Japanese American National Museum

On Cusp of 250th Anniversary – The Push to Reclaim Community Narratives As the U.S. nears its 250th anniversary, communities push back against efforts to erase nonwhite history. Speakers discuss reclaiming community narratives amid censorship of museums, monuments, and…

ACoM News Briefing Recap
As the U.S. nears its 250th anniversary, communities are reclaiming histories threatened by censorship, monument removals, and curriculum limits—working to preserve a fuller American story.
🔗 buff.ly/fgbxkyc
#Community #History #ACoM

What Must Be Done? The Battle Against Fascism Podcast Episode · It Could Happen Here · 02/05/2026 · 39m

Last month the Japanese American National Museum asked me to deliver a keynote speech on what is necessary to combat authoritarianism and preserve democracy. You can listen to it and the Q&A that followed here:

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

Japanese American soldiers once branded 'enemy aliens' to be promoted posthumously Japanese American soldiers will be promoted in a ceremony, decades after they died fighting for the U.S. during World War II despite having been branded “enemy aliens.”

Remember their sacrifice for our country.

Daniel Betsui
Jenhatsu Chinen
Robert Murata
Grover Nagaji
Akio Nishikawa
Hiroichi Tomita
Howard Urabe

May they rest in peace and their sacrifice never forgotten. cc: @jamuseum.bsky.social

abc7chicago.com/story/japane...

The National Park Service (NPS) has removed an exhibit called “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” at the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The decision comes after president Trump to remove “corrosive ideology” from cultural heritage venues.

buff.ly/ni1GGsk

MPR News on Instagram: "WARNING: The following video includes visuals that may be disturbing. Just after 9 a.m. Saturday in Minneapolis' Whittier neighborhood, multiple federal immigration agents wer... 119K likes, 8,338 comments - mprnews on January 24, 2026: "WARNING: The following video includes visuals that may be disturbing. Just after 9 a.m. Saturday in Minneapolis' Whittier neighborhood, mult...

Here’s the video. It’s the American way to gang up on a man and shoot him? Where’s the threat?

Sorry, it is in fact the American way.

In solidarity with museums taking a stand ❤️

Slavery exhibits at President's House in Philadelphia removed after Trump administration directive Crews dismantled plaques telling the stories of the nine enslaved people who lived in the President's House and were owned by George Washington.

The attempts at the wholesale erasure of history will not help us achieve a more just America. We must ensure that history is told fully and truthfully, and carry the lessons of history forward.

6abc.com/post/philade...

Alabama uses Japanese American Internment era law to charge immigrants who don’t self-register Alabama is finding new ways to criminally charge undocumented immigrants

What is happening today harkens back to the registration of the Issei, which was a precursor to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. They also harken back to the scapegoating of the Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans leading up to WWII.
www.al.com/news/2026/01...

Scot Nakagawa will be a panelist at our symposium,
Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Building Democracy, this Friday!

Read his piece below and get tickets to the symposium: www.janm.org/events/2026-...

Alabama uses Japanese American Internment era law to charge immigrants who don’t self-register Alabama is finding new ways to criminally charge undocumented immigrants

Do we need to say it louder? Here. Louder.

" Federal courts in Alabama are using a law last applied during the U.S. internment [incarceration] of people of Japanese descent during World War II to charge immigrants who don’t register themselves..."

www.al.com/news/2026/01...

Echoes of History will explore how culture, organizing, and collective memory push back against authoritarianism.

If this post found you, consider this an invitation to use our discount code CCFECHOES for $50 off (in-person) or $5 off (virtual).

Tickets: janm.org/democracy

I have been invited to give the keynote speech on combatting authoritarianism at the Japanese-American National Museum's Echoes of History symposium on January 23rd in Los Angeles. You can buy tickets in person or to watch via the Livestream!

www.janm.org/democracy/ev...

ICE Kidnapping occurred on January 14, 2026, at at the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo.

Get tickets: www.janm.org/events/2026-...

Graphic with headshot of Tyler Green. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Rafael Gonzalez. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Renee Tajima-Pena. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Hamza Walker. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Afternoon panelists at our upcoming symposium!

Tyler Green, historian, author, and host of The Modern Art Notes Podcast
Rafael Gonzalez, President and CEO, Grand Performances
Renee Tajima-Pena, Professor, UCLA @rtajimapena.bsky.social
Hamza Walker, Director of The Brick and co-curator of Monuments

www.janm.org/events/2026-...

