Japanese American National Museum Store Online
The award-winning Museum Store of the Japanese American National Museum features distinctive Asian American merchandise for all occasions and generations. Their unique product line represents the essence of the Japanese American experience, while also promoting an appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity. All proceeds from the Museum Store support Museum programs and exhibitions.
The articles in this series were originally written for the Japanese American National Museum’s online store [janmstore.com] to give a deeper understanding of the authors, artists, and traditions featured in the store.
Stories from this series
Furusato: The Lost Village of Terminal Island
Aug. 19, 2010 • Leslie Yamaguchi
When asked about their memories of Terminal Island, many Japanese Americans who spent their childhood there think “furusato,” home sweet home. In the early 1900s, many Japanese immigrants from Wakayama Prefecture settled there, making a living as fishermen. The community thrived and grew into a place where families knew one another, a place with little or no crime, a place of no worries. Having cherished childhood memories may not seem unusual, but given the devastating history of this area, now …
Hopes, Dreams, and Courage Under Fire: Stanley Hayami, Nisei Son
Aug. 5, 2010 • Darryl Mori
Author Joanne Oppenheim never met Stanley Hayami, but after reading the young man’s wartime diary, she has never forgotten him. In many respects, the 16-year-old Hayami was a typical American teenager, beginning a diary about his struggles to get good grades in school and to decide what he wanted to be when he grew up. His aspirations for the future echoed that of so many young people who were coming of age in America in the 1940s. But in Hayami’s …
The Legacy of “Farewell to Manzanar”
July 26, 2010 • Sigrid Hudson
“We never mentioned camp.”For nearly twenty-five years after the end of World War II, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston—and many other Japanese Americans imprisoned in concentration camps during the war—never spoke to others about her experiences as a child behind barbed wire at Manzanar. “We never mentioned camp,” she says, “It was so subconscious...like it was a bad dream or that there was some shame involved with it. So you just don’t refer to it.” During those years, many things changed in …
Nisei Voices: The Journey
July 19, 2010 • Leslie Yamaguchi
In the 1930s Paul T. Hirohata gathered copies of speeches given by forty-nine Nisei valedictorians and published them in a collection called Orations and Essays. Seventy years later, his granddaughter, Joyce Hirohata reviewed the book, this time from an adult perspective, and it “took over her imagination.” By her calculations, Ms. Hirohata realized that many of the students would have been part of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, and many, although elderly, would still be alive. …
From Centerfield to Outer Space: Dan Kwong and the Secrets of a Multi-Cultural Performance Artist
July 13, 2010 • Susan Osa
With their long hair, multi-cultural ethnicity, and burgeoning artistic talents, Kip Fulbeck was occasionally mistaken for Dan Kwong back in the early 1990s. “I considered this a compliment because Kip’s a real good looking guy!” recalls Kwong laughingly. Today, both are well-established, extremely talented artists, whose paths continue to cross in their works exploring culture and identity, and being Hapa. Combining eloquence, passion, and a generous sense of humor, Dan Kwong has been described as a “master storyteller” whose performances …
Gil Asakawa’s Guide to Japanese America
July 5, 2010 • Darryl Mori
“Do you have to go benjo?” If you know what this phrase means, there’s a high probability that you’re Japanese American. And there’s also a high probability that you’ll love Gil Asakawa’s book, Being Japanese American. But even if you don’t know that benjo means “bathroom,” you may still be entertained by this lighthearted view into the unique lingo, idiosyncrasies and nuances of Japanese American life. “Stone Bridge Press initially approached me to write the book because they were interested …
