Dec 7, 2019

April 2019 Mini Grants

Manzanar-pilgrimage-photo-by-Gann-Matsuda

Three organizations receive mini-grants.

Grateful Crane Ensemble

Located in Pasadena, CA, the Grateful Crane Ensemble received a grant to help establish a new office.

Since its founding, Grateful Crane has operated out of the home of founding members Soji Kashiwagi and Keiko Kawashima.  With the opening of this new business space, there is a need for furniture, computer equipment and office supplies in order to make it fully operational.

You can find out more about the Grateful Crane Ensemble at www.gratefulcrane.com

California State University Fullerton Nikkei Student Union        

Our grant will help the the CSUF Nikkei Student Union for the Manzanar Pilgrimage and “Manzanar at Dusk.”

CSUF Nikkei Student Union will be organizing a pilgrimage to Manzanar for the students that attend the university. On April 27th, we will attend the pilgrimage ceremony at Manzanar and conduct student led tours within the museum. Following this, representatives from CSUF NSU will aid in facilitating “Manzanar at Dusk”. This event is a platform for discussion between different people and generations. Through “Manzanar at Dusk”, we hope to allow people to hear the stories of the Japanese and Japanese American hardships experienced during World War II.

You can find out more about the CSUF Nikkei Student Union at www.instagram.com/csuf_nsu/?hl=en and the Manzanar Pilgrimage at manzanarcommittee.org/2019-manzanar-pilgrimage/

Post photo by Gann Matsuda and the Manzanar Committee.

Japanese American Museum of San Jose

JAFsj needed a mini grant to help assess water damage done to the second floor community room.

The community room has a resource library, archival storage space and an area where senior Japanese American volunteers make cards and other crafts for sale in the retail store and at the annual fundraiser, Winter Boutique.  The community room has community meetings such as the Day of Remembrance to a research project and reunion of internees from Rowher, Arkansas.  School Groups often attend power point presentations in the community room while touring the exhibit area and Japantown.

You can find out more about the Japanese American Museum of San Jose at jamsj.org