It all started with a conversation.
 
In the spring of 1983, Dr. Gary Okihiro, then the director of the Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Santa Clara, presented a paper on Japanese losses in California agriculture during World War II at a conference in Salt Lake City.  It just so happened that Okihiro's traveling companion to that conference was Eiichi Edward Sakauye, a San Jose farmer, local historian, and future founder of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose  (read the December '08 article on Eiichi Edward Sakauye here).

Sakauye and Okihiro spent several hours discussing Okihiro's paper, Sakauye's life experiences, and those of Japanese Americans farmers in Santa Clara Valley. Inspired by that conversation with Sakauye, Okihiro launched into a regional study of Japanese farmers in Santa Clara Valley, which eventually led to the seminal book "Japanese Legacy: Farming and Community Life in California's Santa Clara Valley." This book was the inspiration for the formation of JAMsj. 



Japanese Legacy: Farming and Community Life in California's Santa Clara Valley was a groundbreaking study on the history of the Japanese farming community in the Santa Clara Valley from 1895 when the first agricultural laborers arrived, to 1945 when the first groups of Japanese Americans returned to the valley from wartime detention camps.



"Japanese Legacy was an idea that arose out of my own commitment to the Asian American community," Okihiro recalls. "The movement for ethnic studies during the late 1960's involved the idea of relevance. That is, education needed to be relevant to the lives of the people immediately around the university."    Read rest of article and view interview clips...

 















As you may know, the capital expansion project for JAMsj's new museum relies heavily on a $1M grant from the California Cultural and Historic Endowment (CCHE) program. The state budget crisis has forced a temporary suspension of bond sales, the pool of funds supporting CCHE. As a result, the state ordered a freeze on reimbursements for our construction costs
 
This action has severely impacted JAMsj's construction timeline. We have been notified that after bond sales resume, the freeze will be lifted.  Unfortunately, there is no way to predict when the freeze might be lifted. After careful analysis by representatives of the JAMsj board, Applegate Johnston Construction Co. executives and architects, a painful decision to temporarily halt construction was made.  For security measures, doors and windows will be installed to seal the building.
 
Please know that keeping you informed is a priority during this challenging time. We are committed to keeping you informed via special announcements, newsletters, eNews, and our web site. We are also maintaining close contact with CCHE (e.g, attending their board meetings and public hearings). As soon as funds from the State start flowing again, construction will resume. It is during such trying times that our spirit of "team" will get us through. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Ko Nishimura:
An Inspiration to All

By Doug Watanabe