Hello! I just finished reading through all of the previous interns’ entries, and it seems like fun. I guess I’ll try to revive the intern section of the JANM blog!
My name is Lawrence, and I’m transferring to Cal State University, Northridge, in the fall as an Asian American studies major. This summer, I’m one of eighteen interns who have been placed at a variety of different community-based organizations throughout California’s Japantowns (in Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Francisco) through the eight-week-long Nikkei Community Internship program. This summer, the program has placed me with both JANM and the Japanese American Bar Association (JABA), so while I’ll be contributing to the Discover Nikkei website in my capacity as the Discover Nikkei intern at JANM, but I’m also going to be researching and helping to preserve the legacy of pioneering Nikkei jurists in the local Los Angeles community for JABA!
The first two days of last week was the opening retreat for the Nikkei Community Internship (NCI), and even in those first two days, I got a chance to see how close-knit and interconnected the Japanese American community in Little Tokyo — and even the larger JA community beyond it — is. It’s so amazing and refreshing to see so many people working for their community in very real ways. I’m sure that, as the summer proceeds, I’ll continue to be impressed at the family-ness of the community here. I’m just glad to be a part of it this summer.
It’s only a week into my internship at JANM/JABA, and I’m really excited for the next seven weeks!
Went to the Dwell Expo at the LA Convention Center today. They used to have a Japanese section with intresting designers from Japan, so I never know what I might find. Unfortunately they did not have that international section this year, but I still made some relevant connections for the Museum Store, so it was worth the price of admission (which admittedly for me, at least, was free–non-trade folks have to pay admission.)
One of the people I met was the editor of an online craft and design magazine called Handful of Salt (handfulofsalt.com) Tomorrow they are sponsoring A JA artist who does very cool packaging. She will be incorporating tanabata wishes into hand-crafted bows for packaging tomorrow. Unfortunately I didn’t get the time (I think around 1 PM), but go to booth 1709 and they’ll know.
We published a wonderful series of five articles by Dean Ryuta Adachi on our DiscoverNikkei.org site about various artifacts from JANM’s permanent collection. Dean is a PhD candidate in American History at Claremont Graduate University and is an active volunteer at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose. I “met” him through the Discover Nikkei Twitter account several years ago and have kept in touch. When he found out that he would be down in Los Angeles last fall to be a lecturer of Asian American Studies at Harvey Mudd College, he offered to come in as a volunteer during his spare time.
Gift of Indiana Bessho (92.81.2)
Dean worked with Programs, Discover Nikkei, and Collections staff to go through some of the little-known collections in our archives, and then share about them through Discover Nikkei. Here are links to the five articles in the “Producing Japanese American History: An exploration through the JANM archives” series. They include images of various artifacts from the collections.
Part 1 – History is Made: Namyo Bessho
Did you know that there was an Issei in the US Navy during the Spanish-American War?
John Nitta played a significant role in the establishment of the chick sexing industry in the United States, but as Dean looked past the many awards in his collection, he found “plenty of unrelated hidden gems.”
Part 3 – History is Ignored: Estelle Ishigo
Estelle Ishigo was a Caucasian artist who went with her Nisei husband to Heart Mountain in Wyoming during World War II. She authored the book Lone Heart Mountain which included the drawings she did while in camp. She was the subject of Steven Okazaki’s Academy Award winning film Days of Waiting (1990). Yet, most of what we know is about her art. Dean’s exploration of JANM’s collection revealed artifacts that shared aspects about her personal life, and especially her deep love for her husband Arthur.
You may recognize the radio in part 4 from the American Tapestry exhibition. It is a beautiful shortwave radio, with a mysterious past that will most likely never be known. Left with Ramon “Mac” MacWilliamson by a Japanese American friend during World War II, he and his daughter always hoped to be able to return it the original owners after the war. After the story was posted on Discover Nikkei, Joyce MacWilliamson, the person who donated the radio to the museum, posted a comment, “Thank you for keeping hope alive that the rightful owner or his family will be found.”
Part 5 – History is Found: Sumi and Masao Shigezane
The final part of the series ended with a surprising connection to a UCLA student’s project on Discover Nikkei. His search through JANM’s archives started with James G. Lindley, project director of the Amache camp during WWII, and led to the Shigezane family.
I’d like to thank Dean for his work on unearthing and sharing these amazing stories. Many thanks also to Patricia Wakida who initiated this project, Yoko Nishimura for working so hard to get the stories online, and to JANM’s collections staff (Nikki Chang, Tomi Yoshikawa, Jane Nakasako, and Yoko Shimojo) for all their help in providing access and working with Dean during his time at JANM. Our CMA staff are the unsung heroes that work really hard behind-the-scenes at JANM!
