Darryl Mori
@DMoDarryl Mori is a writer based in Los Angeles, specializing in the arts and the nonprofit sector. A Sansei and a native of Southern California, he has written for UCLA and the Japanese American National Museum, where he serves as a volunteer. He currently works in fundraising and external relations for Art Center College of Design.
Updated December 2012
Stories from This Author
From Beets to the Battlefield: How WWII Farm Laborers Helped the War Effort
Nov. 18, 2016 • Darryl Mori
Museum volunteer and docent James Tanaka thought something was missing from an exhibition and it bothered him. The Japanese American National Museum’s long-running exhibition, Common Ground: The Heart of Community, seen by more than one million visitors, chronicles the history of Americans of Japanese ancestry from the 1800s to the present. In one of its text panels, the exhibition mentioned that some Japanese Americans who had been unjustly incarcerated in concentration camps during World War II were temporarily released. The …
Driving Diversity: Kyle Larson, First Japanese American to Win at NASCAR
Nov. 7, 2016 • Darryl Mori
In August 2016, Kyle Miyata Larson made sports history by becoming the first Japanese American driver to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series—NASCAR’s top level of racing. Larson began racing at the age of seven. Today the 24-year-old is already an accomplished professional in racing, having previously won multiple other NASCAR titles. His recent Sprint Cup win was seen as a victory not only for him as an individual driver but also for diversity in the sport. Larson’s mother is …
Q&A with Morgen Young, Curator of Uprooted Exhibition on WWII Nikkei Farm Laborers
Sept. 9, 2016 • Darryl Mori
During World War II, sugar was in urgent demand. Beyond its use in food products, sugar beets were converted to industrial alcohol and used in the manufacturing of munitions and synthetic rubber. Uprooted: Japanese American Farm Labor Camps During World War II is a traveling exhibition produced the by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission. Featuring historical images by noted federal photographer Russell Lee integrated with video content, the exhibition examines how Japanese American laborers became an essential part of the …
Paper and Peace: Seeing Hiroshima's Origami Cranes Through Japanese American Eyes
July 5, 2016 • Darryl Mori
“I always like to tell my friends that every little thing in Japanese culture has some symbolism and meaning,” Richard Watanabe says. The 15-year volunteer at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Los Angeles recently returned from a trip to Hiroshima, Japan. The site of the fateful atomic bombing during World War II has become known internationally for its origami cranes symbolizing peace. Watanabe, who by day is a Professor of Preventive Medicine and Physiology & Biophysics at the …
Q&A with Heidi Kim, editor of Taken from the Paradise Isle: The Hoshida Family Story
Jan. 6, 2016 • Darryl Mori
Heidi Kim is a writer, literary scholar, and editor of the new book, Taken from the Paradise Isle: The Hoshida Family Story. Taken from the Paradise Isle explores what a Japanese American family experienced during their separation and unjust incarceration during World War II. The book reveals its subject through intimate excerpts from George Hoshida’s diary and memoir, as well as correspondence with his wife, Tamae. Hoshida’s diary includes watercolors and sketches, adding an evocative visual element to the personal …
Q&A with Sugar/Islands Artist Laura Kina
July 17, 2015 • Darryl Mori
Artist Laura Kina is one of two artists featured in the new exhibition, Sugar/Islands: Finding Okinawa in Hawai‘i—The Art of Laura Kina and Emily Hanako Momohara. Sugar/Islands explores Japanese American family history and identity through visual art. Kina’s contribution to the show includes a series of striking, ghostly paintings that were inspired by female Okinawan immigrant workers. Discover Nikkei had the opportunity to engage Kina for a brief conversation about her work. * * * * * DN (Discover Nikkei): …
Making Art That Matters: Sugar/Islands and Stories of Hawai‘i’s History
July 7, 2015 • Darryl Mori
“I am constantly struck by how incredibly brave and committed Laura Kina and Emily Hanako Momohara were to this project and for creating work that comes from such a personal space for which the public can experience,” says curator Krystal Hauseur. Hauseur is reflecting upon Sugar/Islands: Finding Okinawa in Hawai‘i—The Art of Laura Kina and Emily Hanako Momohara, a new exhibition that juxtaposes the work of the two artists. Both artists are fourth-generation American, mixed-heritage women from families with roots …
The Star-Crossed and the Undead: Koji Steven Sakai’s Romeo & Juliet vs. Zombies
June 3, 2015 • Darryl Mori
In William Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, the heroine Juliet utters the famous phrase, “O happy dagger” just before killing herself over the body of her dead lover, Romeo. But in Koji Steven Sakai’s reimagined version of the classic, Juliet finds a better use for her bladed weapons. At a time when zombies are taking over the city, Juliet becomes a sword-wielding warrior. The result is Romeo & Juliet vs. Zombies, Sakai’s new novel, published by Luthando Coeur. In …
Living Artifacts: The Descanso Gardens Camellias and Japanese American History
Feb. 24, 2015 • Darryl Mori
At first glance, a botanical garden may seem an unlikely place to find hidden stories. But David R. Brown knows many interesting narratives behind green spaces. “Around every corner there is a story or a scene or a vignette that speaks to you—if your eyes and ears are open,” says Brown, who has been Executive Director of Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, California, since 2005. “Our history is part of the landscape,” he says. “And we encourage people to learn …
Nurturing Understanding: A Mother’s Love Leads to LGBT Support
Oct. 16, 2014 • Darryl Mori
According to UCLA’s Williams Institute, 46% of transgender males attempt suicide, says educator, author, and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) community advocate Marsha Aizumi. “My son was one of those individuals who thought about suicide, but did not attempt it,” she notes. “Aiden seemed to have enough resilience to keep living and for that I am so grateful. I think that is one of the reasons I work so hard for this cause.” For Aizumi, the cause is to fight prejudices faced by …
