This month, we continue our Conversations Series, where SVCREATES Board members sit down with local arts leaders and culture bearers to learn what’s top of mind. In this interview, Jaye Bailey, SVCREATES Board Member, talks with Vanessa Hatakeyama, Executive Director of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj), about the organization's growth and journey toward longterm sustainability.
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Jaye: I've been in California for eight years, and the first five years I lived in Japantown. I visited the museum, and I'm just fascinated by all the history in Japantown. It's a real honor for me to get to talk with you. First, tell me more about the Japanese American Museum of San Jose.
Vanessa: Oh really!? Wow! The Japanese American Museum of San Jose, which we affectionately call JAMsj, has been located in the historic San Jose Japantown since 1987. Our mission is to collect, preserve, and share Japanese American history, art, and culture, with an emphasis on San Jose and San Jose Japantown.