Graphic with headshot of Gustavo Arellano, Columnist, Los Angeles Times. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Miguel Santana, President and CEO, California Community Foundation. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Memo Torres, Director of Engagement, L.A. Taco. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

How Does a City Respond? with panelists:

Gustavo Arellano, Columnist @latimes.com
Angelica Salas, Executive Director @chirla-org.bsky.social
Miguel Santana, President and CEO, California Community Foundation
Memo Torres, Director of Engagement, L.A. Taco @eltragon.bsky.social @lataco.bsky.social

Hear from Damon Brown (Special Assistant Attorney General, State of California) about Antiauthoritarianism and Building a Legacy for the Future

www.janm.org/events/2026-...

Graphic with headshot of Don Chen, President of Surdna Foundation. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Viet Thanh Nguyenm Pulitzer-Prize winning author and professor. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Scot Nakagawa, Co-founder and Co-Director of 22nd Century Initiative. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Margaret Huang, Former President of Southern Poverty Law Center. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Speakers for Panel 1 —Antiauthoritarianism: Building a Legacy for the Future

www.janm.org/events/2026-...

Robert Evans @iwriteok.bsky.social will join JANM President and CEO Ann Burroughs in a Fireside Chat!

Graphic with headshot of Robert Evans, Journalist, Author, Podcast Host. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Glenn Kaino, contemporary artist. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Graphic with headshot of Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International. Democracy Center logo in white at the top left. White text in top right corner reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Democracy Building. January 23, 2026 | janm.org/democracy"

Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Building Democracy

Hear from keynote speakers Agnès Callamard of Amnesty International, Robert Evans of the Behind the Bastards and It Could Happen Here podcasts and Glenn Kaino, an acclaimed contemporary artist.

Tickets: www.janm.org/democracy/ev...

Image of artist Glenn Kaino's work, "In the Light of a Shadow" with white text overlay that reads, "Echoes of History: Inspiring Civic Action and Building Democracy 1.23.26. Democracy Center. For tickets + more info, please visit janm.org/democracy"

Join the Democracy Center at JANM and meet the thinkers, artists, organizers, and civic leaders confronting authoritarianism today.

www.janm.org/events/2026-...

Haunted by History, Japanese Americans Fight Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

This is our community’s legacy.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/u...

Black graphic with white text that reads, "Japanese American National Museum receives $20 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott" and a white Japanese American National Museum logo at the bottom.

JANM is honored to announce that it has received a second transformative gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The gift of $20 million is the largest single gift in JANM’s history.

Our statement: www.janm.org/press/releas...

The US is a country of immigrants, and it is made better because of them. Naturalization ceremonies are an essential part of democracy in the US, and JANM will continue to defend democracy and civil rights, standing against racism, xenophobia, and intolerance in all its forms.

Trump administration abruptly cancels citizenship ceremonies for some immigrants The ceremony is the final step to becoming a U.S. citizen, a process that takes years to complete.

We cannot allow ourselves to become accustomed to the disdainful actions of this Administration to erase the hard work that immigrants have done to pledge allegiance to the US and call this country home. www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...

Vandalism Damages Historic Heart Mountain Buildings - Rafu Shimpo POWELL, Wyo. — Over the past two months, the historic hospital at the Heart Mountain National Historic Landmark has experienced four separate incidents of vandalism. The federally owned buildings were...

We stand in solidarity with our friends at the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. Together, we make clear that our past will not be erased and that its lessons will continue to guide us towards a more just future. @heartmountain.bsky.social

rafu.com/2025/12/vand...

This L.A. Museum Is Standing Up to Trump’s Whitewashing, Vowing to ‘Scrub Nothing’ The Japanese American National Museum stands out among cultural institutions by refusing to bend to President Trump’s attacks on diversity, history and the truth.

What would a JANM exhibit or website look like without DEI? It would be blank. #ScrubNothing

capitalandmain.com/this-l-a-mus...

Headshot of Ann Burroughs, President and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum

JANM Congratulates @annburroughs.bsky.social on Receiving the Bar Association of the District of Columbia’s Pioneer Award!

rafu.com/2025/10/janm...

Public art protest of ICE raids asks 'Am I Next?' Campaign features prominent Trump critics The new campaign features features veteran actors Edward James Olmos, George Takei and other Angelenos who oppose the Trump Administration's deportation policy.

"For Japanese Americans who lived through World War II, the raids feels like a repeat of history. Use of force. Loss of due process. Targeting of ethnic communities." @laist.com

laist.com/news/los-ang...