October 2016
From Executive Director Tom Ikeda

Dear Friends,

Looking back on Densho’s 20th Anniversary Gala, my heart is filled with gratitude. The Densho community showed up in so many ways to make the celebration a success, and I owe you all a huge thank you. The community support and appreciation we saw on September 24th combined with the congratulatory messages we’ve received from afar underscored the value of all the work we’ve done.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend the gala in person, we’ve curated some of the highlights from the evening and want to share them with you here. We hope these videos offer a brief respite from the ugliness of this election cycle, and a reminder of the importance of using the Japanese American legacy to speak out against the injustices we see today. As Dale Minami put in his keynote address at the gala:

“We marry activism with the knowledge of history because justice is not self executing. It is not a gift, it's a challenge. And we cannot rely just on our institutions to protect us, we need allies of all colors and races like we had for the redress movement. We should understand that dissent is not the enemy of patriotism.”

Densho will be reflecting on these inspiring words as election day draws nearer and as we close out a year of anniversary celebrations. We hope they inspire you too.

Sincerely, 

Tom Ikeda

Highlights from Densho's 20th  Anniversary Gala
Dale Minami: Keynote Address 

Lawyer and activist Dale Minami spoke about Japanese Americans' "historical legacy" of standing up for social justice.  

>> Watch now

Tom Ikeda: Densho at 20

Executive Director Tom Ikeda talked about Densho's origins and its future directions, emphasizing the importance of building connections with other historically marginalized groups. 

>> Watch now. 

Spoken Word Artist G Yamazawa

G Yamazawa, one of the top young spoken word artists in the country, performed an original piece about Densho and other related work. 

>> Watch now. 

Learn more about the work we  do here at Densho

Lilian Horita and Family

Lillian Horita was incarcerated as a young child during World War II. Seven decades later, she shares her story with Densho and with her family.

>>Watch now. 

Stories of the Past for Social Justice Today

Densho was founded 20 years ago to preserve and share stories of the Japanese American past to promote equity and justice today.

>> Watch now. 

Help Make Densho's Next
20 Years a Reality

Densho's 20th Anniversary year has been a time for talking about where our organization is headed, but also about raising funds to get there. If you were not able to make a 20th Anniversary donation in person at our gala, please consider a donation at the $500 Legacy Donor level, or any amount that is comfortable to you. 

Make a donation

Seattle: Join us on October 23
In this panel, three leading scholars of Japanese American history will discuss the circumstances that led to incarceration and its bearing on current events, including racial profiling of American Muslims and the racialized politics on display in the current election  cycle. 

Panelists: Karen M. Inouye, author of "The Long Afterlife of Nikkei Wartime Incarceration;" Greg Robinson, author of "The Great Unknown: Japanese American Sketches;" Lon Kurashige, author of "Two Faces of Exclusion: The Untold History of Anti-Asian Racism in the United States;" and moderator Brian Niiya, Densho Content Director and editor of the Densho Encyclopedia.

More information here.  
Announcements and Opportunities
Thank you, City of Seattle! 

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture is generously providing support for this month's eNews and other core programs. Thank you! 

>> Learn more about the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.


Casting Call:  Nihonjin Face (Civil Rights Legacy Touring Production)

Co-written by Densho's own Janet Hayakawa, Nihonjin Face follows the story of ten-year old Tomiko Hashimoto through World War II incarceration and, decades later, as she passes lessons about racial discrimination and justice on to her grandson. 

>> More details about the production and auditions

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