Building & Bridging (Part II): Building Relationships into the Future Japanese American National Museum 2026-09-23 | Building & Bridging (Part II): Building Relationships into the Future
JANM at 30: Opening Hearts and Minds janmdotorg 2022-11-22 | The Japanese American National Museum first opened to the public in 1992. Learn how JANM confronts the twin epidemics of hate and polarization with art, exhibitions, educational tours, public programs, and an understanding to bridge divides.---Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift to support JANM: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
“No No Girl”—Premiere Q&A janmdotorg 2022-11-16 | On August 20, 2022, JANM hosted the Los Angeles community premiere of “No No Girl,” a new film about family history, secrets, and identity. The screening was followed by a Q&A with writer, editor, and director Paul Daisuke Goodman, producer Laurie Miho Goodman, and actors Mika Dyo and Chris Tajima. About the film:In the middle of the night, before they are to be sent to a Japanese American concentration camp, one family buries a secret in their backyard garden. 80 years later, a clue is discovered and what begins as a mystery soon turns criminal as a family of different minds try to come together to discover the truth of their past.“No No Girl” is a story about the generations of Japanese Americans who suffer to this day from the incarceration of their ancestors during WWII. In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans were, by executive action, evicted from their homes and sent to barracks in isolated camps, scattered across the United States. Many families, including the fictional one portrayed in “No No Girl,” didn’t want to depart with their treasured possessions that were too big, or otherwise unable to bring with them, so they buried it. After the war, Japanese American families would return to their homes to find them ransacked, destroyed, vandalized with racism and hate and sometimes even outright stolen. They would have to start again, and move on. “No No Girl” explores three generations of Japanese Americans who discover the existence of family heirlooms in a home that is no longer theirs. What it brings is more complicated than joy or relief because their place in history is complicated. In this film we explore identity and family; nationality and pride. And watching our characters ask themselves: if it’s yours, is it really stealing?Learn more at: eighteastproductions.com---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Sansei Rocker Symposium janmdotorg 2022-10-14 | On July 30, 2022, a panel of “Sansei rockers” discussed Harry Manaka’s book, “Chronicles of a Sansei Rocker,” which explores the dynamic Japanese American music and dance scene of the ’60s and ’70s. Tina Fujino, Gerald Ishibashi, David Honjio, and Harry Manaka reunited in a conversation about community, history, and rock music, moderated by actress Brittany Ishibashi.Purchase “Chronicles of a Sansei Rocker” from the JANM Store:janmstore.com/products/chronicles-of-a-sansei-rocker?_pos=1&_sid=e835ff1dc&_ss=rAbout the book:From the mid ’60s to the late ’70s in the Los Angeles area, a generation of Sansei knew exactly what they would be doing on weekend nights. They would be attending a dance party at places like the Parkview Women’s Club, the Rodger Young Auditorium, or the Aeronautical Institute. In the beginning, they would be listening to groups like the Ambertones, the Blue Satins, the Emeralds, or Don Julian and the Meadowlarks. This would evolve into the formation of Asian American bands such as Thee Chozen Few, The Prophets, Carry On, Long Time Comin’, and Somethin’ Else.Harry Manaka was in one of the premier bands of the Sansei Dance Party era. “Chronicles of a Sansei Rocker” detail his experiences as the keyboardist with Somethin’ Else from the early days playing at places like Parkview Women’s Club and the Rodger Young Auditorium. Harry and fellow musician, David Jingu, were also the owners of the popular Baby Lion Supper Club. David was tragically killed at the business in 1978.Let Harry’s “Chronicles” provide you with a unique insider’s view of the bands that played during this era, how they came together, and how they chose their names. Get a close view of the individual musicians that comprised these bands and some of the interesting things they have to say about their experiences.Learn more on Discover Nikkei: "Harry Manaka: Crystalizing the Sansei Rocker Scene"discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2022/10/21/harry-manaka---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration Launch janmdotorg 2022-10-11 | On September 24, 2022, the Japanese American National Museum hosted a private event to consecrate and install the Ireichō, a sacred book that records the names of over 125,000 persons of Japanese ancestry who were unjustly imprisoned in US Army, Department of Justice, and War Relocation Authority camps during World War II. A procession of interfaith clergy, survivors, and descendants from seventy-five World War II incarceration sites carried the Ireichō and sotoba (wooden markers) with the names and soil from each site on them from JANM’s Historic Building to the Aratani Central Hall inside the Museum, where it was ceremonially consecrated and installed. JANM’s Historic Building, is the former Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. Built in 1925, the temple was a social hub, a site of forced removal during World War II, a storage center for Japanese Americans’ belongings during World War II, and a hostel for Japanese Americans returning to the Los Angeles area after the war. The Ireichō is part of the Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration project. The multi-faceted project addresses the erasure of the identities of individuals of Japanese ancestry who experienced wartime incarceration and to expand the concept of what monument is through three distinct, interlinking elements: a sacred book of names as a monument (Ireichō), a website as a monument (Ireizō), and light sculptures as monuments (Ireihi).The public is invited to view the names and use a special Japanese hanko (a stamp or seal) to leave a mark for each person in the Ireichō as a way to honor those incarcerated during World War II. Community participation will “activate” it and rectify the historical record by correcting misspelled names or revealing names that may have been omitted from the record. The Ireichō will be on display at JANM through September 24, 2023. However, RSVPs are required.Visit janm.org/ireicho to learn more and to RSVP.The project is funded by the Mellon Foundation and led by Duncan Ryuken Williams, co-curator of Sutra and Bible: Faith and the Japanese American World War II Incarceration at JANM, professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, chair of the USC School of Religion, and director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture, and Project Creative Director, Sunyoung Lee. ---Projects like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more films like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Wakaji Matsumoto—Episode 1: His Early Days janmdotorg 2022-09-19 | Wakaji Matsumoto was an Issei farmer turned photographer whose rare photographs captured the Japanese American community in Los Angeles and urban life in Hiroshima prior to the 1945 atomic bombing of the city. In this video, curator Dennis Reed discusses Wakaji’s beginnings working on his father’s farm and as a photographer in Los Angeles. 2022Produced in conjunction with the Japanese American National Museum’s online exhibition, “Wakaji Matsumoto—An Artist in Two Worlds: Los Angeles and Hiroshima, 1917–1944.” View the online exhibition at janm.org/wakaji-matsumoto.A production of JANM’s Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center.---Projects like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more films like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Wakaji Matsumoto—Episode 2: Little Tokyo janmdotorg 2022-09-19 | Wakaji Matsumoto was an Issei farmer turned photographer whose rare photographs captured the Japanese American community in Los Angeles and urban life in Hiroshima prior to the 1945 atomic bombing of the city. In this video, curator Dennis Reed explores Wakaji’s involvement in the Los Angeles Little Tokyo photography community before World War II.2022Produced in conjunction with the Japanese American National Museum’s online exhibition, “Wakaji Matsumoto—An Artist in Two Worlds: Los Angeles and Hiroshima, 1917–1944.” View the online exhibition at janm.org/wakaji-matsumoto.A production of JANM’s Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center.---Projects like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more films like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Wakaji Matsumoto—Episode 3: Hiroshima janmdotorg 2022-09-19 | Wakaji Matsumoto was an Issei farmer turned photographer whose rare photographs captured the Japanese American community in Los Angeles and urban life in Hiroshima prior to the 1945 atomic bombing of the city. In this video, curator Dennis Reed delves into Wakaji’s experiences as a professional photographer in Hiroshima before World War II. 2022Produced in conjunction with the Japanese American National Museum’s online exhibition, “Wakaji Matsumoto—An Artist in Two Worlds: Los Angeles and Hiroshima, 1917–1944.” View the online exhibition at janm.org/wakaji-matsumoto.A production of JANM’s Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center.