JAMsj E-News
Japanese American Museum of San Jose

June 2015

In This Issue

Meet the Author: Brenda Nakamoto

Fundraising Dinner for CGM Digital Exhibition

Upcoming JAMsj Hapa Exhibit

Calendar of Events

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Around Our Town

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Check out J-Town Community TV's footage from our recent program City Girls: The Nisei Social World in L.A. 1920-1950

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Andy Frazer spotlights Japanese-American Internee Tets Furukawa

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Jimi Yamaichi talks about his experiences in KQED's

"Hard Row to Hoe: Japanese Farming in the Santa Clara Valley"

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Meet the Author: Brenda Nakamoto

Peach Farmer's Daughter

Saturday, June 6, 2015

1:00 p.m.

Japanese American Museum of San Jose
535 N. 5th Street
San Jose, CA 95112

Author Brenda Nakamoto will discuss her book, Peach Farmer's Daughter, where she recalls her childhood growing up on a rural Northern California farm. A Sansei, third-generation Japanese American, Nakamoto movingly reflects on the decline of her aging parents, her deep connections to the land, and personal family history.

Brenda Nakamoto

BRENDA NAKAMOTO was raised on a family peach farm in a small northern California town called Gridley. She didn't find her love of writing until she experienced the life of the sandwich generation: caring for her aging and widowed Nisei Japanese American father while at the same time raising her two young children. Writing about the life she remembered on the farm--lost when her parents sold their land in retirement-surprised her with a book-length compilation of essays in a process that brought her closer to family. Her father, now deceased and dearly missed by Nakamoto, listened to early drafts and helped with clarifications. She is currently working on a new project investigating the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. For this new project, she has first-hand knowledge because family members of both her parents were incarcerated.

Cost: Free with admission to the museum (nonmembers, $5; students and seniors over age 65, $3; JAMsj members and children under 12, free).
No RSVP required.

Community Partnerships

Fundraising Dinner for CGM Digital Exhibition

Friday, June 12, 2015
Cocktail Reception at 6:00 p.m.

Dinner at 7:00 p.m.

The Fairmont
170 Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113

A special fundraising dinner, organized to support the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) Digital Exhibition highlighting the stories of WWII Nisei soldiers, will be held on Friday, June 12, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. This dinner will feature a special thank-you to Eric Shinseki, former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The Honorable Eric Shinseki, former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, and Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic gold medalist, will be on the program at this dinner honoring veterans and benefitting the Smithsonian exhibit.

Secretary Eric Shinseki greeting veterans

Secretary Shinseki, who served as head of Veterans Affairs from 2009 until May of 2014, is also the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and the first Asian American four-star general. Several Japanese American organizations have expressed the desire to thank him for his service to our country. The fundraising dinner will serve as the perfect venue to do so.

The Honorable Norman Mineta, U.S. Congressman Mike Honda, and Kristi Yamaguchi are members of the honorary committee for the dinner.

The digital exhibition is being developed by the National Veterans Network (NVN), in collaboration with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the National Museum of American History. It will be unveiled at the Smithsonian Institution in 2016 in honor of these very special Congressional Gold Medal honorees.

To honor our local CGM recipients, a special exhibit will be on display at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj). On the day of the dinner, June 12, and the day after, June 13, JAMsj will have extended hours from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

To purchase ticket(s), sponsor veterans, or to receive for more information, visit www.nationalveteransnetwork.com. Tickets are $175 with $75 being tax deductible. Tickets may also be purchased by sending a check to the National Veterans Network at P.O. Box 1221, Torrance, CA 90505. For questions, please contact Reiko Iwanaga at riwanaga@ecopiafarms.com.

Upcoming JAMsj Hapa Exhibit Opening Late 2015

On the Lookout for Diverse JA Families

Does your family represent the diversity that is the Japanese American family today? If so, would you like to participate in our upcoming exhibit, Visible and Invisible: A Hapa Japanese History? We are looking for local JA families who are willing and able to sit for portraits to be included in our display of modern JA families. The more generations and the more diversity, the better! If interested, please contact Cindy Nakashima at clnaka@yahoo.com.

Calendar of Events

June 6, 2015:            Meet the Author: Brenda Nakamoto
June 12, 2015:          Fundraising Dinner for CGM Digital Exhibition
August 8, 2015:      California Legacy Voice Network Teacher Workshop

For more information about our public programs, please contact PublicPrograms@JAMsj.org or call (408) 294-3138.

Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj)
535 N. Fifth Street
San Jose, CA 95112
Tel: (408) 294-3138
Email: mail@jamsj.org
www.jamsj.org