Stan & Sharon Sakai at the 2011 Japanese American National Museum Gala Dinner
Just a heads up about this most worthy cause. The art in this auction is also being published as a book which we will sell in the Museum Store later this year.
Proceeds from the auction and book sales will help to offset the Sakai family’s ongoing medical expenses. There is some GREAT art to be had created by a stellar list of artists. The auction starts on March 6!
JANM will be coming to San Diego, California to host aMember & Donor Appreciation Receptionon March 12!
Without our Members and Donors, JANM would not be able to provide the programs and services, year-round, to hundreds of thousands of local, national, and international visitors.
Through the generous support of Members and Donors, the Museum has been able to continue its tradition of excellence in producing exhibitions, public programs, publications, and educations materials to preserve, interpret, and share the experiences of Japanese Americans.
We are grateful for your support, and we welcome this opportunity to meet you and show our gratitude. Please join us!
When:
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
6:30PM: Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres
7:30PM: Program
Where:
Cooley, LLP
4401 Eastgate Mall
San Diego, CA 92121
Join/renew your membership now. In addition to supporting the work and mission of the Japanese American National Museum, you also receive free admission; free or discounted rates for public programs, workshops, and conferences; 10% off at our award-winning Museum Store; invitations to special member events like these; and more!
“As a Japanese American National Museum, why are we hosting a documentary premiere about a Korean American adoptee?” Koji, Manager of Programs at the Museum, asked during his introduction for the screening. “Personally, I identify myself as Asian American first, and Japanese American second.” Having said this, Koji explained that “to understand the Japanese American story you have to understand the Asian American story, and to understand the Asian American story you have to understand the Japanese American story.”
TheakaDAN documentary follows Los Angeles-based musician and Korean American adoptee DANakaDAN (Dan Matthews) as he reunites with his biological family in South Korea during the summer of 2013. The documentary is full of interesting twists and turns, including the fact that Dan meets his identical twin brother that he never knew existed. This documentary was not only interesting, but engaging as it had you laughing one second, and tugging at your heart strings in the next.
Two screenings held in the Tateuchi Democracy Forum on the evening of February 1st were packed to maximum capacity. As Dan explained before the screening it was actually a 4-episode feature that was being screened as an 85-minute documentary.
An insightful Q&A session led by Angry Asian Man blogger, Phil Yu, wrapped up each screening. Producers, filmmakers, and the cast answered a variety of questions, ranging from personal questions about Dan’s experience as an adoptee, to technical questions about production.
Following the second screening was an after party in Aratani Central Hall hosted by YouTube celebritiesAmy Okuda and Ki Hong Lee. First to open up the after party was Travis Graham with a couple of mellow acoustic numbers. Following Graham was an exciting performance by Paul Dateh, popular for combining hip-hop with his skills on the violin. Closing out the after party was Dan, with words of gratitude, and a powerful line-up of songs from his upcoming album, Stuntman.
The akaDAN documentary was not only entertaining, but by sharing the story of a Korean American adoptee, it gave the audience a sense of how broad the Asian American story is. Being Asian American is a vast quilt-work of stories and experiences, and as Dan explores his story, it encourages viewers to look into their own story, whatever ethnicity they may be, and whatever background they may come from.
Check out these photos from the akaDAN documentary premiere and the Stuntman album release party:
The akaDAN documentary premiered in The Tateuchi Democracy Forum and enjoyed a full house for both screenings.
Angry Asian Man blogger Phil Yu leads a Q&A session after each screening.
A reception is held in the Aratani Central Hall after the first screening of the evening.
Los Angeles-based artist, David Choe’s art installation was on display for this special occasion.
Actor, Ki Hong Lee along with Amy Okuda hosts the after party.
Travis Graham opens the after party with a couple of mellow acoustic numbers.
An exciting performance by Los Angeles-based musician, Paul Dateh.
Jen of “From Head to Toe,” Cassie of “Blogilates,” and Wendy of “Wendy’s Lookbook” were among the many Asian American celebrities seen at the after party!
The Fung Brothers enjoy the after party with friends.
Singer Paul Kim (Season 6 of American Idol)
Dan Matthews expresses his gratitude to his family, his friends, and everyone who made it out on Saturday night.
Dan performs numbers from his upcoming album, “Stuntman.”
Photo Credits: Richard Murakami, Esther Shin
*****
JANM members received a special discount for this event! Sign up to be a JANM member now and support the Museum while receiving many benefits!
It’s time again for JANM’s annual Gala Dinner! This year’s theme is Evolving Pastimes: Connecting Communities & Generations through Sports. It will be an evening of enlightening stories of history-making men and women who took sports beyond play to inspire, unite, elevate, and shape Japanese Americans.
We will celebrate athletes and sports personalities who not only made an impact at the highest levels of competition but helped forge enduring bonds—from the Nisei who sought normalcy through during the dark days of camp through sports like football, baseball, and basketball to the phenomenal growth of Japanese American leagues after the war.
Photo by Tracy Kumono
When: Saturday, April 12, 2014
Where: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel
2025 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067
5PM – Silent Auction & Seafood Reception 7PM – Gala Dinner & Program 9:30PM – After Party
For more information about the Gala, please visit the 2014 Gala Dinner page: janm.org/dinner2014.
Without our Members and Donors, JANM would not be able to provide the programs and services, year-round, to hundreds of thousands of local, national, and international visitors.
To show our gratitude, JANM will be hosting a Member & Donor Appreciation Reception in both San Francisco, California, and New York, New York!
Through the generous support of Members and Donors the Museum has been able to continue its tradition of excellence in producing exhibitions, public programs, publications, and educations materials to preserve, interpret, and share the experiences of Japanese Americans.