I am deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of my dear friend—educator and activist Jim Hirabayashi on May 23, 2012. Jim will always hold a special place in the history and memories of Museum staff, volunteers, and leadership. As our dynamic and visionary Founding Scholar and Curator Emeritus, he established the philosophical foundation of the Museum that continues to guide our work today.
During the opening of the Museum’s landmark exhibition, America’s Concentration Camps: Remembering the Japanese American Experience in 1994, controversy arose over the Museum’s use of the term “concentration camp.” As a Harvard-trained anthropologist, Jim was adamant that U.S. history be examined accurately without euphemisms, and argued that the term “relocation center” was actually a euphemism used by governmental officials to strip Japanese Americans of their basic constitutional rights (see Hirabayashi’s essay, “Concentration Camp” or “Relocation Center —What’s in a Name?).
In more recent years, Jim served as the Chief Project Advisor for the Museum’s International Nikkei Research Project, and was Co-Editor for one of the project’s resulting publications, New Worlds, New Lives: Globalization and People of Japanese Descent in the Americas and from Latin America in Japan. At our 2008 National Conference in Denver, CO, Jim presented a dramatic reading on the complex choices faced by Nisei families during WWII from his piece, Four Hirabayashi Cousins: A Question of Identity.
The Museum and our community owe a great deal to Jim, who along with his late brother, Gordon, and now his son Lane, have devoted their lives to educating others by taking a stand for their principles with integrity and unwavering commitment.
Jim will be deeply missed for his remarkable wit, intellectual insight, charismatic spirit, and humble character. On behalf of the Museum family, I send our heartfelt condolences to the Hirabayashi family during this difficult time.
For more about Jim Hirabayashi, view clips filmed for Jim’s recognition at the Museum’s 2004 Annual Gala Dinner on our Discover Nikkei site.
—Nancy Araki
[Posted on behalf of Nancy Araki, JANM Director of Community Affairs and long-time personal friend of Jim Hirabayashi]
The Japanese American National Museum has once again been nominated in Downtown News‘ 2012 Best of Downtown Contest!
We’ve been nominated in 2 categories: Best Museum and Best Family Attraction for our Target Free Family Saturdays!
Help us win by going to votebestof.com and follow the instructions to vote.
Plus, if you vote for at least 30 categories (out of the 120 total), you automatically get entered to win prizes (grand prize: 2-night stay at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel that includes dinner for two at Sai Sai, $200 spending cash, dinner for two at Morton’s The Steakhouse, a $150 Ticketmaster gift card, and a Los Angeles Conservancy walking tour. Additional prizes: iPod Touch, cash prizes, gift certificates and more!).
You’ll need to log in to vote. If you have voted in previous years, you can use the same account.
At the Japanese American National Museum’s 2012 Gala Dinner, “Transforming a Forgotten Story”, held on May 5 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, Tracey Doi, Chief Financial Officer of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., drew one ticket from over a thousand entries to the Lexus Opportunity Drawing. The winning ticket would get a new 2013 Lexus GS 450h, which Toyota donated to the Museum for this fundraiser.
Tracey dug deep into the barrel and pulled out the lucky ticket. She read the name and paused. Only once in the decade that Toyota has donated Lexus vehicles to the Museum’s annual dinner has the owner of the winning ticket been in the ballroom. No response.
Unlike most of the ticket stubs, there was no phone number on the winning ticket. Just a mailing address sticker people use so they don’t have to handwrite their home address on their mail.
The next day, we looked up the record for the ticket stub and found a home phone number. We called and no one was home (it was Sunday). We left a message and eventually made direct contact with the lucky winner.
For those of you familiar with Japanese American history, see if this profile sounds familiar: the recipient’s grandfather immigrated to the United States before World War II. He eventually moved to the Southwest to work in agriculture. The recipient’s father and his siblings all had to work for the family business. The family business evolved into driving trucks from Texas to Los Angeles to sell produce and vegetables at the produce market.
At first, the family could not find a place in the Los Angeles produce market and sold their goods on the streets outside. When a spot opened up, the grandfather moved the family to Los Angeles and established his business. Eventually, the grandfather retired and the recipient’s father and brother took over. The recipient and his siblings then were brought into the produce business and are the third generation to operate it. The recipient said that there are enough nieces and nephews involved so the business should make it to the fourth generation.
If that profile sounds familiar, it should. It is a common story among Japanese Americans. But, the recipient is not Japanese. His name is Dan Horwath and his grandfather came from Hungary. The business, Royal Produce, deals with sales, shipping, and cold storage.
