JANM Joins a Coalition of Museums to Unveil “On Our 250th”: A Bold National Call for Shared Dreams and Aspirations for the Nation

Editors please note: JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; programs will continue on the JANM campus and at other locations at janm.org/OnTheGo. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), in partnership with The New York Historical and Made By US, launches “On Our 250th”—a dynamic, nationwide initiative celebrating our collective heritage and inspiring a forward-looking dialogue. “On Our 250th” invites Americans of all ages to share brief messages that convey their hopes for our nation on this momentous anniversary online and in person at participating museums. 

In collaboration with leading museums and historic sites from across the country—including Atlanta History Center, Chicago History Museum, the Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center) at JANM, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Idaho State Museum, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Levine Museum of the New South, Lincoln Presidential Foundation, National Liberty Museum, National WWI Museum and Memorial, The New York Historical, Revolutionary Spaces, Ruth Mott Foundation/Applewood, Senator John Heinz History Center, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, and Wyoming State Museum—the campaign ensures that voices from every corner of the nation will be heard and celebrated.

Messages between five and fifty words can be posted online to onour250th.org. Visitors can also share their messages which will be displayed on-site at the Democracy Center on a wish wall. Visitors can learn more about how they can contribute to this project at janm.org/democracy.

“This initiative invites everyone to participate in America’s semiquincentennial. An enduring American democracy requires participation by all people, with each of us understanding our rights and responsibilities. This exhibition aligns with the Democracy Center’s mission to explore the rights, freedoms, and fragility of democracy, helping to build bridges, and find common ground between people of diverse backgrounds and opinions,” said James E. Herr, director of the Democracy Center.

The number of participating museums is expected to grow as 2026 approaches. Offering a megaphone to Americans of all ages and backgrounds, this campaign reflects a long American tradition of citizens using their voices, harkening back to Patrick Henry’s historic call for unity: “I am not a Virginian, but an American.”

“‘On Our 250th’ is a call to reflect, celebrate, and act,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New York Historical. “We are inviting museums and historical institutions across the country to join us in conversation around the ideas that shaped our nation and that influence our lives today, as we enter this momentous semiquincentennial year. By bringing the voices of Americans together in conversation, we seek to articulate both the ties that bind us as a people, and the wishes of our respective communities for posterity.”

Among the messages already gathered for “On Our 250th” are:

• “Happy Birthday, USA! My wish for you is to once again be a united country meant to protect and serve all. To return to a land of opportunity and diversity for all who seek it.”
• “I wish all children receive a high-quality education to prepare themselves to reach their dreams!”
• “A world where historical understanding is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy.”
• “When historians…write the story of the 21st century, let them say it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate.” 

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About the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)

Established in 1985, JANM 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 center for civil rights, ensuring that the hard-fought lessons of the World War II incarceration are not forgotten. A Smithsonian Affiliate and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories. JANM is a center for the arts as well as history. It provides a voice for Japanese Americans and a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over one hundred exhibitions onsite while traveling forty exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; programs will continue on the JANM campus, throughout Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Southern California, and beyond from early January 2025 through late 2026. For more information, visit janm.org/OnTheGo or follow us on social media @jamuseum.

About the Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (Democracy Center)

The Democracy Center is a place where visitors can examine the Asian American experience, past and present, and talk about race, identity, social justice, and the shaping of democracy. It convenes and educates people of all ages about democracy to transform attitudes, celebrate culture, and promote civic engagement; educates and informs the public and public officials about important issues; creates strength within and among communities to advocate for positive change; and explores the values that shape American democracy. The Democracy Center looks for solutions that engage communities in self-advocacy, explore the evolving idea of what it means to be an American, and result in actions that bring everyone together. JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; Democracy Center programs will continue on the JANM campus, throughout Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Southern California, and beyond from early January 2025 through late 2026. For more information, visit janm.org/OnTheGo or follow us on social media @democracyjanm.

About The New York Historical

New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution covering over 400 years of American history. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; peerless collections of art, documents, and artifacts; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment. The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United States’ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better. Connect with us at nyhistory.org or at @nyhistory on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Tumblr.

About Made By Us

Made By Us is a nationwide collaboration developed by America’s iconic and beloved history institutions, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Senator John Heinz History Center, National Archives Foundation, Atlanta History Center, HistoryMiami Museum and New-York Historical Society, to transform museums and historic sites into civic hubs for young adults. The network activates more than 400 museums, historic sites, archives and libraries nationwide to engage younger audiences with credible, timely U.S. history and civics information. With award-winning content and programs such as My Wish For U.S., 60-Second History, Democracy Vibe Check, Youth250 and the annual Civic Season held from Juneteenth to July 4th, Made By Us meets young adults where they are with timely and relevant history to inspire, inform and ignite civic participation. Learn more at historymadebyus.org and on Instagram at @historymadebyus.