Lorene Oikawa
Lorene Oikawa serves as Past President for the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) and Chair of the NAJC Heritage Committee. She is currently working on legacy projects to honour Japanese Canadians, evolving from her work on BC Redress as NAJC President. She is Vice President of the Japanese Canadian Hastings Park Interpretive Centre Society and is currently working on the memorial. She is a fourth generation Japanese Canadian and a descendant of survivors who first came from Japan in the 1800s and 1906 and endured the forced uprooting, dispossession, incarceration, and exile from 1942 to 1949.
Updated October 2025
Stories from This Author
Remembering My Grandparents and Learning My Family History
Oct. 28, 2025 • Lorene Oikawa
When I was little, my family would visit my grandparents in Slocan in the interior of British Columbia. I didn’t know why they lived in Slocan, I was just happy to see them. It would take about 9 hours to drive from Surrey to Slocan. For those of you who have looked it up on Google maps, the actual driving time is about an hour less when you are travelling alone. With a small child you must work in frequent …
My Japanese Canadian New Year
Feb. 19, 2024 • Lorene Oikawa
When Lunar New Year celebrations are underway, I often get asked if I celebrate Lunar New Year. I let people know that I celebrate Japanese Canadian New Year on January 1. Japanese follow the Gregorian calendar, a solar calendar. However, this does not stop me from learning about and celebrating different cultures. One Japanese New Year’s tradition is the animal zodiac which is also followed by other Asian communities. 2024 is the year of the dragon according to the Japanese …
What’s in My Name? A Big River and Lots of Family Stories
Nov. 20, 2014 • Lorene Oikawa
Lorene is my first name. My mother chose my name for me. She liked the sound of the name, but not its typical spelling “Laureen” so she says she changed it. It wasn’t a familiar name especially in classrooms where most girls had names like Cathy, Susan, and Cindy. Most people thought it was a boy’s name and would pronounce it like Lorne or if they knew it was a girl’s name they would say Lauren. My last name Oikawa …
Discover Nikkei Updates
Tuesday, December 9
Hosted by traci kato-kiriyama
Featuring Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, Erica Isomura, and Syd Westley
