About the event
This event celebrates the power of transforming memory into a lasting legacy through the creation of books and booklets.
It brings together individuals who have shaped personal, family, or community stories into tangible works—whether as children’s picture books, memoirs, self-published zines, or museum-based publications.
While each speaker brings a different creative approach, their projects are all rooted in heirlooms of memory—objects, voices, and experiences across generations. Through these works, they seek not only to preserve the past but also to connect it meaningfully to the present.
Featuring panelists from different generations and backgrounds, the program offers varied perspectives on why storytelling matters and how it can take shape across time.
Whether you're just starting to reflect on your own story or already developing a book or booklet, this event offers insights, inspiration, and community. After the panel discussion, attendees are invited to connect with speakers at their tables to continue the conversation, view sample works, and have books signed.
Featured Panel speakers
Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson
Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson is a fourth generation Japanese American and children's book author-illustrator. Her children's books include THE MOCHI MAKERS, a celebration of family and tradition, and SHELL SONG, which is inspired by the shells Sharon's grandfather collected in a Japanese American incarceration camp in Hawai'i during World War II. This shell collection is showcased in the exhibit 家宝 ka-hō HEIRLOOM.
Finn Kaoru Laubscher
Finn Kaoru Laubscher is a mixed gosei artist, writer, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He is the Creative Director of Kioku Magazine and co-founder, alongside his sister Katherine Terumi.
ALICE HIKIDO
Alice Hikido, a Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) born in Juneau, Alaska in 1932, was incarcerated at Minidoka during WWII while her father was held in Santa Fe. She joined Yu-Ai Kai’s Memoir Writing class in 2018 and continued through COVID. In 2023, she began moderating her own class at Wesley Methodist Church, helping others writing their stories.
Event Schedule
1:30–2:30 PM – Panel Presentations
Three speakers share personal journeys in preserving family stories
Mini Q&A sessions after each talk
2:30–2:40 PM – Short Break
2:40–3:30 PM – Panel Discussion & Audience Q&A
3:30–4:30 PM – Author Tables *optional
Meet the speakers
Book signings, informal chats, and resources for your own storytelling journey
4:30–5:00 PM – Optional Museum Exploration
How to Join
Admission
This event is free with regular museum admission. Free for Museum active members. We encourage guests to RSVP in advance.
Hybrid Format (In-person & Zoom)
Join us either in person at the museum or virtually via Zoom. Choose the format that works best for you on RSVP form.
Questions?
Please contact the Education Programs Manager (Chisa Matsunaga) at chisa@jamsj.org.