---Projects like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more films like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Author Discussion—Invisible Vision with Roy Wesley janmdotorg 2022-09-16 | On July 16, 2022, Roy Wesley joined us for a conversation around “Invisible Vision,” which tells the story of his father, Dr. Newton K. Wesley, who was an American contact lens pioneer. He discussed Dr. Newton K. Wesley’s impact on Roy’s own life as well as the field of optometry.PURCHASE THE BOOK:janmstore.com/products/invisible-visionRead an interview with Roy Wesley on Discover Nikkei:http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2022/9/16/invisible-visionABOUT THE BOOK:As recently as 1940, contact lenses did not exist for Americans. “Invisible Vision” is the hidden story of the man who brought them into existence, trained doctors and opticians to fit them, and developed the country's largest contact lens manufacturing company that started the industry. Despite these accomplishments, few people know his name or background. The surprising and inspiring life of Dr. Newton K. Wesley-born to Japanese immigrant parents who arrived at the turn of the 19th century, and eventually rising to create the US contact lens market-is a story of survival and flourishing against the odds.Dr. Wesley gives hope to those starting life and businesses from nothing as someone who earned success in the face of loss: he was a US Citizen who lost everything in WWII, even his wife and two children who were incarcerated in Japanese American war camps, while he remained free to start a new life and career. His tale is one of perseverance with a big payoff.---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Meet Bill Fujioka, new Chair of JANM’s Board of Trustees janmdotorg 2022-08-27 | The Japanese American National Museum is proud to announce that William T. Fujioka has been named the JANM Board of Trustees Chair. Hear about his vision for the future of the Museum.Learn more: janm.org/press/release/william-t-fujioka-named-chair-japanese-american-national-museum-board-trustees---Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift to support JANM: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Author Discussion—Beyond the Betrayal with Arthur Hansen & Lawson Inada janmdotorg 2022-08-23 | “Beyond the Betrayal: the Memoir of a WWII Japanese American Draft Resister of Conscience” by Yoshito Kuromiya (1923–2018) is the only book-length memoir written by a World War II Japanese American draft resister of conscience, Yoshito Kuromiya. On June 4, 2022, editor Arthur A. Hansen, a leading scholar of Japanese American history, and Lawson Fusao Inada, renowned poet, was in conversation with Kuromiya’s family around the groundbreaking publication. “A Hero's Hero,” a short documentary by Robert Shoji about Yoshito and his nephew Kiyoshi, as well as a few interview clips from Yoshito, was also shown during the discussion.Purchase the book:janmstore.com/products/beyond-the-betrayalInterview with Arthur Hansen on Discover Nikkei:discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2022/5/20/arthur-hansenAbout the book:As a World War II inmate at Wyoming’s Heart Mountain concentration camp, Kuromiya resisted the military draft on the grounds that the US government had deprived him (and his family) of his fundamental rights as an American citizen. Although a total of some 300 other inmates in the 10 War Relocation Authority-administered incarceration centers made the same choice on similar grounds, Kuromiya alone has produced an autobiographical volume that explores in-depth the short- and long-range causes and consequences of his wartime action. Beyond the Betrayal is a book that makes it abundantly clear that the unjustly imprisoned World War II Nisei could and did exercise their patriotism not only by serving in the military, but also by the act of refusing to do so in the name of civil liberties and social justice.The book includes an epigraph written by the draft resistance movement’s most prominent postwar promoter, Frank Chin; a preface by the draft resistance movement’s most notable historian, Eric L. Muller; and a poetic foreword and afterword (the latter dedicated to Yosh Kuromiya) written by another significant postwar promoter of the draft resistance movement who is arguably the most reputed extant third-generation Japanese American poet, Lawson Inada. The book was edited by Art Hansen, one of the leading scholars and noted historians of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and Professor Emeritus of History and Asian American Studies at California State University, Fullerton.---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
2022 Natsumatsuri Family Festival janmdotorg 2022-08-14 | Join us for the in-person return of the Natsumatsuri Family Festival, our annual summer celebration featuring free cultural performances, crafts, and activities for families and kids of all ages!For more information please visit:janm.org/events/2022-08-13/2022-natsumatsuri-family-festivalCan't join us in person? Check out some of our performances live on this channel!11:30 AM - 12:00 PMPerformance by Mariachi Arcoiris de Los AngelesStart the day with a performance by Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles! Led by director Carlos Samaniego, Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles performs its repertoire to suit the LGBTQ community while it maintains the highest level of musicality.2:15 PM - 2:45 PMKendo DemonstrationLearn about kendo with a demonstration led by Sho Tokyo Kendo Dojo, a member dojo of the Southern California Kendo Federation.4:30 PM - 5:00 PMPerformance by Makoto TaikoFinish up the fun-filled day with a performance by Makoto Taiko, a taiko group that strives to connect and empower people of all backgrounds by advancing the practice of taiko with intention and sincerity.
JANM 30th Anniversary Digital Film Festival—Barbara Kawakami: A Textured Life janmdotorg 2022-07-30 | The 2010 JANM exhibition, Textured Lives: Japanese Immigrant Clothing from the Plantations of Hawai`i, was born from a gift by Barbara Kawakami to JANM’s permanent collection of beautiful plantation-era clothing. Kawakami started her formal studies of these textiles and clothing at the age of 53. 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. Barbara Kawakami: A Textured Life was produced by the Watase Media Arts Center in conjunction with Textured Lives. On July 29, 2022, join us 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). 'Barbara Kawakami: A Textured Life' is available to stream now on JANM’s YouTube Channel: youtube.com/watch?v=jTjQ-EwrCcE ABOUT THE FILM FESTIVALThe 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. More on the exhibition: janm.org/exhibits/texturedlivesPurchase DVDs of the film from the JANM Store: janmstore.com/products/textured-lives-stories-from-the-plantations-of-hawaii-dvd---Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Artist Conversation—BeHere / 1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration janmdotorg 2022-07-18 | On May 7, 2022, we were joined in conversation with artist Masaki Fujihata and National Book Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award medalist, Karen Tei Yamashita, about JANM’s new exhibition, "BeHere / 1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration," and installations.ABOUT THE EXHIBITIONVisionary Japanese media artist Masaki Fujihata invites visitors to experience the photographic archive of the 1942 forced removal of Japanese Americans in new ways. Beginning with little-known photographs by Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee, the exhibition culminates in two groundbreaking augmented reality installations, one in the Museum and one in the JANM Plaza.Learn more about the exhibition: janm.org/behere1942#BeHere1942---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Barbara Kawakami: A Textured Life janmdotorg 2022-07-06 | “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 [janm.org/texturedlives]. Directed by Akira Boch. Produced by John Esaki.