Exhibition: Am I An American or Am I Not?

Visit the library to view our latest special exhibition!

The exhibition’s title comes from Fred Korematsu, who famously challenged the mass imprisonment of over 125,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. When faced with criminal charges for not following the military orders to leave his home without due process, the U.S. born citizen remembered his Constitutional rights and asked, “Am I an American or am I not?”

“Am I An American or Am I Not?” explores how fear, discrimination, and government actions led to the violation of Constitutional rights during the war and how this history relates to the experiences of other communities, including Native Americans and African Americans.

The exhibition addresses stories of other historic and modern-day events that parallel aspects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans to encourage visitors to take action today and stand up for the rights of all Americans.

“Am I An American or Am I Not?” was developed in partnership with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, AGH Arts Strategies, and Exhibit Envoy, with funding from the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), the JA Community Foundation, and PwC.

The exhibition is viewable during all library open hours (M-W Noon-8 p.m.; Th-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.).

This exhibition received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.

ONE BOOK, ONE COAST:

Throughout the months of April and May, Menlo Park is partnering with LA County library and nearly 200 library systems across California, Washington, and Oregon for One Book, One Coast, a shared community reading program that celebrates literacy, learning, community, and civil discourse. Join us for two months of special programming bringing Japanese American history and culture to life.

| 3/22-5/17 |
Exhibition: Am I An American...? |
Fred Korematsu challenged the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

| Fred Korematsu challenged the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII. |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 4/8

A Wartime Journey |

Yoshiko Kanazawa talks about being forced to relocate to an incarceration camp as a child. |

4/10
Japanese Storytime
Ages 2-5 with adult: high-energy storytime full of Japanese culture—all in Japanese

4/14
Draw Manga Moods
Age 8-Adult: draw expressive faces using the unique visual language of Japanese comics

4/20
Sacramento's Lost Japantown
Live virtual event with California Museum

4/21
Teen Book Group (Ages 12-17)
They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei

5/2
Koto Performance and Film
Musician Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on preserving culture in the "camps"

5/4
Americans Behind Barbed Wire
Meet people who lived through mass incarceration, & their family members

5/17
Japanese Taiko Drumming
Drummer Kristy "Aki" Oshiro shares Japanese language, culture, and history

5/31
Author Talk with George Takei
One Book, One Coast wraps up with a special visit from They Called Us Enemy author George Takei, livestreamed from the East Los Angeles Library.

More free events with Menlo Park Library

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