MEDIA ADVISORY—JANM TO PRESENT NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN SEATTLE JULY 4-7 WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER SECRETARY NORMAN Y. MINETA

Japanese American National Museum will present its fourth national conference, Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity, at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel on July 4 through July 7. In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988—which granted redress to Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II—the conference will explore the historic and contemporary connections of the Japanese American experience to local, state, and national histories. Participants of all ages and backgrounds from across the country will learn about the journey endured by the Issei (first-generation) and Nisei (second generation) within the context of the larger American story.

Throughout the Conference, attendees will hear from those incarcerated in the War Relocation Authority camps of Heart Mountain, Minidoka, Tule Lake, and Manzanar, and the pioneering involvement of the Pacific Northwest’s Japanese American community in the redress movement. Four sessions in Japanese is also being presented for the first-time ever. Special tours to Bainbridge Island and Seattle’s historic International District and other activities such as an exclusive screening of the 1976 made-for-TV film Farewell to Manzanar are being offered to ensure an impactful conference experience for all participants. On Friday, July 5, 1:00 p.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, July 6, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Conference Marketplace with over 20 unique vendors from across the country, and the EXPO with engaging activities and workshops for families and kids of all ages, is FREE to the public.

On-site registrations are still available. Visit janm.org/conference2013 for more information. Media interviews are available on request to Janis Wong, Director of Marketing & Communications, at jwong@janm.org, or at 626-483-6447.

WHO: Located in historic downtown LA’s Little Tokyo, the Japanese American National Museum is the largest museum in the U.S. dedicated to sharing the Japanese American experience from early immigration through the World War II incarceration to the present day. As part of its educational programming and outreach, the Museum will host its fourth national conference in Seattle with a slate of over 80 noted scholars, students, and business and community leaders from around the country, Canada, and Japan in over 30 sessions and workshops. The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, former Secretary of Transportation, and JANM Chair, Board of Governors, is the keynote speaker for the Dinner Banquet on July 6. Secretary Mineta will address the historical and current implications of the issues of civil rights and social justice.

WHAT: Speaking Up! Democracy, Justice, Dignity National Conference

WHEN: July 4 through July 7, 2013

WHERE: Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 Sixth Street, Seattle, Washington