─ JANM 30TH ANNIVERSARY DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL ─Friday, July 29, 20225 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: janm.org/events/2022-07-29/janm-30th-anniversary-digital-film-festival-barbara-kawakami-textured-lifePurchase the DVD, “Textured Lives: Stories from the Plantations of Hawai`i” at the JANM Store (includes bonus content): janmstore.com/products/textured-lives-stories-from-the-plantations-of-hawaii-dvd─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 (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Norman Y. Mineta Celebration of Life janmdotorg 2022-06-25 | The Japanese American National Museum invites you to join in celebrating the life of Board of Trustees Chair Norman Y. Mineta on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. (PDT). The public are welcome to join in person or via livestream.For more information about the event, please visit: janm.org/events/2022-06-25/norman-y-mineta-celebration-life---Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Writing Heroes with Naomi Hirahara & Sarah Kuhn janmdotorg 2022-06-21 | On March 26, 2022, award-winning Japanese American authors Naomi Hirahara ("An Eternal Lei") and Sarah Kuhn ("From Little Tokyo, With Love") discussed their recently released books that explore the power of young women and the significance of place. The event also included readings from the books audiobook narrators Chloe Madriaga and Emily Woo Zeller.About "An Eternal Lei" by Naomi Hirahara:[BUY IT NOW: janmstore.com/products/an-eternal-lei]It’s the middle of the pandemic and Hawaii has been virtually closed to tourists. So when Leilani Santiago and her young sisters save a mysterious woman wearing an unusual lei from drowning in Waimea Bay in Kaua’i, questions abound. Who is she and where did she come from? Leilani suddenly finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when the lei is traced back to her best friend, the very pregnant Courtney Kahuakai, and her family’s flower business.While the woman is in a medically-induced coma at a local hospital, Leilani sets out to discover her identity and her connections to the island. She is drawn deeper into the mystery, only to stumble into secrets that prove deadly. When Leilani’s investigation puts her family in danger, her survival and the safety of those dearest to her will depend on her sense of ingenuity and the strength of her island community.About "From Little Tokyo, With Love" by Sarah Kuhn:[BUY IT NOW: janmstore.com/products/from-little-tokyo-with-love]If Rika’s life seems like the beginning of a familiar fairy tale—being an orphan with two bossy cousins and working away in her aunts’ business—she would be the first to reject that foolish notion. After all, she loves her family (even if her cousins were named after Disney characters), and with her biracial background, amazing judo skills and red-hot temper, she doesn’t quite fit the princess mold.All that changes the instant she locks eyes with Grace Kimura, America’s reigning rom-com sweetheart, during the Nikkei Week Festival. From there, Rika embarks on a madcap adventure of hope and happiness—searching for clues that Grace is her long-lost mother, exploring Little Tokyo’s hidden treasures with cute actor Hank Chen, and maybe . . . finally finding a sense of belonging.But fairy tales are fiction and the real world isn’t so kind. Rika knows she’s setting herself up for disappointment, because happy endings don’t happen to girls like her. Should she walk away before she gets in even deeper, or let herself be swept away?---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Facing the Mountain with Daniel James Brown and Tom Ikeda janmdotorg 2022-06-02 | On May 14, 2022, “New York Times” bestselling author of “The Boys on the Boat,” Daniel James Brown, was in conversation with Tom Ikeda, Executive Director of Densho, to celebrate the release of the paperback edition of Brown’s newest book “Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II.” This program was presented in partnership with Densho. densho.orgPurchase “Facing the Mountain” from the JANM Store:janmstore.com/search?type=product&q=facing+the+mountain+daniel+james+brownInterview with the author:discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2022/4/26/daniel-james-brownAbout the book:They came from across the continent and Hawaii. Their parents taught them to embrace both their Japanese heritage and their American homeland. They faced bigotry, yet they believed in their bright futures as American citizens. But within days of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the FBI was ransacking their houses and locking up their fathers. And within months many would themselves be living behind barbed wire.Showcasing Brown’s inimitable narrative skills, "Facing the Mountain” is an unforgettable story unfolding across war-time America and the battlefields of Europe. Based on Brown’s extensive interviews with the families of the protagonists as well as deep archival research, the book chronicles the kaleidoscopic journeys of four Japanese-American families and their sons—Gordon Hirabayashi, Rudy Tokiwa, Fred Shiosaki, and Kats Miho. One demonstrated his courage as a resister. The others volunteered for 442nd Regimental Combat Team and displayed fierce courage in the mountains and forests of France, Germany, and Italy where they were tasked with doing the near-impossible.But this is more than a tale of war. Brown also tells the story of these soldiers’ parents, Japanese immigrants who were forced to shutter the businesses, surrender their homes, and submit to life in concentration camps on U.S. soil. Woven throughout is the chronicle of Gordon Hirabayashi, one of a cadre of patriotic resisters who stood up against their government in defense of their Constitutional rights. Whether on battlefields or in courtrooms, these were Americans under unprecedented strain, doing what Americans—at their best—are capable of doing: striving, resisting, rising up, standing on principle, laying down their lives, and enduring. Brown explores the questions of what home means, what makes a team succeed, who gets to be a “real American,” and what citizens owe their country—and vice versa.---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
The Unsung Great: Uncovering Nikkei Histories with Greg Robinson janmdotorg 2022-05-26 | In “The Unsung Great: Stories of Extraordinary Japanese Americans,” scholar and journalist Greg Robinson reveals the diverse experiences of Japanese Americans and explores a wealth of themes, including mixed-race families, artistic pioneers, mass confinement, civil rights activism, and queer history. On June 12, 2021, Robinson spoke more to his process uncovering these stories and, in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride month, focused on the chapter on the often unheard stories of queer Nikkei people throughout time. He was joined in discussion by other scholars and experts of LGBTQ Nikkei history, Jonathan Van Harmelen, Randall Kikukawa, and Tina Takemoto.Drawn primarily from Robinson’s popular writings in the San Francisco newspaper “Nichi Bei Weekly” and Discover Nikkei (https://DiscoverNikkei.org) a community-based international website project of JANM, “The Unsung Great” offers entertaining and compelling stories that challenge one-dimensional views of Japanese Americans.“The Unsung Great” is available at the JANM Store:janmstore.com/products/the-unsung-great---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Art, Identity, & Experience with Brian Komei Dempster and Brynn Saito janmdotorg 2022-05-19 | On March 19, 2022, Brian Komei Dempster and Brynn Saito shared a dynamic virtual conversation and reading about the legacy of Japanese American wartime imprisonment and how it informs the present. Their dialogue explored these vital, timely themes: What does it mean to inherit the saga of incarceration? How do we process trauma and respond to racism, anti-Asian sentiment, and violence? In what ways can we—as artists, activists, and community members—carry forth our vision to enact social change? Throughout the presentation, Dempster and Saito shared poems and prompts that resonate with their responses.Brian Komei Dempster is an award-winning poet, editor, and teacher. His volumes of poetry, “Seize” (Four Way Books, 2020) and “Topaz” (Four Way Books, 2013), have received several honors, including the Julie Suk Award, an NCPA Gold Award in Poetry, and a Human Relations Indie Book Silver Winner award. He is the editor of “From Our Side of the Fence: Growing Up in America’s Concentration Camps” (Kearny Street Workshop, 2001), which received a Nisei Voices Award from the National Japanese American Historical Society, and “Making Home from War: Stories of Japanese American Exile and Resettlement” (Heyday, 2011). Dempster is a professor of rhetoric and language and Director of Administration for the Master’s in Asia Pacific Studies program at the University of San Francisco, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award. In addition, he teaches for the Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference.Brynn Saito is a poet, organizer, and Assistant Professor of Creative Writing and English at California State University, Fresno. She is the author of two books of poetry, “Power Made Us Swoon” (2016) and “The Palace of Contemplating Departure” (2013), winner of the Benjamin Saltman Award from Red Hen Press and a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. Brynn is a two-time recipient of the California State Library’s Civil Liberties Public Education grant for her work with Yonsei Memory Project (YMP). Co-founded with farmer and artist, Nikiko Masumoto, YMP uses art and storytelling to connect the WWII-era incarceration of the Japanese American community with current struggles for justice. In 2019, Brynn was featured in Vogue magazine for her work with YMP and has received support from Densho, Hedgebrook, and Santa Fe Art Institute’s “Truth and Reconciliation” program. Her poetry has appeared in the “New York Times,” the “American Poetry Review,” and was featured in the opening ceremony for The People’s Inauguration, a 10-day event inspiring collective action led by activist, Valarie Kaur.---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
