Consul General Masahiro Omura (left), Congressman Jim McDermott (5th from left), and the Seattle Puyallup Valley JACL members. (Photo provided by Sheldon Arakaki)
The Seattle JACL and the Consul General of Japan gathered on Nov. 10 to celebrate retiring Congressman Jim McDermott’s 28 years of service, and his support and advocacy for the local Japanese community.
Consul General Masahiro Omura read a letter of appreciation from Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, community representatives shared their appreciation and stories, and McDermott recounted how he first learned about and was inspired by the Japanese American experience.
The program concluded with a sake toast led by Tomio Moriguchi and Congressman Adam Smith.