With a Vision and a Dream

With a Vision and a Dream: How the Japanese American Community built a National Museum By Kenneth S. Hamamura. In 1985 the Japanese American National Museum was incorporated as a private, nonprofit institution and opened to the public in May 1992. The founding Nisei veterans and Little Tokyo business and community leaders wanted to preserve and tell the story of Americans of Japanese ancestry. They wanted future generations to remember the courage, heroism, and sacrifice of Nisei soldiers on the battlefields of World War II and the injustices of Executive Order 9066 and America’s concentration camps. JANM is now a world-class institution that is recognized nationally and internationally. It is an official affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. And in 2010, JANM was the recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Services, America’s highest honor for museums. JANM is also one of America’s Cultural Treasures, an initiative that highlights 20 organizations for their vital contributions to the diversity of expression and excellence in America. The Museum has accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time. The founding of JANM is a story of high hopes, remarkable achievements, frustration, and ultimate success. Like the saga of generations of Japanese Americans, it is a story of tenacity. But in the beginning, how was the Museum established? There was no wealthy benefactor so there was no money. There was no collection, no building, and the volunteer organizers didn’t know what was required to open and operate a functioning museum. Paper: 136 pp.