A leader in the Japanese Canadian community, Art Miki is nationally known for promoting improved race relations and increased awareness of human rights issues in Canada. In 1942, at the age of five, he and his family were forced to leave their Fraser Valley, British Columbia farm and relocate to Manitoba. They were among some 22,000 Japanese Canadians displaced or interned during World War II. Later, he became a teacher and administrator in Winnipeg, committed to organizing multicultural projects and anti-racism workshops for students and the larger community. He was active in many cultural organizations. Most notably, as president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians from 1984 to 1992, he led the successful negotiations with the federal government culminating in the historic Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement of 1988. He went on to serve as the first vice-chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and, in 1991, was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. From 1998 to 2009, Mr. Miki served as a citizenship court judge for Manitoba and Saskatchewan where his personal story offered hope to new Canadians. He is also the founding and current president of the Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba that organizes activities each May in celebration of Asian Heritage Month.
