JANM’S MAY FREE FAMILY DAY EXPLORES IDENTITY AND HERITAGE

Los Angeles, CA—The Japanese American National Museum will be a fun and thoughtful place to explore themes of identity and personal heritage during its JANM Free Family Day on May 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum, its exhibitions, and its “Identity, My-dentity’ Family Day activities—including crafts, storytelling, a poetry workshop, and an improv performance—will be free. All ages are welcome.

“Identity, My-dentity&rdqou; is presented in conjunction with the museum’s recently opened hapa.me – 15 years of the hapa project exhibition and in celebration of Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month. The full schedule of activities for May 12 follows.

All Day Activities:

Koinobori Kite: Color and put together a koinobori (carp kite), a traditional Children’s Day symbol in Japan.

Kabuto (Samurai Hat): Fold a samurai hat out of newspaper, another symbol of Children’s Day.

Identity Bento: Make your own colorful bento box by drawing in foods that are part of your culture or just among your favorites.

Diorama: Make a tiny self-portrait diorama that is all about you.

Button Making: Design a small button to show off your individuality.

Ruthie’s Origami Corner: Fold a paper heart to share with someone.

Scheduled Activities:

11:15 a.m.–12 p.m.: Storytelling Theater
Multicultural theater troupe We Tell Stories performs Proud to Be Me, a series of interactive stories geared toward reinforcing self-esteem. Reserved seating for members.

12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m.: Poetry Writing Workshop
Spoken word artists and community organizers Stephanie Sajor and Eddy M. Gana, together known as Steady, will help you learn to express yourself through poetry.

1 p.m.–2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.: Amy Tangerine Scrapbook Workshop
Create colorful pages that save and share your memories in this scrapbooking workshop with Amy Tangerine. Bringing photos from home is optional. Mini booklets will be supplied. Space is limited; please sign up at the information table. Reserved seating for members.

2 p.m.–2:30 p.m.: Improv with Cold Tofu
Enjoy a performance by Cold Tofu as they improvise scenes and games based on audience suggestions. Reserved seating for members.

3 p.m.–3:30 p.m.: Infinite Flow Dance
Infinite Flow – An Inclusive Dance Company and Infinite Flow Kids will perform and invite families to dance along with them. Reserved seating for members.

”Identity, My-dentity” is presented in partnership with Kizuna. American Sign Language interpreters will be present for select performances.

For updates, visit janm.org/familydays.

NOW ON VIEW AT JANM:

hapa.me – 15 years of the hapa project
Through October 28, 2018
Artist Kip Fulbeck continues his project, begun in 2001, of photographing persons who identify as “hapa”—of mixed Asian/Pacific Islander descent—as a means of promoting awareness and positive acceptance of multiracial identity. As a follow-up to kip fulbeck: part asian, 100% hapa, his groundbreaking 2006 exhibition, hapa.me pairs the photographs and statements from that exhibition with contemporary portraits of the same individuals and newly written statements, showing not only their physical changes in the ensuing years, but also changes in their perspectives and outlooks on the world. In addition, hapa.me includes portraits of hundreds of new participants and an interactive section where, on select days, viewers can join the community by having their portrait taken and writing their own personal statement.

Common Ground: The Heart of Community
Ongoing
Incorporating hundreds of objects, documents, and photographs collected by JANM, this exhibition chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, from the early days of the Issei pioneers through the World War II incarceration to the present.

About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)

Established in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite and traveled 17 of its exhibitions to locations around the world, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America.

JANM is located at 100 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. General admission is $12 adults, $6 students and seniors, free for members and children under age five. Admission is free to everyone on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every third Thursday of the month from noon to 8 p.m. General admission prices and free admission times may not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions. Closed Monday, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. For more information visit janm.org or call 213.625.0414.