s Future


Dear Editor:

Now that the sale of Keiro has been shot down by the authorities, it would be a good time to rethink what they are doing.

Obviously their upper management and board have left much to be desired and have failed in their duty to maintain Keiro for the Japanese American community, so why not hire a new team to run Keiro and keep all the assets intact instead of selling out?

Our community has an abundance of qualified, honest people who should be able to fill the bill. Instead of looking for buyers, let’s look for the proper people who are interested in keeping it open and providing the care to the Issei and Nisei, as was the original intent of Mr. Edwin Hiroto, the CEO and founding father of the organization. Keiro is much too critical to our community to abandon it.

The secrecy they have been operating under is difficult to comprehend, accept and live with. What do they have to hide? Apparently more than we could ever imagine. Isn’t it time they are held accountable for their actions? Why are the community leaders allowing this and remaining mum on the subject?

It’s time, or past time, for discussion and resolution to take place. It’s still not too late to save this worthwhile and much-needed organization. The state, by voiding the sale, actually has given the community time to do the right thing.

As I was working on this letter to the editor, The Rafu with Mr. Mo Nishida’s column “Thank You, Ms. K. Harris” arrived and I thought, “Finally, someone is willing to intelligently address the issue that the JA community has been so concerned about.”

Kudos to Mr. Nishida for his courage to stand up and speak out against the powers that be. Now, it would be nice if they would open up dialog and their books to the community that has so long supported them.


Irene Tanaka



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