Our grant will be used for an exhibition of the Portraits of Courage which brings stories of the Japanese American soldiers who fought in America’s wars and the artistry of photographer Shane Sato. The exhibition at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) based on Sato’s portraits of Japanese American WWII veterans featured in his “The Go For Broke Spirit: Portraits of Courage” and follow up second volume.

Initiated with the Veterans Memorial Court Alliance, the project represents an unprecedented collaboration of veteran and community organizations. Together, they will use the exhibition, educational and community service activities, and social media outreach to raise the awareness of and link aging veterans and their families to existing resources that could provide them needed health and social service support, including the Veterans Association and Japanese American community organizations.

Opening the exhibition in 2019 in the JACCC’s Doizaki Gallery to coincide with Memorial or Veterans Day events at the adjacent Memorial Court and creating coordinated social media and online presence will help them reach out to the younger family members of veterans. Assisting this effort is co-writer Robert Horsting, an Emmy winning documentary filmmaker who also volunteers with the Go For Broke National Education Center’s oral history program.

You can find more information about the Go For Broke Spirit.