Event Details

Under the theme, “New Beginnings, Bold Visions,” the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) will feature former Governor of Hawaii George Ariyoshi as keynote speaker and honoree at its Saturday, March 27, 2010 annual dinner in San Francisco at the Hotel Kabuki, 1625 Post St. in San Francisco Japantown between Laguna and Webster. At the dinner, NJAHS will also honor former JACL President Lillian Kimura, and artists Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu. Special community recognition will be given to photojournalist Tom Graves and descendants of the Aizu-Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony. KTVU Channel 2 news reporters Robert Handa and Jana Katsuyama will emcee. Performing a special tribute to the honorees will be celebrated Native Hawaiian musician Carlton D. Ka’ala Carmack. The evening will begin with no host cocktails at 6:00 pm with the dinner and program at 7:00p.m. Tickets are $150/person. For more info contact: NJAHS at 415.921.5007 or email: njahs@njahs.org.

The theme of the event is New Beginnings, and Bold Visions which  celebrates two historical legacies: the Kanrin-Maru diplomatic voyage (1860), and the Aizu-Wakamatsu Colony (1868). Both are examples of the first Japanese to come to the United States, and in the case of Wakamatsu, of immigrant settlers that attempted to start a agricultural colony. These were the first efforts by Japanese to come to the United States, and in the case of Wakamatsu, of immigrant settlers attempting to start an agricultural colony. The Annual Awards dinner is an opportunity for the community to recognize the leadership in our community that exemplifies the values shown by these two historical examples.
 

Photo: Governor George Ariyoshi