Tour our ongoing exhibition Common Ground: Heart of a Community with experienced docents.

Shizue Harada came to the United States in the 1920s with her husband of arranged marriage. She did not become Sanae, a writer of a Japanese poetry form called senryu, until she had lived a full life, working factory jobs and raising two children.

Sanae's daughter, Aiko Uyeki, has compiled her mother's poignant poetry in a collection that captures Sanae's strong Buddhist faith, her wry humor and simple wisdom, her musings about growing old and her approaching death. Complementing these poems is the artwork of Amy Uyeki, Sanae's granddaughter. With word and image, a picture is painted of the life of Shizue Harada, a Meiji-era wife whose story mirrors many first generation Japanese Americans who left familiar shores to seek the American dream.

The Uyekis will present a reading of Sanae, Senryu Poet: Her Life in 5-7-5, highlighted with accompanying visual images called haiga created by her granddaughter Amy.

The reading will be followed by a workshop that explores the medium of senryu, encouraging participants to write their own poems and suggesting techniques to get started. Examples of haiga or poem painting will be shared and there will be opportunities to create both senryu and haiga. Intergenerational participation is encouraged.

This project has been made possible by a grant from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, in partnership with the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation, with sponsorship through the Ink People Center for the Arts.

Michi Nishiura Weglyn gave up a successful career as costume designer to write the landmark book, Years of Infamy: The Untold Story of America’s Concentration Camps, that set the record straight about the World War II incarceration. This short film paints a portrait of her dynamic personality and gives a stunning human face to the struggle for civil justice.

The film recently received a Special Jury Mention at this year's Tribeca Film Festival

After the film, there will a special panel discussion featuring, Sharon Yamato, Nancy Kapitanoff, and Professor Art Hansen.

[Purchase a copy of Out of Infamy: Michi Nishiura Weglyn at the Museum Store Online]

In honor of Veterans Day, this screening is FREE!

During World War II, Japanese American soldiers of the 442nd Infantry Regiment fought not only the enemy but also prejudice and racial discrimination in the U.S. Theirs was an ironic situation, fighting for a country that had branded them as enemies. But these young men bravely volunteered and proven their loyalty as patriotic Americans. By the end of the war, the 442nd had become one of the most decorated regiments for its size and length of service in the history of the U.S. military. Following director Junichi Suzuki's previous film Toyo's Camera, which traced the experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II, this film uses archival footage and interviews with regiment members to reveal the 442nd’s little-known history.

Red Circle Project in collaboration with, Aids Project LA, Dept of Cultural Affairs, Bringing The Circle Together and, The National Center for the Preservation of Democracy presents:

A Free Screening of 'Two Spirits'

This powerful film examines the role of two-spirit people in the Navajo culture in the context of the story of a gay youth named Fred Martinez. Martinez was a nádleehí or a male-bodied person with a feminine essence, who was murdered in a hate crime at the age of sixteen. Two Spirits discusses the traditional Native American perspective on gender and sexuality and the need for a balanced interrelationship between the feminine and masculine. Directed by Lydia Nibley.

In celebration of the Japanese American National Museum’s 25th anniversary of incorporation, we invite our members to a Members’ Preview & Reception for American Tapestry: 25 Stories from the Collection.

As part of the event, we will be introducing our new line of Generation Teas! Produced especially for the Museum by Chado Tea Room, come sample six special blends—Issei, Nisei, Sansei, Yonsei, Gosei, and a Museum blend.

Reservations not needed.

FREE ALL DAY!

Help us celebrate fall with tons of exciting and fun crafts and activities for everyone! Please check back for more program details.

Generously sponsored by Target, these special Saturdays are filled with fun activities giving families unique ways to learn, play, and grow together.

ALL DAY CRAFT ACTIVITIES:

Make some noise by constructing a gobbling turkey using simple and surprising materials!

Add your personal touch to the Thanksgiving table by making placemats and a decorative centerpiece.

Ruthie’s Origami Corner: Fold an origami turkey—gobble gobble!

