Retired minister Rev. Mark Nakagawa has issued an apology to the Jewish American woman who expressed outrage after she saw him drawing what appeared to be a swastika on one of her grocery items last December.
Nakagawa and Leah Grossman live in the same West Los Angeles condominium complex and had previously clashed during homeowners’ association (HOA) meetings. At the time, Nakagawa was serving as HOA president. He has since resigned from the position.
His attorney, Mia Yamamoto, issued the following statement this week:
“Rev. Nakagawa has previously apologized to Ms. Grossman for the harm he caused her. He realizes his lack of judgment and regrets his actions on the night of the incident.”
Grossman claims she was shaken by the incident. She contacted the police who reportedly told her that the incident did not rise to the level of a hate crime. Meanwhile, Grossman refused to accept Nakagawa’s earlier apology. She also contacted the media. Attempts by The Rafu to contact Ms. Grossman for her comments went unanswered.
Reports of Nakagawa’s actions have stunned and bewildered his longtime friends and associates who regard him as a dedicated community leader with a reputation for fairness.
Nakagawa served the United Methodist Church California-Pacific Conference as a senior pastor and later as a West district superintendent. He has been a minister at West Los Angeles UMC and Centenary UMC in Little Tokyo.
Nakagawa served as Nisei Week Foundation president in 2012 and was to assume the position next year. He has resigned from Nisei Week.
Speaking with local TV station KCAL, Nakagawa said he was “trying to educate Grossman about the history of [the swastika] as a Buddhist symbol of love,” and that he “did not know how Grossman would react toward the drawing.” He later added, “In hindsight, the way I went about it was not the right away to go about it. It was bad judgment on my part. I realize that.”
On March 6, Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank of the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church announced the start of a formal complaint process surrounding the December incident.
“The Conference does not condone any form of hate or discrimination. We are committed to loving our neighbors, fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all, and nurturing interfaith relationships in our communities,” the Bishop stated. “I reaffirm our commitment to antiracism, including fighting antisemitism.”
Police are looking into threats of violence received by the Conference offices following news reports of the incident. Escobedo-Frank added, “I remind us all that acts of hate and racism should not be a part of our response,?particularly?to Jewish communities?and Japanese communities.?I pray for healing for all those impacted and call us to live in life-giving support for one another.”