Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On January 14, 2007, Lillian Matsumoto spoke at the JANM public program, Memories of the Children’s Village at Manzanar. Before World War II, Lillian and her husband, Harry, worked at the Shonien, a Japanese American children’s home in Los Angeles. During World War II they were in charge of the Manzanar Children’s Village in the Manzanar concentration camp. Listen to her recollections about the bus ride to the concentration camp with the orphans.
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This video is included as part of JANM’s Exploring America’s Concentration Camps website, an online resource for learning about the forced removal and confinement of more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry in American-style concentration camps during World War II: eacc.janm.org
Japanese American National Museum
100 N. Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
janm.org
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On January 14, 2007, Lillian Matsumoto spoke at the JANM public program, Memories of the Children’s Village at Manzanar. Before World War II, Lillian and her husband, Harry, worked at the Shonien, a Japanese American children’s home in Los Angeles. During World War II they were in charge of the Manzanar Children’s Village in the Manzanar concentration camp. Listen to her recollections about the bus ride to the concentration camp with the orphans.
---
This video is included as part of JANM’s Exploring America’s Concentration Camps website, an online resource for learning about the forced removal and confinement of more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry in American-style concentration camps during World War II: eacc.janm.org
Japanese American National Museum
100 N. Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
janm.org
Stay connected with us!
Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseum
Follow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Follow JANM on TikTok: tiktok.com/@jamuseum
Follow JANM on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamuseum.bsky.social
Follow JANM on Threads: threads.net/@jamuseum








![Barbara Kawakami: A Textured Life
“Barbara Kawakami: A Textured Life” (2010) is a portrait of Barbara Kawakami who─after growing up on a plantation and working for over three decades as a seamstress, and entering college for the first time at the age of 53─went on to uncover the lost history of Hawai`i’s early Japanese picture brides. The film was produced as part of the 2010 Japanese American National Museum exhibition, “Textured Lives: Japanese Immigrant Clothing from the Plantations of Hawai`i [https://janm.org/texturedlives]. Directed by Akira Boch. Produced by John Esaki.
─ JANM 30TH ANNIVERSARY DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL ─
Friday, July 29, 2022
5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (PDT)
Now at 100, she is still a noted author, historian, and storyteller who has dedicated much of her life to researching and sharing the untold stories of Issei women working on plantations in Hawai`i. Join us on Friday, July 29 at 5 p.m. (PDT) for a discussion and Q&A on Kawakami’s research, storytelling, and legacy with Fay Toyama (Educator and Barbara Kawakami’s daughter), John Esaki (Executive Producer), and Dr. Akemi Kikumura Yano (Former JANM President and curator).
More details: https://www.janm.org/events/2022-07-29/janm-30th-anniversary-digital-film-festival-barbara-kawakami-textured-life
Purchase the DVD, “Textured Lives: Stories from the Plantations of Hawai`i” at the JANM Store (includes bonus content): https://janmstore.com/products/textured-lives-stories-from-the-plantations-of-hawaii-dvd
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The JANM 30th Anniversary Digital Film Festival (JDFF) highlights works produced by the Emmy Award winning Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center through virtual screenings and live Q&A sessions with those involved with the films. This program is part of our 30th Anniversary Celebrations.
Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (https://janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: https://janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!
Japanese American National Museum
100 N. Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
https://janm.org
Stay connected with us!
Follow JANM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamuseum/
Follow JANM on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamuseum
Follow JANM on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamuseum Barbara Kawakami: A Textured Life](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jTjQ-EwrCcE/mqdefault.jpg)

