Imperial Valley Japanese American Gallery

04/05/2026

EASTER SUNDAY
APRIL 5, 1931
BRAWLEY JAPANESE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Photo courtesy of Kuwano, Sato & Sumi Families

01/02/2026

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Akemash*te Omedetou Gozaimasu!

The Japanese American Gallery wishes all of our friends and supporters Joy, Good Health, and Peace during the YEAR OF THE HORSE!

Photo: Hisakichi Nomura working his farm in El Centro, circa 1925

12/14/2025

Staff members from the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles spent part of their Thanksgiving holiday informally touring Southern California. One of their stops was the Imperial Valley Pioneers Museum because they had heard about the Japanese American Gallery. They were so "amazed," as they put it, by what they discovered that they decided on the fly to shoot footage for a promotional video.

The Japanese American Gallery is hugely grateful to the Consulate General of Japan for producing a professional video that promotes our exhibit. It will undoubtedly inspire more people to visit the Pioneers Museum to learn about the Imperial Valley's once vibrant Japanese American community.

12/13/2025

11/20/2025

The Japanese American Gallery joins JANM in mourning the loss of a pioneer and pillar of Japanese American scholarship. Among his many crowning achievements, Dr. Arthur A. Hansen founded and directed the Japanese American Oral History Project at California State University, Fullerton.

On February 25, 2014, Dr. Hansen visited the Pioneers Museum. He subsequently wrote to Tim Asamen:
"Just a quick note to thank you profoundly and profusely for hosting the wonderful visit to the Imperial Valley. I was incredibly moved by the high quality of the Japanese American Gallery that has been so intelligently and tastefully created and maintained over the past two decades."

JANM mourns the passing of Dr. Arthur A. Hansen. He was professor emeritus of History and Asian American Studies at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and was JANM’s senior historian from 2001 through 2005. In 2008 he retired from CSUF as the director of the university’s Lawrence de Graaf Center for Oral and Public History.

As JANM’s senior historian, Hansen primarily worked with the Museum’s Curatorial department and Media Arts Center. He was crucial in guiding and advising the curators as they developed projects and exhibitions. One of the Museum’s most enthusiastic supporters, Hansen also discussed with staff how JANM needed to respond to the ways in which the perceptions of the Museum’s audience and the public were shifting in regards to Japanese American history. His vision and guidance was invaluable in shaping JANM’s public programs and exhibitions.

Hansen also helped support the Watase Media Arts Center’s Life History Program. He conducted interviews with multi-sport athlete, Wally Yonamine; sociocultural anthropologist Dr. James Hirabayashi, who also provided guidance and direction to JANM’s educational and curatorial programs; and Jean Ariyoshi, the former first lady of Hawai‘i. He led oral history workshops and played an instrumental role in the four-city REgenerations project on Japanese American resettlement. He was an advisor for Discover Nikkei when JANM was first developing the community website, and continued to advise Discover Nikkei through the years. He was also the historical advisor for the Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy at JANM’s Fighting for Democracy educator resource guide. From 2005 through 2017 he worked on a series of grant projects and national JANM-sponsored conferences in Little Rock, Denver, and Seattle. In 2023, he was the guest of honor at JANM’s special public program, The Enduring Power of Oral History: An Afternoon with Art Hansen and Friends. His unwavering confidence and support of JANM always encouraged its staff to imagine what the Museum could be.

“JANM is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Arthur A. Hansen, a key figure in capturing the oral histories of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II and a beloved member of the JANM family. His reverence for Japanese American history and culture, his gift for unearthing previously untapped stories, and his deep commitment to mentoring future generations have left an indelible mark on the public history field and on our hearts, said Ann Burroughs, JANM President and CEO.

08/26/2025

Ted Shigematsu graduated from Imperial Valley College and San Diego State University. He taught philosophy at Santa Ana College for twenty-five years. His work of historical fiction, "The Cracks in the Life of Mike Anami," is loosely based on the lives of his parents, Minoru and Luisa. During WWII, "Min" Shigematsu served in the 100th Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and met Luisa in Italy. When Min brought his family to the United States, then 15-year-old Ted spoke no English, only Italian.
Ted's grandfather Mosaku Shigematsu was a tomato farmer and Issei community leader in El Centro. Ted's aunt Mary (Shigematsu) Hoshizaki served on the Japanese American Gallery's inaugural committee.
This event is co-sponsored by the Japanese American Gallery.

Join us for our next Friday Night Presentation!

On Friday, September 26, at 6:30 p.m., we have the honor of hosting author Ted Shigematsu. Ted is the author of "The Cracks in the Life of Mike Anami," a powerful story with deep roots right here in the Imperial Valley.

This is a free event with light bites and refreshments, We can't wait to share this evening with all of you!

Book will be available for sale at our Pioneer Mercantile gift shop.

04/22/2025

https://rafu.com/2025/04/discovering-our-imperial-valley-roots/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ0uTJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFEUzh1TGdvcmVIV3VMRkNLAR64a0pzznnbSWmzak08cgIIfQD4dI2XPn8FlPFs3xCRA3IBkzZf_pSTdW98LA_aem_v2J0cAcL7U7kQruuxydL6Q

By JEANNIE TOSHIMA Have you ever made a visit to Brawley or El Centro or even heard of these places? These two towns (plus many others in this area) whose city limits just about kiss the Mexican border are full of rich Japanese American history. You may want to consider making the roughly 200-mile t...

03/15/2025

The California Mid-Winter Fair began 114 years ago. Historically, the produce exhibitions were extremely prestigious. This was the front-page headline of the March 11, 1938 issue of the Kashu Mainichi (The Japan-California Daily News):
FAIR PRIZES AWARDED TO NIPPONESE
Captures Majority of Vegetable Department First Prize Awards

The article begins, "Many Imperial Valley Japanese exhibitors were awarded prizes for their works at the Imperial County Midwinter Fair . . . First prize vegetable winners were: F. K. Fujita, S. Kido, Y. Tanase, George Kodama, Y. Honda, Z. Asamen, and Y. Tsujimoto."

03/05/2025

Over the years, several tour groups have travelled to the Imperial Valley on chartered buses. By far the largest group visited the Japanese American Gallery on February 26, 2025. The trip was organized by Jeannie Toshima of the Buddhist Temple of Pasadena. Check out the wonderful photos she took here:

51 people boarded a tourbus in Pasadena to take a trip down to the Imperial County Pioneers Museum. Many of the attendees had family history that was based in the Imperial County. It was wonderful to...

02/26/2025

On February 7, 2025, Tim Asamen, coordinator of the Japanese American Gallery, hosted Consul General Kenko Sone of the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles and Mrs. Sone at the Imperial Valley Pioneers Museum.

01/02/2025

Akemash*te omedetou gozaimasu!
2025 Year of the Snake

We wish all of our friends and supporters Joy and Good Health throughout the New Year.

Photo: Wildlife Gallery display at the Imperial Valley Pioneers Museum