30th Anniversary Benefit—Event Photos janmdotorg 2022-05-12 | Thank you to everyone who joined us for JANM’s 30th Anniversary Benefit on April 30, 2022, both in-person and via livestream, as we reflected on all we’ve accomplished in our first three decades and the timeliness and timelessness of our mission as we continue to illuminate the Japanese American experience and promote greater understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity. View photos taken by Tracy Kumono at the event in this slideshow.Watch the 30th Anniversary Benefit program here: youtube.com/watch?v=YN5ZcxIjQHgMusic credits: New Morning, Copycat, BensoundFor more information about the Benefit, visit: janm.org/30th-benefit#janm30---The mission of the Japanese American National Museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Contested Histories travels to NYC janmdotorg 2022-05-12 | JANM brought its "Contested Histories: Art and Artifacts from the Allen Hendershott Eaton Collection" display to the Noguchi Foundation and Museum Garden in Long Island City, New York on April 8–10, 2022, where it was presented in conjunction with the exhibition, "No Monument: In the Wake of the Japanese American Incarceration." Christina Hiromi Hobbs and Genji Amino, co-curators of "No Monument," talked about the exhibitions."No Monument: In the Wake of the Japanese American Incarceration" is on view at the Noguchi Museum through May 15, 2022. The exhibition is organized to mark the 80th anniversary of Executive Order 9066 (signed on February 19, 1942) which authorized the forced removal and mass incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans by the United States government during World War II.By gathering together works such as Isamu Noguchi’s haunting wood and bone "Monument to Heroes" (1943), Kay Sekimachi’s ethereal hanging fiber work "Ogawa II (1969)", and Patrick Nagatani’s 1994 photographs of the former sites of Japanese American concentration camps in Utah and Idaho, the exhibition presents a range of approaches to abstraction developed following the era of Japanese American incarceration.Filmed at The Noguchi Museum, Long Island City, New York. Artworks by Isamu Noguchi © The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society.ABOUT THE EATON COLLECTION:Allen Hendershott Eaton’s historic 1952 book, "Beauty Behind Barbed Wire: The Arts of the Japanese in Our War Relocation Camps," explored art and craft objects created by persons of Japanese ancestry while wrongfully incarcerated in World War II American concentration camps. It was one of the first books to examine any aspect of the lives of the 120,000 inmates. In the course of conducting research for the book and a never-realized exhibition of camp artifacts, Eaton amassed a significant personal collection of such artifacts.After many years of lying forgotten in storage, the collection was inherited by a family friend of Eaton’s, who in April 2015 attempted to put it up for auction. An outcry arose from Japanese American community leaders and activists, who rallied successfully to stop the insensitive sale of these important artifacts of Japanese American history. Ultimately, the collection was transferred to the Japanese American National Museum for safekeeping.ABOUT "CONTESTED HISTORIES":"Contested Histories" is intended to help gather information about each individual object so that the museum’s efforts to preserve and catalog the collection can be as complete as possible. Camp survivors and their family members and friends will be encouraged to share with JANM information they know or remember about the objects, including who is depicted in the many photographs, most of which were shot by photographers working for the War Relocation Authority.LEARN MORE ABOUT "CONTESTED HISTORIES":Contested Histories - http://janm.org/contested-historiesFlickr Images - bit.ly/3faOX2WVenues and Contacts - http://www.janm.org/contested-histori...SEND MAIL TO:Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012c/o Clement HanamiThis project was funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program. Additional support was provided by George and Brad Takei, the Earle K. & Katherine F. (Muto) Moore Foundation, and Richard Sakai.---The work of the museum is made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to maintain and preserve JANM’s Collection as well as important projects like this in support of our mission: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
2022 Bid For Education janmdotorg 2022-05-12 | Funded through the generous support of JANM donors, the Japanese American National Museum's Bid for Education grant program raises money each year to provides free bus transportation and museum admission for primary and secondary school students from Title I schools and groups who have demonstrated financial need. This past year, JANM's Education Unit welcomed school groups back to the Museum after our pandemic closure. Listen to students and educators from ArTES Magnet High School speak about their return trip to JANM, their engagement with the Museum’s exhibitions, and the important lessons they continue to learn from the Japanese American experience.The Bid for Education grant program also supports virtual visits K-12 educator workshops, the development of resources for educators, docent recruitment and training, and many other educational initiatives that help us expand our national reach. Although the Bid for Education receives much of its funding during the annual Gala, donations can be made at any time. For more information about the Bid for Education or to make a donation, visit janm.org/visit/financial-assistance or contact development@janm.org or 213.83.5646.Watch the entire 30th Anniversary Benefit program here: youtube.com/watch?v=YN5ZcxIjQHgFor more information about the Benefit, please visit janm.org/30th-benefit.#janm30---The mission of the Japanese American National Museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
30 Changemakers Under 30 janmdotorg 2022-05-06 | To celebrate the Japanese American National Museum’s 30th anniversary, JANM recognizes 30 young people under 30 years old that are making extraordinary contributions to advance the Museum’s mission through the arts, business, culture, education, politics, sports, and technology. As JANM looks to the future, the Museum celebrates the connection between the next generation and the Museum’s past honorees, whose achievements have strengthened the community.JANM received over 100 nominations from across the country. The 30 that were selected were honored at the Museum’s 30th Anniversary Benefit on April 30, 2022.Learn more about the Changemakers at janm.org/30-under-30.Watch the entire 30th Anniversary Benefit program here: youtube.com/watch?v=YN5ZcxIjQHg#janm30---The mission of the Japanese American National Museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
30th Anniversary Benefit janmdotorg 2022-05-02 | Thank you to everyone who joined us for JANM’s 30th Anniversary Benefit on April 30, 2022, both in-person and via livestream, as we reflected on all we’ve accomplished in our first three decades and the timeliness and timelessness of our mission as we continue to illuminate the Japanese American experience and promote greater understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity. Watch the program and George Takei interviews with five of our 30 Changemakers Under 30. The program featured many special guests and performers including Nobuko Miyamoto, Frank Buckley, Alex Smith, Derek Nakamoto, and Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja.For more information about the Benefit and the Changemakers, visit: janm.org/30th-benefit0:00 - George Takei interviews five of our 30 Changemakers under 30—Cole Kawana, Sara Hutter, Nolan Jimbo, Joy Yamaguchi, Kristi Lin, Miye Sugino, Vinicius Taguchi 18:57 - Nobuko Miyamoto & Alex Smith perform Ichigo Ichie28:20 - Welcome by Emcees Frank Buckley & Erin Aoyama30:38 - National Anthem by Malea Emma34:05 - Randall Lee, JANM Board of Trustees37:40 - Ann Burroughs, JANM President & CEO46:40 - His Excellency Koji Tomita, Ambassador of Japan to the United States of America49:47 - Kazuo 'Kaz' Koshi, MUFG Union Bank55:04 - 30th Anniversary Video59:26 - In Memoriam1:02:44 - Bid For Education Video1:05:33 - Jennifer Hirano1:07:41 - JANM Education Staff, BFE1:15:17 - Masako Koga, JANM Volunteer since 19861:20:02 - Cole Kawana1:26:30 - 30 Changemakers Under 30 Video1:30:12 - Toyota Lexus Opportunity Drawing1:37:53 - Sponsor Reel#janm30---The mission of the Japanese American National Museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Uprising: Reflections on ’92 janmdotorg 2022-04-26 | On April 29, 1992, the day of the planned opening of the Japanese American National Museum, the four officers accused of violently beating Rodney King on video were acquitted leading to city-wide civil unrest. The museum’s opening in this moment of racial reckoning has shaped its history forever, much as the uprisings changed the story of all of Los Angeles.On April 21, 2022, Josie Huang (KPCC, LAist) moderated a conversation with Professor Nadia Kim (Loyola Marymount University), Angela E. Oh (former LAHRC), and Ambassador Michael Lawson (Los Angeles Urban League). They dove into the impact of this pivotal moment on our panelists’ lives and work, unpacked dominant narratives around Black and Korean dynamics in LA, and provided powerful perspectives on how we can honor the legacy the uprisings moving forward.This program is part of JANM’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations. For more information on the April 30th Virtual Benefit