volunteerlyspeaking · in attracting people, as did our adver-tising. even group visitation was...

Volunteers at Matsuri: Ike (not in picture) & Ruth Hachimonji, Joyce Inouye,

Maria Kwong, Marie & Earnie Masumoto, Dave & Margaret Masuoka, Norman

Ogawa, Sadako Sogioka, Ben Tonooka, Tootsie Yoshimura, June Yusa

ranging from taiko drum-mers to jazz groups per-form. Yosh Uchida of San Jose and a member of the National Museum’s board always drops by to say

(Continued on page 5)

Outreach at work Twelve National Museum Community Relations vol-unteers traveled to San Jose, California on May 2, 2004 to participate in the 27th Annual San Jose Nikkei Matsuri Japanese American Cultural Festival. We’ve participated at the matsuri for eight consecu-tive years. Through the years, our presence has generated a great deal of support in the San Jose area for the National Museum. Thanks to local friends of the National Museum like Warren

Hayashi, chairman of the event, we’re always pro-vided with a large booth in the center of the festival area, right next to the outdoor stage where all day musical entertainment

Tuesday, August 24th, 11:00 a.m. Sashimi Lunch by Rodney Kageyama

With the above words my mouth started to drool. Just imagine 60 or so Volunteers and Staff, plate and hashi in hand waiting to dive into the spread laid out. The word “Sashimi” is like “caviar” or in our case “Natto”.

Let me tell you how this ritual starts….June Berk’s (Our sashimi angel) husband goes down south to fish for Albacore and Yellow Tail. I heard that he doesn’t eat it but enjoys catching it...Lucky us. So every Summer we

(Continued on page 5)

VOLUME 40 · SEPTEMBER 2004

Volunteer lySpeaking

NEWSLETTER FROM THE VOLUNTEERS OF THE JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

Dates of Interest:

September...

• 14-NCPD Brown Bag

• 16, 28-Staff /Volunteer Coffee

• 15,17,18,21- Mthly Volunteer Meet-ings

• 24-Sashimi Lunch

• 25– Deadline to submit Annual Din-ner Nominee Forms

October 5th

Kenneth K. Inouye, National President of JACL (story page 7)

Inside this issue: Page

10,000 Cranes for Peace Summer Institute for Docents (SID)

2

SID (cont) 3

Ondo Dancing New Volunteers & Staff

4

San Jose Matsuri Sashimi Lunch (cont)

5

Fighting for Democracy September 11

6

National President JACL A Queen’s Visit

7

Manzanar 9/11 Pilgrimage LA County Fair

8

National Museum Represented at the San Jose Matsuri By Ike Hatchimonji

exhibition. We are especially ap-

preciative of those volunteers who

spent extra time folding and string-

ing the cranes to make it all

possible.

On behalf of the Education Unit, I

would like to thank all of the vol-

unteers who helped make the Sep-

tember 11: Bearing Witness to

History 10,000 Cranes for Peace

activity a success. Through your

hard work and dedication, we

were able to send 10,010 cranes

to the next site, Senator John

Hines Regional History center in

Pennsylvania, where they will dis-

play it along with the Smithsonian

10,000 Cranes for Peace By Koji Sakai

Summer Institute for Docents By Koji Sakai

The inaugural year of the Summer Institute for Docents (SID) has been both educa-

tional and fun for staff and volunteers alike. Sojin Kim and Emily Anderson’s class,

Common Ground: Exhibition Process, was a success with many walking away with a

greater appreciation of the inner workings of the National Museum. Rodney

Kageyama’s inspired Storytelling Workshop and Lee Hayashi’s Docent Roundtables

have also been successful in teaching and inspiring all of us to make our visitor’s

experiences even more enjoyable. We were so pleased to offer these among many

other classes and look forward to adding many more in the coming years! Remem-

ber to sign up for make up classes. Institute participants will receive a certificate

and gift if they attend the minimum number of required sessions.

Summer Institute

For Docents

A SUCCESS!


l –r: Ruthie Kitagawa, Azumako Tremayne,

Masako Kato, June Aoki, and Rumi Uragami

Katy Rydell, SID Instructor

Summer Institute for Docents - Origami Class

Story Telling Many volunteers and staff have taken advantage of the SID courses offered by the Education Unit. On August 17, 2004 Katy Rydell who has expertise in folklore and storytel-ling gave her SID students guidelines on the mechanics of story telling as well as how to shape stories to make

them ready to be told. Shape Narrative Where do you begin, what do you put in, how do you end, why should your listeners want to hear you. What Makes a Story Quick beginning, problem, action driven, tie it up in a nice knot.