We are grateful for your support, and we welcome this opportunity to meet you. Please join us!
NEW YORK
Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Time:
6:30PM Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres
7:30PM Program
Where:
Daruma Capital Management, LLC
80 W 40th St, 9th Floor
New York, NY, 10018
RSVP: Wednesday, February 19 to Alison Wong at 213. 830.5657 or memberevents@janm.org
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SAN FRANCISCO
Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Time:
6:30PM Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres
7:30PM Program
Where:
The St. Francis Yacht Club
On the Marina
San Francisco, CA 94123
RSVP: Tuesday, February 25 to Alison Wong at 213. 830.5657 or memberevents@janm.org
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Photo Credits: “View from Daruma Capital Management, LLC.” – Cassidy Cruz; “Golden Gate Bridge at Night” – davemmphotography.com
Here’s another great perk for being a Museum member:
Be one of the first five Museum members to email us and win the opportunity to participate in our upcoming program, Japanese Tea Ceremony: Sado on Saturday, February 22, 2014!
Winners will be part of the tea ceremony demonstration in front of an audience and will be served tea and snacks by the ceremony officiators.
To enter, send an email to membership@janm.org with the subject: “Tea Ceremony” and include your name and membership number. Winners will receive a confirmation from the Museum, along with instructions for the day.
One entry per membership #. Must be a current member to participate.
The tea ceremony will take place at 2pm in the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (glass building across the courtyard from the main building). Please arrive early for good seating.
Please call the Museum at 213.625.0414 to RSVP. The program is free with Museum admission (free for Museum members!). Make sure to get your admission sticker at the Museum front desk before arriving at the program site.
KoAloha Ukulele is coming from Hawaii on Saturday, February 8 to lead performances, workshops, crafts, and all things ukulele at our next Target Free Family Saturday. It’s FREE all day!
Bring your own ukulele to learn basic and intermediate ukulele with Brian Benevente of KoAloha Ukulele and other KoAloha artist partners (11:15am/12:15pm/1:15pm/2:15pm). The little ones will enjoy strum-along and sing-along workshops with George “Gibi” del Barrio as “Abba Geebz” (Grandpa Geebz) at 11:30am, 12:45pm, and 1:45pm. If you don’t have your own ukulele, Anacapa Ukulele will be on-site selling instruments!
There will be solo performances by spectacular ukulele performers Tj Mayeshiro, Jason Arimoto, and Ryo Montgomeryat 11:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm. Plus an All-Star jam finale at 3:30pm with all three performers.
Plus, screenings of award-winning films: My KoAloha Storyat 11:30am and The Haumana at 1:30pm; make your own candy leis; send an aloha to someone special by making a valentine with a bit of a Hawaiian touch; and fold an origami Hawaiian canoe.
Video of TJ Mayeshiro and Ryo Montgomery performing in Korea:
Video of Jason Arimoto performing “Kaze Blues,” an original blues ukulele song about the Japanese picture bride experience in Hawaii in the early 1900s:
Aloha! Are you ready? It’s the first Target Free Family Saturday of 2014 and we are excited to see you!!
On Saturday, January 8th from 11am – 4pm, we’ll be celebrating Hawaii with KoAloha Ukulele, who will be leading performances, workshops, crafts, and all things ukulele…and it’s all FREE! (If you have an ukulele, be sure to bring it to join in the fun.)
Not only is Hawaii on our minds, but, we’re also thinking about Valentine’s Day which is right around the corner. All kids can come and think sweet thoughts as they construct a candy lei. We will also have a variety of supplies available for you to make Valentine cards. It’s going to be a fun one so we hope you can join us!
Karen Korematsu (right) visited JANM and worked with a group from a local high school. Photo by Richard M. Murakami.
January 30 is the birthday of the late Fred Korematsu and it is also Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and Social Justice!
Over the past few years, we have had a chance to get to know his daughter, Karen Korematsu, who has taken on the role of Co-Founder and now Executive Director of the Korematsu Institute, whose mission is to advance pan-ethnic civil and human rights through education.
Karen is joining with others to spread the word about her father’s story. As a young man, Mr. Korematsu purposely disobeyed the government’s 1942 order that excluded all people of Japanese ancestry, without due process, from the West Coast. He was arrested and eventually removed to a Japanese American concentration camp in Utah. He appealed his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but in 1944 the Court ruled against him, declaring that the exclusion and confinement of people of Japanese descent was justified. It wasn’t until 1983 that his conviction was finally overturned. (Here is a link to his full bio.)
For teachers who are planning to commemorate Mr. Korematsu’s stand for civil liberties, we’ve put together a few links to FREE resources that we hope might be helpful to you:
We are so excited about our upcoming participation in a National Youth Summit with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and 10 other Smithsonian Affiliate organizations across the country.
On February 5, 2014 students from around the country will participate in a live webcast originating from The Old Capitol Museum in Jackson, Mississippi. The program will reflect on the 1964 youth-led effort for voting rights and education known as Freedom Summer and will include a panel of activists, experts, and scholars.
Tamio Wakayama Photo: Tracy Kumono
Following the webcast, JANM will have our own on-site program. Tamio Wakayama, a Nisei Japanese Canadian who joined the American Civil Rights Movement as a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), will share his experiences and the documentary photographs that he took from 1963 to 1964.
Now, here’s the great part: all youth and educators are invited to participate from their classrooms through the magic of the web! Teachers… this means you! Just take a look at this fantastic site for the program.
The Smithsonian has provided teaching resources and other tools for you and your students. You can pre-register and join in the conversation along with us and view the program streaming live from the Old Capitol Museum.