SCHEDULE:
11 AM - Doors open

1 PM – 25 Stories: A Weaving Workshop for Kids. To celebrate the opening of our newest exhibition, American Tapestry: 25 Stories from the Collection, educator/artist Cameron Taylor-Brown will lead a weaving workshop for kids (Class is first come, first serve. Limit 15 children. Ages 5 and up, must be accompanied by an adult.)

1 - 4 PM - Kidding Around the Kitchen will be celebrating the fall with these “corny” Thanksgiving cookies

3 PM – 25 Stories: A Weaving Workshop for Kids. To celebrate the opening of our newest exhibition, American Tapestry: 25 Stories from the Collection, educator/artist Cameron Taylor-Brown will lead a weaving workshop for kids (Class is first come, first serve. Limit 15 children. Ages 5 and up, must be accompanied by an adult.)

4 PM - Doors close

ABOUT OUR FRIENDS:
Cameron Taylor-Brown
Cameron Taylor-Brown has immersed herself in the worlds of fiber, education and commerce since the 1970s. She studied fiber art at the University of California, Berkley with artist Ed Rossbach and textile design at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. She worked in New York City as a stylist of upholstery and home furnishing fabrics, taught textile design at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science and worked as an exhibition curator. Since 1985, Taylor-Brown has lived in Los Angeles where she maintains a studio and is active in several arts organizations. She was a founding board member of the Textile Group of Los Angeles, is President of California Fibers, and is a board member of Designing Weavers.

Her artwork is widely exhibited and has been published in American Craft, Fiberarts, Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot and the Fiberarts Design Books Four, Five, Six and Seven . She travels Southern California and Arizona as the regional representative for several top yarn companies, including Rowan, Filatura de Crosa and Manos del Uruguay. An experienced teacher and facilitator, she conducts workshops throughout the country exploring design, color, creativity and the collaborative process.

Cameron Taylor-Brown is a founder of ACCESS Community Arts & Education, a consulting partnership that works with classroom teachers and artists to make direct connections between the arts, curriculum, educational content standards and community arts experiences. Two accessARTS models, Start with Art and Arts in the City , were developed with the support of California State Charter School Grants. These classroom-tested models were disseminated throughout the state of California in 2004-5.

To find out more about Cameron’s workshops or to see her work, visit www.camerontaylor-brown.com/#/.

Kidding Around The Kitchen
It is such a common problem in today's world that families rarely get to eat together anymore.

Kidding Around the Kitchen shows that families can make and eat food together without a lot of fuss or a huge time commitment. The family food demo helps families with tips on smarter shopping, fun recipe ideas, advice on how to incorporate healthier choices when possible and advice on how to delegate tasks in an age-appropriate way. This family food demo is a “how to” get everyone involved in the family meal.

Kidding Around the Kitchen is for families that have full plates in life as well as wanting a full plate of food to enjoy together. It's about time well spent. You'll see your kids get a “we did it attitude!!” This family food demo works on the try it premises all while empowering the kids and family. If we can do it, so can you!!

Kidding Around the Kitchen is an adventure in fun, food and family. We are not only making food, we are making memories.

For more information on Kidding Around The Kitchen, visit: www.kiddingaroundthekitchen.com

2010 TARGET FAMILY FREE SATURDAY SCHEDULE
December 11 – Fold, Crease, and Crinkle

OTHER FAMILY EVENTS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
January 2, 2011: Oshogatsu Family Festival

January 29, 2011: Kidding Around the Kitchen Family Cooking Workshop. It’s Winter: Hurry, Let’s Make Some Curry!

March 26, 2011: Kidding Around the Kitchen Family Cooking Workshop: Spring Rolls into JANM!

May 28: Kidding Around the Kitchen Family Cooking Workshop: WOK and ROLL Family Cooking Adventure

2011 TARGET FAMILY FREE SATURDAY SCHEDULE
February 12:Candy Land

March 12: Construction Zone

May 14 Wild Things

June 11: Take It to the Street

July 09: Once Upon A Time

October 08: Up in the Air

November 12: Planet Power

December 10: That’s a Wrap

American Tapestry: 25 Stories from the Collection opens.

