On Sept. 27, the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre will bring together artists and cultural figures to honour and explore Nikkei identity during a time of immense change.
“What are we?” is the slogan of the symposium and a pressing question for people of mixed descent and for the Nikkei in particular, according to participant Jeff Chiba Stearns.
Nikkei, a group that encompasses anyone of Japanese heritage living outside of Japan, are keenly examining their identity as they experience immense demographic shifts within their community. Chiba Stearns, an award winning filmmaker of Japanese-Canadian and European-Canadian descent, has spent most of his career examining issues of identity for people of mixed descent. His acclaimed film One Big Hapa Family is a portrayal of Chiba Stearns’ own family and an exploration of why 95 percent of Japanese Canadians marry outside of their community.
These demographic shifts are leading Japanese Canadians and cultural institutions such as the Nikkei National Museum to explore the question of identity with increasing urgency.
“As we were pondering the idea of identity, we started to question “What are we?” – what role does the museum play in preserving and honouring Nikkei identity, and how the museum is regarded within the Nikkei community and beyond,” says Beth Carter, director and curator at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre.
Carter says the goal of the symposium is threefold; to get people talking about Nikkei identity and themes of belonging, to bring together an exciting group of arts and culture leaders from the community to discuss the role of heritage among Nikkei and finally to help gather information from the community about what they want to see from their national community and how the museum can best serve their needs into the future.
Staying current
Japanese Canadians have a long and rich local history that is not without dark eras of discrimination and internment. The symposium will fuse this past with the present to mirror the changes in the North American Nikkei community in the last century. Respected elders will be present to share a historical perspective. Renowned artist, spoken word performer and filmmaker Kip Fulbeck will give the keynote. He is joined by Nikkei artists and culture professionals spanning three generations from across Canada and California, including Greg Kimura, CEO of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Los Angeles, California.
As Nikkei evolve and shape their modern identity, their artistic and cultural institutions are changing along with them. Museums continue to honour the rich history of the Nikkei while striving to stay relevant for the younger generations by incorporating contemporary themes. The JANM has experimented with bold exhibits with contemporary themes have seen steep rises in attendance, something that the Nikkei National Museum is adopting with Kip Fulbeck’s Part Asian, 100% Hapa exhibition.
A collection of intimate portraits of multiracial individuals, also known as “hapa” or half, Fulbeck’s exhibition is a striking visual exploration and contemplation of mixed race identity. The symposium itself will end with a celebration of Fulbeck’s exhibition and the inaugural presentation of community awards at Hapapalooza, a festival celebrating mixed roots arts and ideas.
Questions for everyone
Although the symposium focuses on the Nikkei experience, Chiba Stearns urges people from all walks of life to partake and begin to ponder their identity.
“The bigger question is “What does it mean to be Canadian?”. Given our horrible history in dealing with minorities, this is something we need to discuss, in order to evolve as a Canadian nation.” he says.
What are we? Symposium honouring Nikkei identity
Saturday, Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
Nikkei Centre, 6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby
Admission is free but seating is limited.
RSVP to jcnm@nikkeiplace.org