and other upcoming Public Programs, please visit:janm.org/30th-anniversary/events---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Conversation on Tule Lake Stockade Diary by Tatsuo Ryusei Inouye janmdotorg 2022-04-18 | On December 11, 2021, Nancy Kyoko Oda was joined in conversation with Hiroshi Shimizu, Masumi Izumi, Duncan Williams, and David Yoo moderated by Karen Umemoto around this groundbreaking new book, Tule Lake Stockade Diary. The diary, originally written in Japanese and translated for the first time into English, tells Tatsuo Ryusei Inouye’s story of struggle and resilience in his own voice.About the Book:Freezing winters, starvation and terrible injustice is the stage for this World War II diary by kibei Tatsuo Ryusei Inouye. At thirty three years old, he bravely answered “No, Yes” to the controversial loyalty questions based on his love of both the U.S. and Japan, which caused him and his family to be forced from Poston to Tule Lake Concentration Camp in October 1943. He was arrested on November 13 because he signed in at a negotiating meeting. His rare wartime diary from this time sheds a light on Tatsuo Inouye’s fight for dignity during the three month long struggle in a freezing, chaotic high security stockade in Tule Lake. He drew inner strength from his judo training and writing a detailed account of the food daily. His mind and spirit kept him strong. Tatsuo sent letters of love to his worried wife, Yuriko, and their two daughters, Sayuri and Masako. The injustice of the Tule Lake was multiplied by the pain of the separation as they were distanced in a remote section of this high security camp.The book includes images from the 1932 Olympic’s judo team, war years, and reunification of the broken family. Artwork by daughter, Masako, is also included. She was a delicate four-year-old whose healing finally began as she shaped her memories in clay seventy years later.📕 Buy the book: janmstore.com/products/tule-lake-stockade-diary?_pos=1&_sid=637cf62dd&_ss=r---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
KIKAN: The Homecoming—Q&A janmdotorg 2022-04-15 | On October 2, 2021, the cast and crew of "KIKAN: The Homecoming" held a conversation after a screening of this film exploring the story of a Japanese American soldier during WWII. The post-screening discussion was moderated by Mitch Maki (CEO, Go For Broke National Education Center) and featured writer and director Kerwin Berk, Director of Photography Ben Arikawa, and actors Ryan Takemiya, Anna Sun, and Kealoha Nakamura.About the Film:A wartime promise sends Pvt. Jimmy Ibata of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team on a life-changing journey from the battlefields of Europe to San Francisco to complete his final mission of World War II. The all-Nikkei cast features Ryan Takemiya ("Valley of the Heart"), Ken Takeda, Anna Sun, Hiroshi Kashiwagi ("Infinity & Chashu Ramen"), and Chizu Omori ("Rabbit in the Moon").This program was held in conjunction with the exhibition, "A Life in Pieces: The Diary and Letters of Stanley Hayami" (janm.org/a-life-in-pieces) and was presented in partnership with Go For Broke National Education Center. --Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
The Art of Museum and Memory with Karen Tei Yamashita janmdotorg 2022-04-07 | On March 25, 2022, University of California, Santa Cruz and JANM hosted a celebration of author Karen Tei Yamashita, UCSC emerita professor of literature, who was recently awarded the 2021 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from The National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards. Yamashita discussed her work and writings, followed by an audience Q&A moderated by Jasmine Alinder, UCSC Dean of the Humanities. She was introduced by Alice Yang, UCSC Associate Professor of History.---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Contested Histories: Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall in Seattle WA janmdotorg 2022-03-23 | JANM visited the Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall on November 24–25, 2018. Here we met with Kunio Homma and Kumiko Hasegawa who are descendants of Yorozu Homma, the maker of the iconic chair that is part of the Eaton collection. The mission of the NVC Foundation is to preserve and honor the Japanese American legacies and to provide community programs that meet the educational, cultural and social needs of the broader community.ABOUT THE EATON COLLECTION:Allen Hendershott Eaton’s historic 1952 book, "Beauty Behind Barbed Wire: The Arts of the Japanese in Our War Relocation Camps," explored art and craft objects created by persons of Japanese ancestry while wrongfully incarcerated in World War II American concentration camps. It was one of the first books to examine any aspect of the lives of the 120,000 inmates. In the course of conducting research for the book and a never-realized exhibition of camp artifacts, Eaton amassed a significant personal collection of such artifacts.After many years of lying forgotten in storage, the collection was inherited by a family friend of Eaton’s, who in April 2015 attempted to put it up for auction. An outcry arose from Japanese American community leaders and activists, who rallied successfully to stop the insensitive sale of these important artifacts of Japanese American history. Ultimately, the collection was transferred to the Japanese American National Museum for safekeeping.ABOUT "CONTESTED HISTORIES":"Contested Histories" is intended to help gather information about each individual object so that the museum’s efforts to preserve and catalog the collection can be as complete as possible. Camp survivors and their family members and friends will be encouraged to share with JANM information they know or remember about the objects, including who is depicted in the many photographs, most of which were shot by photographers working for the War Relocation Authority.LEARN MORE ABOUT "CONTESTED HISTORIES":Contested Histories - http://janm.org/contested-historiesFlickr Images - bit.ly/3faOX2WVenues and Contacts - http://www.janm.org/contested-histori...SEND MAIL TO:Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012c/o Clement HanamiThis project was funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program. Additional support was provided by George and Brad Takei, the Earle K. & Katherine F. (Muto) Moore Foundation, and Richard Sakai.MUSIC:Senz of Depth - Boundary Watershttps://senzofdepth.bandcamp.com/albu...Native Guns feat. Geologic – “Said It” (Asi Remix)https://djphatrick.wordpress.com/2009...Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0: http://goo.gl/ATcAkBGEAR:Main Camera - Sony a6000: amzn.to/2YhmZMDMicrophone - Sony ECMGZ1M Gun/Zoom: amzn.to/2zArsQhTripod - Joby Gorillapod: goo.gl/FcgqEP---The work of the museum is made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to maintain and preserve JANM’s Collection as well as important projects like this in support of our mission: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgNisei Veteran's Committee Memorial Hall1212 S King StreetSeattle, WA 98144206.322.1122
Artist Conversation—Inspired by Miné (with MariNaomi, Yumi Sakugawa & Kiku Hughes) janmdotorg 2022-03-14 | Tenacious and prolific, Japanese American artist Miné Okubo continued perfecting her art even as war intervened twice during the early years of her promising career. Okubo is acclaimed for "Citizen 13660," a book of her 198 drawings revealing life inside a temporary Bay Area detention center and a Utah concentration camp where she was incarcerated with thousands of other Japanese during World War II. It was the first book about the American concentration camp experience by a former prisoner.Okubo’s work has influenced many Japanese American artists up to the present day, whether through her practice, style, or dedication to documenting the truth about the world around her. In this interactive virtual discussion and workshop, presented virtually on January 29, 2022, and moderated by Rose Keiko Higa, artists Kiku Hughes, MariNaomi, and Yumi Sakugawa shared how they are inspired by Miné.Buy now from the JANM Store:"Turning Japanese'"by MariNaomi: janmstore.com/products/turning-japanese"Displacement" by Kiku Hughes: janmstore.com/products/displacement"I Choose You (Every Day and Always)" by Yumi Sakugawa: janmstore.com/products/i-choose-youLearn more about "Miné Okubo's Masterpiece: The Art of Citizen 13660," on display at the Japanese American National Museum, through March 27, 2022: janm.org/mine-okubo-masterpiece---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Coby Kennedy’s “Kalief Browder: The Box” janmdotorg 2022-03-09 | The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy at the Japanese American National Museum (NCPD@JANM) is proud to host “Kalief Browder: The Box” by artist Coby Kennedy. By replicating the dimensions of a solitary confinement cell, this steel and glass work critiques the abuses of civil liberties in American incarceration systems, introduces viewers to the impacts of mass incarceration, and invites them to envision a world without prisons.