The Japanese Canadian Experience Conference: Sharing Your Stories of the War Years

Date: Nov. 19, 2010 – Nov. 21, 2010

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The Japanese Canadian Experience Conference:
Sharing Our Stories of the War Years
November 19 – 21, 2010

The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre is hosting a Japanese Canadian Experience Conference from November 19-21, 2010. This weekend long Conference is dedicated to preserving and sharing the Japanese Canadian history of the war years (1941-1945), and is a tribute to our founding generations. We welcome all Japanese Canadians who experienced the war years to come and share their stories in a small round table discussion format.  In order to preserve the Japanese Canadian history, for those who are comfortable sharing their stories with us on camera, we will have video cameras set up.

This Conference will be an educational opportunity for those who wish to learn more about the history of our founding generations.  Therefore, in addition to those who experienced the war, we would also like to invite other generations (those born after the war) to attend this Conference.   Bring your grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren, and friends!  This is an opportunity to learn about and share this part of our history with your family.

The Conference begins with a casual reception the evening of November 19, 2010. This will be a great way to reconnect with old friends and reminisce about the past years.  It will also be an opportunity to introduce your family to friends and mix between generations. Listen to guest speaker Greg Robinson and hear many favorite tunes from The Lemon Creek Band. Come and view the displayed archive photograph collection from the war years, which include photographs on life in the internment camps and in other parts of Canada.

The next day, those who experienced the war years will break into smaller groups and exchange stories and memories.  Those who did not experience the war years, or who did but prefer not to speak, may choose to listen to the stories.  Listener participants will have the opportunity to attend a short history seminar and watch the featured movie 'Henry's Glasses' by Brendan Uegama. This day of discussion and sharing will end with a buffet dinner.

On Sunday morning, participants, from all generations, will return to the JCCC for a final meeting to discuss the weekend, as a whole. A great way to finish the weekend by coming together to discuss commentary and impressions of the conference and share what you have learned. 

Through this Conference, we will collect and preserve this important period in the Japanese Canadian history.  The war years significantly shaped the Japanese Canadian heritage, more so than any other time and we hope you will agree to participate in this important Conference.  If you experienced the war years, or know someone who did, or would like to learn more about the war years, we extend our heartfelt invitation to you. We hope that you will encourage your friends and family to join you and everyone at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre for a weekend long tribute to the Japanese Canadian history.

For further information please contact Lisa Uyeda at the JCCC 6 Garamond Court, Toronto, Ontario, M3C 1Z5. www.jccc.on.ca, 416-441-2345 ext 303 or by email at lisa.uyeda@jccc.on.ca

We look forward to hearing from you!

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