Learn about this exhibition >>

Ms Grace Etsuko Lee, an internationally recognized business and etiquette consultant, speaker and trainer for corporations, will share some tips on how to avoid deal-breaking mistakes she observed in her years as a successful international marketing consultant. Her interactive presentation will concentrate on Western and Japanese social and business etiquette.

Born in Japan and educated in Asia and the United States, Ms Lee is bilingual and equally at home in both cultures. She will also share her stories from her new book, Little Caterpillar in Training: A Culture in Transition and Its Mixed Child in Post-war Japan, a unique and humorous personal story of growing up in Japan as well as in the United State as a bi-racial child.

Read about Grace Lee on DiscoverNikkei.org >>

Purchase Little Caterpillar in Training from the Museum Store Online >>

Bringing The Circle Together in collaboration with the LA Skins Fest:

A Free Screening of A Good Day to Die

A GOOD DAY TO DIE tells the story of Dennis Banks and the rise of the American Indian Movement (A.I.M.) from Banks’ early boarding school experiences to his service in the US military to the founding of the Movement. Much of the film’s energy is focused on the early and controversial actions of A.I.M. in Washington DC, Custer, South Dakota and Wounded Knee.

Through evenhanded and diverse interviews from all "sides" the film presents a clear and cohesive telling of the events leading up to and surrounding a period of history that the Filmmakers claim is not well known and often misunderstood.

The filmmakers spent more than a year on the road with Banks traveling across the country filming interviews, revisiting locations that played a key role in the Movement and spending long hours in libraries locating archival material. They chose to use American Indian songs and music for the soundtrack. Banks himself sings a majority of the songs, which composer Michel Tyabji recorded and mixed to create the score.

"It was an honor for us to make this film," said Salt. “Dennis Banks stood up and was willing to die to make things better for future generations. His actions helped create a movement that changed everything and we want people to know that.”

"We feel it’s critical for this country to recognize the other side of its history”, said Mueller. “We hope this film will lead to a clearer understanding of the motivations behind the American Indian Movement so that we can learn from the past and move on to a brighter future for all.”

PLEASE NOTE: This class has been canceled.

Precious Metal Clay is the newest jewelry-making material from Japan that has brought an ease and fun to metal work. Come learn cutting-edge jewelry-making techniques in two new PMC Classes, "Introduction to Precious Metal Clay Sterling Silver" and "Precious Metal Clay Sterling Silver Rings," offered from returning Rio Grande certified PMC teacher and artist, Lee Takasugi.

Precious Metal Clay Sterling Silver Rings, a favorite amongst PMC'ers, takes your PMC skills to the next level. With returning PMC teacher, Lee Takasugi, we will review our skills of rolling, molding, shaping, texturing, cutting, designing and stamping, and add on some intermediate skills of sizing, shaping bands, making your own slip, and hand-forming your very own bezels to encase your favorite stones in. If you've been searching for a ring that's in the shape of a leaf or has layers of stones on it, or has the word, "Peace" or a kanji symbol on it, this is the class for you! You will walk away with at least two finished sterling silver rings.

$95 members; $105 non-members, includes admission and supplies. RSVP early, 15 students max.

For more examples of what you'll be making, please visit: www.loveleejewelry.com/. Some experience with PMC preferred-- but not required. All materials provided.

Members Reception for No Victory Ever Stays Won

JANM Members: Join the ACLU of Southern California and the Japanese American National Museum for a special sneak-peek at the No Victory Ever Stays Won: The ACLU's 90 Years of Protecting Liberty exhibition, running from November 21 through December 11, 2010.

RSVP requested. Please contact Clarissa Woo at (213) 977-5241 or email cwoo@aclu-sc.org

Relive history and learn about present-day Little Tokyo with National Museum docents.

$9 Members; $14 non-members, includes Museum admission. Comfortable walking shoes and clothes recommended. Weather permitting.

Make holiday inspired cards for your friends and family. $9 members; $14 non-members, includes admission and supplies.