“The Box” is one of four large scale sculptures by acclaimed African American artists Arthur Jafa, Christopher Myers, and Hank Willis Thomas. These sculptures are on view at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, Benny H. Potter Park, and Leimert Plaza Park. They are part of “Monumental Tour,” a traveling outdoor exhibit presented by Kindred Arts and the 10th Council District of the City of Los Angeles to examine aspects of the African American experience.These sculptures invite viewers to examine themes of colonization, oppression, subjugation, privilege, Black middle-class labor, the decline of industry, as well as Black power, pride, and joy. NCPD@JANM supports the museum’s mission to examine the rights, freedoms, and fragility of American democracy through educational programming. Thus, as part of its 30th Anniversary, JANM welcomes this piece to the plaza and is proud to join others in our community as we fight for social justice together.This exhibition is free and open to the public. To learn more about the works and related public programs, visit the exhibit virtually at monumentaltour.org/current-location.For more information, visit: janm.org/events/2022-02-11/kalief-browder-box---Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Book Launch Celebration—RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now janmdotorg 2022-03-05 | “RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now” by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang is a love letter to and for Asian Americans—a vivid scrapbook of voices, emotions, and memories from an era in which our culture was forged and transformed, and a way to preserve both the headlines and the intimate conversations that have shaped our community into who we are today. At the Los Angeles book launch, Yang, Yu, and Wang discussed the process of writing the expansive and thought provoking book, alongside guest contributors to the book, in a conversation moderated by Jes Vu at the Japanese American National Museum on March 4, 2022.This event is co-hosted with Gold House and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE).Thank you to our sponsors Panda Express and Sanzo Sparkling Water!---About the Book---When the Hart-Celler Act passed in 1965, opening up US immigration to non-Europeans, it ushered in a whole new era. But even to the first generation of Asian Americans born in the US after that milestone, it would have been impossible to imagine that sushi and boba would one day be beloved by all, that a Korean boy band named BTS would be the biggest musical act in the world, that one of the most acclaimed and popular movies of 2018 would be “Crazy Rich Asians,” or that we would have an Asian American Vice President. And that’s not even mentioning the creators, performers, entrepreneurs, execs and influencers who’ve been making all this happen, behind the scenes and on the screen; or the activists and representatives continuing to fight for equity, building coalitions, and defiantly holding space for our voices and concerns. And still: Asian America is just getting started. The timing could not be better for this intimate, eye-opening, and frequently hilarious guided tour through the pop-cultural touchstones and sociopolitical shifts of the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and beyond. Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang chronicle how we’ve arrived at today’s unprecedented diversity of Asian American cultural representation through engaging, interactive infographics (including a step-by-step guide to a night out in K-Town, an atlas that unearths historic Asian American landmarks, a handy “Appreciation or Appropriation?” flowchart, and visual celebrations of both our “founding fathers and mothers” and the nostalgia-inducing personalities of each decade), plus illustrations and graphic essays from major AAPI artists, exclusive roundtables with Asian American cultural icons, and more, anchored by extended insider narratives of each decade by the three co-authors. “RISE” is an informative, lively, and inclusive celebration of both shared experiences and singular moments, and all the different ways in which we have chosen to come together.Purchase “RISE” from the JANM Store: janmstore.com/collections/whats-new/products/rise-a-pop-history-of-asian-america-from-the-nineties-to-now---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
2022 Los Angeles Day of Remembrance janmdotorg 2022-02-19 | The annual Los Angeles Day of Remembrance commemorates the signing on February 19, 1942 of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Executive Order 9066 authorized the military to remove and incarcerate persons of Japanese ancestry into American concentration camps during World War II. Focusing on the theme of “Power of Communities: Building Strength Through Collective Action'', this year’s virtual event, presented on February 19, 2022, honored the resilience and fight of the community over the 80 years since the signing of Executive Order 9066, and explored the next steps for ensuring a just and equitable future for all.This year’s programming was headlined by a conversation between traci kato-kiriyama and Kathy Masaoka, Japanese American activists, and Dreisen Heath, an expert on reparations and reparatory justice, about the need for solidarity around reparations work in the present day.The 2022 Los Angeles Day of Remembrance was organized by: Go For Broke National Education Center, Japanese American Citizens League - Pacific Southwest District, Japanese American National Museum, Little Tokyo Service Center, Manzanar Committee, Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress, Nikkei Progressives, OCA - Greater Los Angeles, Progressive Asian Network for Action, Visual Communications.Poster image by Rob Sato.---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Author Discussion—The Eagles of Heart Mountain with Bradford Pearson janmdotorg 2022-01-13 | Bradford Pearson, author of “The Eagles of Heart Mountain,” was joined in conversation with JANM curatorial assistant Erin Aoyama to discuss his new book that explores the complicated connections between football, hope, and resilience in this virtual program on November 20, 2021.ABOUT THE BOOK:In the spring of 1942, the United States government forced 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes in California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona and sent them to incarceration camps across the West. Nearly 14,000 of them landed on the outskirts of Cody, Wyoming, at the base of Heart Mountain. Behind barbed wire fences, they faced racism, cruelty, and frozen winters. Trying to recreate comforts from home, many established Buddhist temples and sumo wrestling pits. Kabuki performances drew hundreds of spectators—yet there was little hope.That is, until the fall of 1943, when the camp’s high school football team, the Eagles, started its first season and finished it undefeated, crushing the competition from nearby, predominantly white high schools. Amid all this excitement, American politics continued to disrupt their lives as the federal government drafted men from the camps for the front lines—including some of the Eagles. As the team’s second season kicked off, the young men faced a choice to either join the Army or resist the draft. Teammates were divided, and some were jailed for their decisions.“The Eagles of Heart Mountain” honors the resilience of extraordinary heroes and the power of sports in a sweeping and inspirational portrait of one of the darkest moments in American history.“The Eagles of Heart Mountain” is available at the JANM Store: janmstore.com/products/the-eagles-of-heart-mountain---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.orgStay connected with us!Follow JANM on Instagram: instagram.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Twitter: twitter.com/jamuseumFollow JANM on Facebook: facebook.com/jamuseum
Holiday Tales with Stanley Hayami janmdotorg 2022-01-08 | In this immersive experience, get transported back to the 1940s with actor Kurt Sanchez Kanazawa, the voice of Stanley Hayami in 'A Life in Pieces,' as he reads aloud from the letters and diaries of Stanley. Diary entries were selected from his time during the winter holidays and new years in the Heart Mountain concentration camp. The reading occurred inside the exhibition gallery at the Japanese American National Museum.Learn more about the exhibition, A Life in Pieces: The Diary and Letters of Stanley Hayami: janm.org/exhibits/a-life-in-pieces---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
2022 Oshogatsu Family Festival—Kodama Taiko Mochitsuki janmdotorg 2022-01-05 | This dynamic performance was presented virtually on January 2, 2022 as part of our 2022 Oshogatsu Family Festival! Making fresh mochi is a beloved Japanese New Year tradition. Join Kodama Taiko for their unique mochitsuki (rice pounding) demonstration, which incorporates taiko drumming.Kodama Taiko: facebook.com/kodamataikopasadenaFor more information about the event, visit janm.org/oshogatsufest2022---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/give. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Oshogatsu 2022: East LA Taiko + Taiko Center of LA janmdotorg 2022-01-05 | This dynamic performance was presented virtually on January 2, 2022 as part of our 2022 Oshogatsu Family Festival! East LA Taiko, the Taiko Center of LA, and Mike Penny present a fiery eclectic blend of world rhythm that travels the globe with Latin-Rock-Punk taiko beats and takes you right into the heart of Los Angeles.East LA Taiko: facebook.com/eastlataikoFor more information about the event, visit janm.org/oshogatsufest2022---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/give. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
