NEW VENUE! J.W. Marriott Hotel at LA LIVE
5:30 PM – Silent Auction and Reception

7:00 PM – Dinner and Program

In the first 25 years of its existence, the Japanese American National Museum took on the challenge to preserve and share the history of the first Japanese immigrants and their descendants, a once much-neglected American story. While this task remains at the core of the Museum’s mission, the institution recognizes that the Nikkei community has become more diverse since the end of World War II and this history needs to be documented.

In 2011, the National Museum begins a new phase with its Gala Dinner and Silent Auction under the theme,Continuing Family Stories: The Expanding Nikkei Community. After World War II, Japanese Americans rebuilt their lives and expanded their communities. Joined by more recent immigrants from Japan, they went on to transform American culture through entrepreneurship, ingenuity, and creativity. From new first-generation immigrants to the Sansei (third-generation), they shared the same aspirations for their families in pursuing the American dream. ations for their families and their community.

The post-war contributions of Japanese Americans are symbolized by three diverse honorees who will be highlighted as part of the dinner program: Noritoshi Kanai, the Jane Aiko Yamano family, and Stan Sakai. Kanai and the Yamano family have pioneered different business ventures, advanced and shared cultural staples, and carried their own traditions through the generations. Sansei artist Stan Sakai will be recognized for having brought together popular cultural forms from Japan and America to create something new and powerful.

We invite you to participate in the National Museum’s Gala Dinner celebration. 

Win a 2011 Lexus RX 450h! Enter the 2011 Lexus Opportunity Drawing, sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.

Click here for more information about the Gala event, honorees, and Lexus Opportunity Drawing >>