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Promoting Democracy
The BeHere/1942 exhibition will run through October 2022 at the Japanese American National Museum.
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Josie Huang/LAist
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Topline:
The country’s premier museum about the Japanese American experience is reimagining ways to promote civic engagement, starting with renaming its Democracy Center after the late Sen. Daniel Inouye.
Why the new name: The Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo wanted to mark a new era for its Democracy Center. More than ever, officials say, the focus has to be on protecting democracy. Upcoming programming and lecture series will focus on everything from civil rights to the arts.
Why Inouye: JANM chose to rename its Democracy Center after Inouye because of his place in defending democracy. The Democrat from Hawaii served on congressional committees investigating the Iran-Contra and Watergate scandals. He was also the first Japanese American elected to both the House and the Senate.
New initiatives: The center will also award fellowships to emerging writers of color and launch a new program intended to promote dialogue with Japan. Starting next year, American and Japanese leaders in fields like government and media will take part in a year-long program that spans the globe, including visits to cities such as Tokyo, D.C., New York and L.A.
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