2022 Oshogatsu Family Festival—Tiger Visor Tutorial janmdotorg 2022-01-02 | ROAR! Get creative with a fierce feline to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Follow along with this fun, craft activity presented by the JANM Education Unit for the 2022 Oshogatsu Family Festival.Limited supplies available for pick up at the Japanese American National Museum on Sunday, January 2, 2022, or use simple materials to follow along from home. Instructions will be available for download, including materials needed, at the link below on January 2, 2022.For more information about the event, visit janm.org/oshogatsufest2022---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/give. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Author Discussion—When Can We Go Back to America? (with Susan Kamei) janmdotorg 2021-12-20 | On September 25, 2021, author Susan H. Kamei discussed her new book, "When Can We Go Back to America?: Voices of Japanese American Incarceration during WWII," and the lessons that she hopes readers of all ages will take from it in this virtual program. She was joined in conversation by William A. Darity Jr., Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at Duke University, and A. Kirsten Mullen, writer, folklorist, museum consultant, and lecturer.About the book:In what Secretary Norman Y. Mineta describes as a “landmark book,” he and others who lived through the harrowing experience of America’s concentration camps tell the story of their incarceration and the long-term impact of this dark period in American history. Kamei, a lawyer instrumental in achieving redress for those incarcerated following Executive Order 9066, seamlessly combines dozens of personal narratives with detailed historical research.These stories, drawn mostly from works in the public domain, are presented in this volume that covers the bombing of Pearl Harbor through to the redress movement, the 1983 congressional commission findings, and former President Donald Trump’s 2017 executive orders restricting travel from many predominantly Muslim countries. The author provides a framework for understanding the lead-up to the decision to intern so-called enemy aliens, along with about 72,000 American citizens of Japanese descent. From there, she shares their harrowing journey to barren desert camps, the harsh realities of life behind barbed-wire fences, and their eventual release during a time when anti-Japanese sentiments still ran high. The use of direct quotes from internees—many of them children and young adults—adds remarkable emotional weight. Many lives were ruined as people’s dreams and life goals were crushed, and readers will viscerally connect with their endurance and marvel at how many still maintained faith in the democratic system. The message of awareness of this past injustice and its connection to standing in solidarity with others who face injustice is a compelling theme of this riveting and indispensable work. This landmark historical account shines a light on a part of American history that must be remembered. "When Can We Go Back to America?" is available from the JANM Store: janmstore.com/products/when-can-we-go-back-to-america---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Make a Lasting Impact—Make a Planned Gift to JANM janmdotorg 2021-12-06 | Share your legacy for future generations by including the Japanese American National Museum in your estate plans. Hear from John Esaki, JANM Senior Philanthropy Officer; Wendy Shiba, JANM Trustee; Bob Moriguchi, JANM Docent; and JANM Member Kathryn Mlsna; about why they and their families decided to make a planned gift to JANM. Help JANM continue its mission to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Learn more about making a planned gift to JANM: janm.org/give/planned-giving---Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
The Interactive StoryFile of Lawson Iichiro Sakai—Exhibition Preview janmdotorg 2021-11-24 | A powerful new JANM exhibition uses groundbreaking storytelling technology to give visitors a realistic experience of engaging with World War II American veteran Lawson Iichiro Sakai. More than 1,000 questions were asked of Sakai over five days of filming. Capturing Sakai’s oral history preserves a remarkable life: he was awarded four Purple Heart medals and a Bronze Star, having participated in all major campaigns of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team, including the liberation of Bruyeres, France; rescue of the “Lost Battalion” in France; and breaking of the Gothic Line in Italy. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team, was one of the most decorated units in U.S. military history. Sakai, who was also the founder of the Friends and Family Nisei Veterans (FFNV), passed away in 2020 at age 96. The exhibition was conceived and sponsored by the nonprofit Japanese American Stories using StoryFile, Inc. technology. The new exhibition is being featured on CBS on Sunday, November 28, 2021 at 10 p.m. (PST), in an hour-long primetime “Sunday Morning” special, “Forever Young: Searching For The Fountain Of Youth.”Cole Kawana, 23, founder of Japanese American Stories, raised funds, and worked with JANM and StoryFile to conduct Sakai’s extensive interviews captured with specialized filming. For more information about Lawson Iichiro Sakai and this special exhibition, visit janm.org/lawson-sakai.---Projects like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more films like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Author Discussion with Naomi Hirahara: Clark & Division janmdotorg 2021-11-18 | On August 7, 2021, Edgar Award-winning author Naomi Hirahara discussed her new book "Clark and Division." Watch the virtual conversation and Q&A with the author on blending history and fiction in this powerful new mystery set in post-war Chicago.About the Book:Chicago, 1944: Twenty-year-old Aki Ito and her parents have just been released from Manzanar, where they have been detained by the US government since the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, together with thousands of other Japanese Americans. The life in California the Itos were forced to leave behind is gone; instead, they are being resettled two thousand miles away in Chicago, where Aki’s older sister, Rose, was sent months earlier and moved to the new Japanese American neighborhood near Clark and Division streets. But on the eve of the Ito family’s reunion, Rose is killed by a subway train. Aki, who worshipped her sister, is stunned. Officials are ruling Rose’s death a suicide. Aki cannot believe her perfect, polished, and optimistic sister would end her life. Her instinct tells her there is much more to the story, and she knows she is the only person who could ever learn the truth. Inspired by historical events, Clark and Division infuses an atmospheric and heartbreakingly real crime fiction plot with rich period details and delicately wrought personal stories Naomi Hirahara has gleaned from thirty years of research and archival work in Japanese American history."Clark and Division" is available now in the JANM Store: janmstore.com/products/clark-and-division---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Happy Birthday, Norman Mineta! janmdotorg 2021-11-12 | The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) sends warm and joyful wishes to Secretary Norman Y. Mineta for his 90th birthday on Friday, November 12, 2021.--Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Q&A —The Race Epidemic: Resurgence of the Yellow Peril janmdotorg 2021-11-04 | Representative Mark Takano, CA State Treasurer John Chiang, and John Kobara (JANM Board of Governors) joined in a conversation emcee'd by Fox 11 Anchor Susan Hirasuna following a screening of the film "The Race Epidemic: Resurgence of the Yellow Peril" on the epidemic of violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in JANM's Tateuchi Democracy Forum on October 14, 2021.About the film:The Race Epidemic is about another outbreak caused by COVID-19. An epidemic of hate based on race against Asian American and Pacific Islanders. With a politicized pandemic sweeping through the country and a former President calling it the Chinese Virus, the rise of attacks and hate against AAPIs is not surprising. Can naming a virus after an innocent ethnic group cause the outbreak of an epidemic of hate? Or is it something hidden deeper within American society? The film takes a close examination of xenophobia and racism against AAPIs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Race Epidemic is a significant film of our times as innocent AAPIs are being attacked and murdered on the streets. It’s time to act. We can no longer be the silent minority. Our voice will not be silenced.Learn more at: theracedocumentary.orgThis screening is in partnership with Asian Pacific American Leadership Foundation and is a presentation of JANM’s National Center for the Preservation of Democracy.--Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Through Stanley’s Eyes: Telling Stories of Heart Mountain janmdotorg 2021-10-30 | **DUE TO TECHNICAL CONCERNS WITH THE AUDIO: Please skip to 6 minutes 40 seconds into the video to begin the program**How do we tell personal narratives in ways that highlight our community’s broader history and impact? On October 29, 2021, Dakota Russell (Executive Director, Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation), Clement Hanami (Art Director, Japanese American National Museum), and Judy Hayami discussed preserving family stories using innovative ways to share the voices of Heart Mountain, as well as other WWII incarceration sites, in to order to inspire, advocate, and educate. Then, writer Sharon Yamato, actor Kurt Kanazawa, and Nonny de la Peña (Emblematic Group) talked about the process of developing the immersive virtual reality experience of "A Life in Pieces: The Diary and Letters of Stanley Hayami."This program was presented live at JANM's Tateuchi Democracy Forum and also livestreamed as part of the JACSC 2021 Education Conference, Stronger Together: Voices to Inspire, Advocate, and Educate. For more information about virtual conference on October 30, 2021, visit jacsc.org/2021conferenceLearn more about the exhibition: janm.org/a-life-in-pieces--Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Not Yo’ Butterfly with Nobuko Miyamoto (ft. Quetzal Flores) janmdotorg 2021-10-20 | On July 10, 2021, JANM hosted Nobuko Miyamoto for a celebration of her new album ("120,000 Stories") and memoir ("Not Yo’ Butterfly: My Long Song of Relocation, Race, Love, and Revolution")! She was joined in conversation and music by Quetzal Flores (Quetzal, FandangObon).ABOUT THE BOOK:"Not Yo’ Butterfly: My Long Song of Relocation, Race, Love, and Revolution," a new memoir, is the intimate and unflinching life story of Miyamoto—artist, activist, and mother. Beginning with the harrowing early years of her life as a Japanese American child navigating a fearful west coast during World War II, Miyamoto leads readers into the landscapes that defined the experiences of twentieth-century America and also foregrounds the struggles of people of color who reclaimed their histories, identities, and power through activism and art.AVAILABLE FROM THE JANM STORE: janmstore.com/products/not-yo-butterflyABOUT THE ALBUM:Her album, "120,000 Stories," is her first release since 1973’s seminal "A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America." With a title evoking the approximate number of those of Japanese ancestry incarcerated in WWII concentration camps, the album collects new music, recorded with GRAMMY-winner Quetzal Flores, that speaks to issues such as Asian American stereotypes and the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as music from "A Grain of Sand," recordings of her late-1970s group Warriors of the Rainbow, and performances from various stage productions throughout the past several decades.AVAILABLE FROM THE JANM STORE: janmstore.com/products/120000-stories-2-cd-setThis program is a presentation of JANM’s National Center for the Preservation of Democracy.--Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
How to Make Musubi with Azusa Oda janmdotorg 2021-10-08 | Cookbook author and designer, Azusa Oda, presents an easy cooking demo and tutorial to demonstrate how to cook the popular Japanese food, musubi.This demonstration was presented as part of JANM’s A Taste of Home program series, supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles. Watch the full program from November 15, 2020: youtu.be/kk-V1xdn-yUVisit janm.org/events to find out about upcoming programs!* * * * * Available at the JANM Store (10% discount for JANM Members!): - "Japanese Cookbook for Beginners" by Azusa Oda: janmstore.com/products/japanese-cookbook-for-beginners---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Unexpected Journeys: Remarkable Stories of Japanese in America janmdotorg 2021-10-01 | “Unexpected Journeys: Remarkable Stories of Japanese in America” features interviews with individuals whose lives illuminate the astonishing diversity of the Japanese experience in America. From the little known early Yamato colony of Japanese in Florida where Sumi (Fukushima) Hughes’ parents settled to the challenges faced by Hamako (Amano) Schneider, one of the first Japanese war brides to be admitted to the U.S. following World War II, the film has uncovered many aspects of history that have remained unfamiliar to the public.Featured profiles: sisters Sumi Hughes and Yuri Long; Terry Janzen; Harry and Hamako Schneider; Iris Teragawa; and Lloyd Inui. Narrated by traci kato-kiriyama. Watch additional clips from the interviews on Discover Nikkei: - Terry Janzen: http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/profiles/149 - Jean Hamako Schneider: http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/profiles/162 - Harry Schneider: http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/profiles/157Produced and directed by John Esaki35 minutes2013A production of JANM’s Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center. “Unexpected Journeys” is made possible through the generous support of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.--Projects like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
Collecting and Preserving a Community’s History (Tadaima 2021) janmdotorg 2021-09-24 | Do you have objects at home that you think belong in a community archive? Have you ever wondered about how items end up inside museums or displayed at historic sites? Learn how these institutions collect and maintain their historic collections, the challenges this type of work entails, and how people can help prepare their collections if they are interested in having them considered for intake. Hear from Rosalyn Tonai (Executive Director, National Japanese American Historical Society, Inc), Kristen Hayashi (Director of Collections Management and Access & Curator, JANM), Kristie Haertel (Regional Archaeology & Museum Program Manager, National Parks Service), and Brandon Daake (Registrar, Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation) in a virtual conversation moderated by Sojin Kim (Curator, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage) on September 23, 2021.This program is co-sponsored by the Japanese American National Museum, the Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium, and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and presented as part of the Tadaima 2021 Virtual Pilgrimage.JACSC: jacsc.orgSmithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: https://folklife.si.edu/Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation: heartmountain.orgNational Japanese American Historical Society: njahs.orgNational Parks Service: nps.gov/index.htm---Tadaima 2021 Virtual Pilgrimages presented by the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages: jampilgrimages.com ---Music at the start of the program: Art Saved Us by Dave Iwataki---*Reference Links*-JANM Collection finding aids on the Online Archive of California: oac.cdlib.org/institutions/Japanese+American+National+Museum-JANM's "Unboxed" Series: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYnGMFWDDhtjZ6-_lEuzrrGmK_Yw5t6nu-Information on artifact donation to JANM: janm.org/collections/artifact-donation-Accessing JANM's collection online: janm.org/collections/featured-June 2021 Minidoka pilgrimage session “Japanese American Artifacts Are Not Your Collectibles”: youtube.com/watch?v=pyG8IeeyvoA-Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: https://folklife.si.edu/-Smithsonian Folklife Center’s Ralph Rinzler Archives: https://folklife.si.edu/archives-National Museum of American History: https://americanhistory.si.edu/-NMAH’s exhibition Righting A Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II was produced for the 75th anniversary of EO9066: https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/righting-wrong-japanese-americans-and-world-war-ii-Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center: smithsonianapa.org--Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM's members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
We Hereby Refuse with Frank Abe, Tamiko Nimura, and Ross Ishikawa janmdotorg 2021-09-22 | The new graphic novel, “We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration,” presents an original vision of America’s past with disturbing links to the American present. Through the distinct but interconnected stories of Jim Akutsu, Hiroshi Kashiwagi, and Mitsuye Endo, three Japanese Americans who resisted imprisonment in American concentration camps during WWII, We Hereby Refuse exposes the often untold stories of the camp experience.On June 26, 2021, writers Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura came together for a conversation and reading of their graphic novel. They were joined by artist Ross Ishikawa to talk about his process recreating Japanese American history with 3-D modeling and YURI Education Project creators who shared the free online resources that accompany the book. The conversation was moderated by Dr. Kelly Fong, Professor of Asian American Studies at UCLA.“We Hereby Refuse” is available now at the JANM Store:janmstore.com/products/we-hereby-refuse---Programs like this are made possible by the generous support of JANM’s members and donors. Become a member (janm.org/membership) or consider making a tax-deductible gift so that we can continue to present more programs and exhibitions like these: janm.org/donatenow. Your support makes a difference. Thank you!Japanese American National Museum100 N. Central Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90012janm.org
