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Role of the Japanese American National Museum

The [Japanese American National] Museum is not only about the past, but it’s about the present, and it’s about the future—for the future generations to look at what we’ve done, to understand it, and to make their cogent decisions depending upon what their assessment of their conditions will be in the future. So I think that’s what we’re all about and which we should be doing.


communities nonprofit organizations

Date: January 7, 2004

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.

Interviewee Bio

James Hirabayashi, son of hardworking immigrant farmers in the Pacific Northwest, was a high school senior in 1942 when he was detained in the Pinedale Assembly Center before being transferred to the Tule Lake Concentration Camp in Northern California.

After World War II, he earned his Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Anthropology from the University of Washington, and eventually his Ph.D. from Harvard University. Dr. Hirabayashi is Professor Emeritus at San Francisco State University where he was Dean of the nation’s first school of ethnic studies. He also held research and teaching positions at the University of Tokyo, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and Ahmadu Bellow Univerity, Zaria, Nigeria.

He passed away in May 2012 at age 85. (June 2014)

George Ariyoshi
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George Ariyoshi

Ethnic diversity

(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i

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Peggie Nishimura Bain
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Peggie Nishimura Bain

Learning American cooking

(b.1909) Nisei from Washington. Incarcerated at Tule Lake and Minidoka during WWII. Resettled in Chicago after WWII

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Roger Shimomura
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Roger Shimomura

Japanese American community life

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor

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Kimi Wakabayashi
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Kimi Wakabayashi

Her early life in Canada

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

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George Azumano
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George Azumano

Downtown in Portland, Oregon

(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel

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Kip Fulbeck
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Kip Fulbeck

Lessons learned from The Hapa Project

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Alfredo Kato
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Alfredo Kato

Peru Shimpo for the Nikkei community (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

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Bill Hashizume
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Bill Hashizume

Japanese community in Mission

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

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PJ Hirabayashi
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PJ Hirabayashi

Taiko as self-expression

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

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PJ Hirabayashi
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PJ Hirabayashi

A “principally-based” taiko group in England creating a global taiko community

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

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Byron Glaser
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Byron Glaser

Growing up in a Japanese American community

Illustrator and designer

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Francis Y. Sogi
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Francis Y. Sogi

The Kona Island community

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

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Lorraine Bannai
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Lorraine Bannai

The importance of Japanese American role models in childhood community

(b. 1955) Lawyer

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Lorraine Bannai
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Lorraine Bannai

Recognizing issues of dual identity in the nisei generation

(b. 1955) Lawyer

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Lorraine Bannai
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Lorraine Bannai

Heightened awareness of identity as a Japanese American

(b. 1955) Lawyer

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