So, how did Dan happen to buy Lexus Opportunity tickets from the Museum?
The family business once imported crops from Mexico and needed an office in Nogales, Texas. Dan spent 20 years there (met his wife, Rosie, who is from Mexico) and befriended a man named Toru Fujiwara. When Toru’s father Hiroshi passed away about six years ago, Dan wanted to make a donation in his memory. But since there was no Buddhist temple in Nogales, Horwath made a donation to the Museum in Hiroshi’s memory.
Apparently, that put Horwath on a list and he began getting literature and other mailings from the Museum. That included Lexus Opportunity tickets and he began donating money annually.
“I’d been to the Museum,” he explained. “I grew up with Japanese Americans (who worked for his father).”
Over the years, people like Henry Kuwahara, Fred Ota, and Ken Ito worked many years for the Horwath family business. It left an impression on young Daniel, who observed, “They were very important to our industry. It is a hard business and they worked hard.”
Dan remembers taking judo classes at the Pasadena dojo when he was growing up with his brother. They were the only non-JAs.
Dan was quite surprised to be told he had won the Lexus. It was never his intention to actually win, but “to give something back.” Still, his wife will have a new car when Toyota brings out the 2013 line.
Dan still gets up at 3 a.m. each day to get to work at the produce market. His wife works with accounting and food safety, but their two children are off on other careers.
Dan is quick to recall the large influence Japanese Americans had in his business and ticked off several businesses like Morita Produce and Olympic Produce which were run by Nikkei. Things are changing, but he would like their memory to survive.
What is interesting is that Dan originally bought $500 worth of opportunity tickets back in November when they first were available. Then, this last March, he bought another $500. It was out of the second batch that Tracey Doi pulled his winning ticket.
In the end, it was gratifying that someone like the Horwaths get the new Lexus. Their support of the Museum is admirable and their motives are ideal.
Congratulations!
Dr. Greg Kimura, President & CEO of JANM, congratulates Dan Horwath, the winner of the 2013 Lexus 450h
We were greatly saddened to hear about the passing of Mr. John Ellington (1937-2012). He was a dear, Arkansan friend who was always available to help former inmates locate their barracks and other landmarks at Jerome.
Here is a link to his obituary, which lists his many accomplishments and details his lifelong commitment to education. There is also a link to a virtual guest book where you can leave messages of condolence for his family.
Mr. Ellington’s grace and generosity will never be forgotten by all his friends from the Japanese American National Museum. May he rest in peace.
Yes, today is the first day of our Spring Member Appreciation Days (May 11-13), and we are fielding the online orders that you members were all saving for the special 20% discount (certain restrictions apply!)
But don’t forget the other benefits of May M.A.D.ness–your current/valid JANM membership card will also get you free admission and a 20% store discount (certain restrictions apply) at 19 other Southern California cultural institutions! That means a whole weekend of cultural inspiration and shopping at places like LACMA, MOCA, Pacific Asia Museum, the LA Public Library Store, and MORE! We even have a few partners further south–Orange County of Museum of Art, the San Diego Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. You can find a complete list of our partners here.
Not a member yet? You can join today at the Museum and receive a temporary membership card that will be valid at our partnering institutions.
With three days, you can visit different places in Downtown LA, the Westside, Pasadena, and points south!
Take Mom on a special date this weekend or buy her a gift membership that will be good through our next MADness in November too!
The musical artist and YouTube phenom Marie Digby is solid with JANM — and JANM is definitely down with her. Recently, Ms. Digby participated in a PSA for The Remembrance Project (www.remembrance-project.org) for JANM. (Remembrance Project is a way of commemorating folks who suffered through the US concentration camp experience and making sure that such civil rights tragedies never occur again in this great nation.)
Watching this music video of Ms. Digby’s made me think of another exhibit at JANM: Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami. So, in honor of that exhibition…and in honor of Marie Digby, JANM is posting this for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!
We will be switching email service providers this weekend. Messages to any @janm.org, @ncdemocracy.org, or @discovernikkei.org emails may not be received, so we recommend that you do not send any emails to any of those addresses between Friday, May 11 through Monday, May 14, 2012.
During this time, if you send an email, you may not receive an error message indicating that your message was not delivered. If you have sent an email and were expecting a response, please re-send your message after May 14.
If you need to reach someone at the Museum this weekend, please call 213.625.0414. However, please note that most staff will not be in the office on Saturday through Sunday.
Thank you for your understanding. We apologize for any inconvenience.