Taiko SID Class with Hal Keimi

National Museum Ondo Dancers by May Fujino

Another wonderful evening of ondo by the Museum dancers con-cluded the closing ceremonies of Nisei Week on Sunday, August 15. Led by Alice Hirata and Terri Kishi-moto, the staff and volunteers, in purple Museum happi coats, were joined by 20 family and friends.

Participants were: Nancy Araki, David Arndt, May Fujino, Nahan Gluck, Gordon Hashimoto, Sande


Hashimoto, Sumi Hirasaki, Masako Kato, Barbara Keimi, Toshi Kusu-moto, Kwong family - Nancy, Derek, Kelsey and Tiffany, Eiko Masuyama, Allyson Nakamoto, Hilary and May Porter, Hitoshi Sameshima, Nobi Takayama, June Teragawa, Azumako Tremayne, Marge Wada, Helen Yasuda, Ken and Tomi Yoshikawa.

Chair Marge Wada and committee arranged the practices and the wonderful bento dinner, with lots of yummy desserts. We thank the teachers Alice and Terri, the en-thusiastic Museum fans along the dance route, emcee Rodney Kageyama for rooting us on, and the corps of photographers, Nahan Gluck, Hal Keimi, Mas Matsumoto, Richard Murakami, Bill Shishima and Carol Takafuji.

Michael Metz Chris Kahn

Welcome New Volunteers and Staff Members to the National Museum

Lisa Higaki

Administrative Assistant

Darryl Mori

Grant Development Manager

Christopher Young

Development Coordinator

Joseph Liszka

IT Specialist

Adrienne Lee

Education Coordinator

Ann Du

Education Developer

Kevin Staub Tadane Kuroiwa

“hello” and unfailingly treats the volunteers to a delicious bento lunch.

Alan Say Popular writer and artist Alan Say joined us in the booth to help sell and sign his latest book Music for Alice. He had a long line waiting for his signature.

Grassroots effort It was a busy day for store sales; teaching origami to children; handing out brochures about National Museum events; signing up or renewing memberships as well as talking with visitors.

(Continued from page 1)

We’re recruiting The Community Relations Com-mittee encourages volunteers to join us in supporting outreach ac-tivities. You’ll have lots of FUN and it benefits the National Museum. If you are interested in joining the committee or going out and representing the National Mu-

seum please contact any Commu-nity Relations Committee Member. There are many more events to come including the US-Japan Expo. We could use more volun-teers. Please Join Us! Community Relations Committee

Members

Russel Tsuda, Chair

Joyce Inouye

Ruth Hachimonji

Masako Murakami

Marge Wada


National Museum Represented at the San Jose Matsuri

Allen Say at San Jose Matsuri signing books.

have this buffet of fish and other foods to ac-company it. Everything from Natto, Kim Chee, somen salads, Tsukemono and such. Of course we have to start off with Hot Steaming Rice. Did I forget the desserts? Lemon bars, chocolate cake, brownies, fruit, urusai jello. This goes fast...dessert for entree???

The sounds of laughter during this time always reminds me of family gatherings for special occasions. And the ladies who prepare the food remind me of “Fujinkai Ladies” (if you don’t know, ask one of the older persons).

This banquet is put on the other days also, but on different weeks. It’s always a coincidence that when I come to the National Museum, they’re having sashimi lunch.

One of the newer staff

members was amazed to see this happening as they had never experienced this camaraderie, and giving before. As I’ve always said, “the family takes care of its own.” I guess I’ll go back for seconds. And remem-ber if you hear “sashimi lunch, 11:30 a.m.” get there as fast as you can. There are no guarantees it will last.

A big arrigato to June Berk and the volunteer ladies.

Sashimi Lunch (Continued from page 1)

course of the 6-week show, there were 15,860 walk in visi-tors here, translating to over $60,000 in admission revenue.

September 11: Bearing Witness to History was undoubtedly one of the highest attended exhibitions in the National Museum’s history. Atten-dance during the first month was second only to August 1999, the month of the first Courtyard Kids Festival and Nisei Week during the Pavilion’s opening year. The average number of “walk in” visitors (people who come specifically to see exhibi-tions without group reservations) per month is about 3,000. Over the

Media coverage played a major role in attracting people, as did our adver-tising. Even group visitation was stronger due in part to the additional draw of September 11, despite the fact that the museum did not sched-ule group visits for that particular exhibition. With such spectacular attendance, September 11: Bearing Witness to History is likely to be remembered as one of the strongest exhibitions ever taken on by the National Museum.

September 11: Bearing Witness to History by Aaron Jue


“I got Indian blood in me, I got Afri-can blood in me, I’ve got English blood in me, and I’ve got Spanish blood in me. Now, what am I? I’m American.”

