The Japanese American National Museum Condemns the Hateful Remarks of LA City Councilmembers and the former President of the LA Labor Federation

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) unequivocally condemns racism, prejudice, and discrimination in all its forms. The hateful statements by Los Angeles City Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Kevin de Leon and Gilbert Cedillo, and Ron Herrera, the now former President of the LA Labor Federation, are wholly unacceptable and demonstrate a breaking of the covenant of trust with the people they serve. We require that our elected leaders hold themselves to the highest standards and when they fail to do so, we must hold them to account. 

These statements go against JANM’s core values and the interconnectedness and solidarity that we promote through our National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. We are aligned with the calls for accountability because we believe that residents of Los Angeles deserve leaders that champion a democracy built on diversity, inclusivity, and unity. 

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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 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 in 1992, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite while traveling 17 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. For more information, visit janm.org or follow us on social media @jamuseum.