1,000 African American pilots served in the 99th Pursuit Squad-ron, the 332nd Fighter Group, and the 477th Medium Bombard-ment Group. They were collec-tively known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Roughly half served overseas in combat. In 1944, after working and at-tending the University of Detroit, Ollie began his training to be a twin-engine pilot at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama. A year later, he protested the insti-tutionalized discrimination and segregation of the Air Force by attempting to enter the whites-only Officers Club. Branded a troublemaker, he was arrested and forced out of the service soon after the war. Today, he promotes a Tuskegee scholarship fund and speaks to schoolchildren about his experi-ences and the importance of edu-cation. He wants young people to

Fighting For Democracy: Oliver “Ollie” Goodall By Meghan Potter

“use their brains, not their fists” and think “I’m gonna be better to-day than I was yesterday.”

Ollie was just one of many Ameri-cans who fought for democracy during World War II. You can learn more about Ollie and others’ World War II experiences in Fight-ing for Democracy, the inaugural ex-hibition of the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. For more information about the exhibition, contact Lisa Itagaki at (213) 830-5616.

Ollie Goodall was born in Okla-homa in 1922 and raised in Southern California. He got the itch to fly after seeing the Spirit of St. Louis at Lindbergh Field. After pressure from civil rights leaders and eventually Eleanor Roosevelt, the Army Air Corps formed an experimental all-black pilot program in 1941. Roughly

Witness to History exhibit

was provided by two of

our docents, Mas

Matsumoto and Bill

Shishima. A Taiko Demo

with Hal Keimi concluded

the visit. Queen Nikki

and her Court were very

appreciative of the hospi-

tality they received at the

National Museum.

Friday the 13th, during

Nisei Week, was a lucky

day for the National

Museum for that was

when the new Nisei

Week Queen, Nikki

Kodama and her Court

visited the National

Museum. A tour of

Common Ground and the

September 11: Bearing

A Queen’s Visit by Hal Keimi


Elected national president

of the Japanese American

Citizens League at their

recent convention in

Hawaii, Kenneth K.

Inouye will be speaking at

the National Museum,

October 5th.

Kenneth K. Inouye, National President JACL by Ike Hatchimonji

You’re Invited

Guest Speaker

Kenneth K. Inouye

October 5, 2004

Nerio Education

Center


Manzanar 9/11 Pilgrimage of Retrospection & Solidarity

November 20th, 2004—12 noon– 4:00 pm

In a nightmare of history

repeating itself, innocent

Muslims, Arab Americans,

Sikhs, South Asians and

others are being targeted

by the same racism and

bigotry that besieged

Japanese Americans

during World War II.

After December 7, 1942

and September 11, 2001

Japanese Americans then

and anyone who even

looks Middle Eastern

today are automatically

suspect and subject to

racial discrimination, acts

of violence and unlawful

detention.

Be part of this special

multi-ethnic, multi-

generational pilgrimage.

Learn from the past to

strengthen current efforts

to restore civil rights in

our country. Join the

community potluck,

presentations, perform-

ances and tour the site of

one of America’s concen-

tration camps.

For more information, directions and transporta-tion contact: Jon Liyama at [email protected] or Mari Nakano at [email protected] or call 310-558-4303

A gathering of

communities and

generations at the site of

a US concentration camp

that held Japanese

Americans during WWII

to bring attention to the

similar unjust detention

of Muslim Americans that

is happening today.

Manzanar Historic Site Lone Pine, California

L.A. Times Reading by 9 Give a book. Get a happy end-ing. Children can bring a new or gently used book to any Los Angeles Times' booth at the L.A. County Fair weekdays, Sept. 10-24, and get a free commemorative "Lily the Lamb" stuffed animal while supplies last.

AT&T Any-Day Admission Tickets Come to any AT&T Wireless store to purchase admission tickets for only $9 for adults and $5 for ages 6-12. Every ticket includes a coupon good for a $5 discount on carnival rides and attrac-tions. Tickets are available through Sept. 26. There is no minimum ticket purchase required. Presented by AT&T Wireless

Seniors Seniors ages 60 and older are admitted for $10 on weekends, $8 on weekdays and just $4 on Tuesdays, Senior Days. Groups of 20 seniors or more can take advantage of a Senior Fun-ner Club pass for just $12 that includes Fair admission, lunch at Duggan’s Barbecue and a 2004 commemorative Fair pin. Group coordinator will receive free Fair admis-sion.

Special thanks to all who submitted articles and photos. “Volunteerly Speaking” is an internal newsletter provided for the volunteers and staff of the

Japanese American National Museum 369 East First Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012 Submit Articles to: [email protected] by the 15th of each month. 150 word limit. Articles subject to editing.

“Volunteerly Speaking” is published by National Museum volunteers, under the auspices of the President’s Volunteer Council.

$1.00 Off Discount Coupons available in

the HR/Volunteer Services Office.

volunteerlyspeaking · in attracting people, as did our adver-tising. even group visitation was...

Documents